Harvest of Love

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Harvest of Love
Author(s):	Deanna Gray
Date(s):	2008
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Harvest of Love is a Kirk/Spock story by Deanna Gray.

It was published in the print zine First Time #62.

Summary

"Courage is the one factor which unites Kirk and Spock following a devastating accident aboard the Enterprise."

Reactions and Reviews

Issue #62! How is that possible? Robin, you are amazing! I know editing and publishing have gotten harder for you over the last few years, but please don‘t even think of stopping. What would we do without you?

Because this zine is hot off the presses, I‘m going to have to contain my impulse to tell the whole story, but this is one you don‘t want to miss. One reason this author has a devoted following is because of the amazing and varied plots she uses. No PWPs for this writer! And this one is a doozy. On a diplomatic mission, Kirk and Spock uncover information the planets‘ inhabitants would do anything to prevent others from knowing. I love seeing the captain and first officer of the Enterprise act like the heroes they are. The interaction, bravery, and concern for life stem from the wellsprings of these men‘s characters, and Deanna can incorporate all that along with the capacity to make them ―real‖ people. Hurt/comfort aplenty as well, only surprisingly, knowing this author, for Kirk this time around.

Great story! Had me hooked from the beginning.

You can always depend on this author to provide a detailed, highly believable and remarkable plot. I have no idea where her new and innovative ideas come from but I do so hope she keeps right on developing them. This time we are introduced to a complex society in straightforward terms that do not distract us from Kirk and Spock but add to the story as a whole making it all the more enjoyable.

This one starts with a bang – a ruptured coolant conduit – and I’m hooked. Kirk is in auxiliary control where the leak occurs and manages to get almost everyone out before the door seals automatically, trapping him inside. All within the context of his thoughts as he waits for Spock to rescue him is the groundwork for the story that lies ahead. And if there is any one thing of which Kirk is certain, it’s that Spock will rescue him.

Sometimes I wonder if Ms. Gray has spent time aboard a starship. Wouldn’t surprise me when I consider the skill with which she writes of the workings of the Enterprise and her crew. This greatly adds to the credibility of a story for me. It creates excitement and awe, just as the K/S does, especially when the two are so seamlessly integrated.

There is a great deal of suspense here as the hairs on the back of Kirk’s neck are standing at attention and Spock’s incredible intelligence senses from the start there is something not right about the power source on the planet being solicited for membership in the Federation. There is too much secrecy. But one could never imagine how sinister and terrible a secret the inhabitants harbor. This is truly a horror story in many ways, frighteningly convincing at times. I won’t give away the details here, but they will definitely keep you turning the pages.

Now, about Kirk and Spock. Ms. Gray describes Spock’s love for James Kirk as being “helplessly trapped in orbit around his human captain.” And listen to this description of Spock lying on his bunk thinking about how close he came to losing his friend: “His eyes closed as he lightly touched the ethereal chain tethering him to the human.” Isn’t that poetic and lovely? Theirs is not an established relationship in this story, but all the elements are falling into place that will bring them together in every way possible. It’s amazing how well all this evolves within the context of the plot and their very dangerous mission.

This is one not to be missed if you like intrigue, drama and an unfolding love story all rolled into one.

I have seen the movie The Matrix many times, yet never in a million years would have thought to use the concept in the movie of human bodies being used as energy sources for a K/S story! I just love Deanna Gray‘s writing. She‘s one of my very favorite writers, and this story demonstrates why. A Deanna Gray story always means an unusual and interesting plot, with great characterizations of Kirk and Spock, and hot sex! Which is exactly what we get in this enjoyable story that also has some wonderful hurt/comfort scenes. Another winner from this extremely talented writer.

In the world of K/S, we have what are known as ―get Kirk‖ or ―get Spock‖ stories, in which either Kirk or Spock is made to suffer. Among the authors who write these stories, they tend to focus on either one or the other on a regular basis. Those of you who are familiar with this author‘s work know that she tends to ―get Spock‖ more than Kirk. She does, occasionally make an exception to that rule, as is the case here, and the result is a refreshing yet thoroughly enjoyable change from her usual fare.

The story starts out with Kirk ending up in Sickbay due to the careless actions of two crew members. It is while he is recovering that Spock realizes a link has formed between them. While it was directly for saving Kirk‘s life in this particular situation, when Spock recalls his actions once he realized Kirk was in danger, he becomes painfully aware that perhaps the link, and more importantly his relationship with Kirk, have changed him in a way he finds difficult to accept. Yet despite the fact that he soon discovers the link is much more than what it initially seemed, Spock is reluctant to take any action to change what has happened, at least for the moment. It is only after a diplomatic mission on an alien planet, a planet where something seems to be not quite right and that ―something‖ endangers the life of his beloved Jim, the steps he must take to save that life ultimately reveal his secret and he can only hope that such relevance will lead to understanding and acceptance, and a new life and relationship with Jim.

On a personal note, for Shore Leave this year, Deanna and I decided to drive down together and on the way down, we got to talking about how we write our stories. I asked Deanna how much editing/rewriting she did when it came to her stories and to my surprise, she said that except for grammatical errors, she did very little of either. So basically, the final versions of her stories that appear in zines are pretty much identical to what she first puts down on paper. To me, that is truly astonishing, for when you read her stories, they are consistently well-written, flow smoothly along, and tend to contain a lot of plot detail that can often be difficult for an author to keep straight. For her to do all of this in one shot speaks volumes of her tremendous talent and we are all indeed very lucky she has shared that talent with us.