Parted and Forever Parted

Fanfiction
Title:	Parted and Forever Parted
Author(s):	Sharon St. James
Date(s):	1991
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	title page
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Parted and Forever Parted is a Kirk/Spock story by Sharon St. James.

Part one published in the print zine T'hy'la #10, part two in #11.

Summary

"Spock is having difficulty keeping his mind from thoughts of his captain, especially since Kirk seems to be constantly in provocative positions."

Reactions and Reviews

1991

I have felt at times that Kirk's inner character is not as compellingly interesting as Spock's, but this story proved that not so. Kirk has amnesia and is totally cut off from everything and everyone he knows, in an alien society as a slave. The story is his journey of self-discovery. Even without his memories, his spirit and intrinsic personality traits really strongly come through. The alien society is very interesting and well drawn. I felt it as an insider, not an observer. The character Dana, a fellow slave, who helps Kirk re-learn about love, is depicted very well, as are the other primary characters on the planet. Spock and Kirk eventually succeed in rescuing Kirk, still without any memory of his prior life. His and Spock's relationship as lovers had been strained when they were separated, and Spock must tread very carefully to gain his trust and draw him back where he belongs. These are very moving scenes, as Spock is at the same time having to deal with his own hurt at their estrangement.

1992

That's a story to my taste! Kirk has lost his memory, Spock sinks into despair, and T'Pau (first against him, because she wants to protect her grandson) helps them! in addition, there's a third person (Dana, Kirk's iover, when he had amnesia), who makes things more complicated!

Wonderful! I love it!

One of the best things about this story is the ending. For once, Kirk does not just disappear forever from the planet's surface when he is rescued by Spock and McCoy. As soon as he recovers from his amnesia, he insists upon returning to say "goodbye" to a man there who offered him both protection and love. This is rather unusual in a Kirk "slave story" and a graceful way of tying up loose ends.

Quite enjoyable. Smooth reading. A rich picture of Kirk not burdened by anything of his "true" past, relating to Spock in a totally free and innocent way. Spock's and McCoy's treatment of him was sensitive and logical. An effective level of tension in Kirk's treatment at the starbase hospital and in the situation of his going to Vulcan and Spock's bribe. I was very glad when T'Pau released Spock from the vow of the bond. Deep, sweet, erotic love scene. Satisfying reunion and resolution between Kirk and Dana. The mood stayed with me for days.

1993

This is very nicely written. The plot develops well. The characterization is very true. AND somehow STJ drew me emotionally right into the story. I felt Kirk's frustration. I felt Spock's despair. And I got as mad as hell about the medical bureaucracy, about as mad as McCoy and Spock got. The new characters were, also, quite "fleshed out". I especially liked Dana, but then so did Kirk!

My complaint is that I hate two parters. If I had not been able to read this back to back as one story, I would have been totally irked, and that's putting it very mildly.

2009

The two parts of this novel are published in two zines, and I hate that. You are happily reading and enjoying a story, curious for the end, and then it stops and to know the end you have to buy the other zine and thus you have to wait....

In part 1 Kirk and Spock are disagreeing about the bonding. T'Pau will not grant Spock his bonding with Kirk. Spock wants to go on without a bonding, but Kirk doesn't. He ends their relation.

Shortly thereafter he is missing on a landing party, after being injured. Spock organizes a search party but the Enterprise is called away to an emergency and damaged. Only after many weeks Spock managed to go back for Kirk.

In the meantime Kirk is sold as a slave. He has lost his memory and is very ill for a time. After rebelling at first, he adjusts to his new life and he and the pleasure slave of his master become lovers. When finally Spock and McCoy come to the rescue he doesn't recognize them and doesn't want to go with them, so they sort of kidnap him. On several pages is told about his life about the Enterprise as the slave without memory. He has to learn everything anew, and although it is nicely told, it takes too long to my taste.

Apart from that Spock and McCoy think it necessary to withhold a lot of information for Kirk which confuses him only more, they do not tell him that Kirk is the captain and that Spock and Kirk were lovers. It is unbelievable to me that McCoy, that clever in psychology, thinks it necessary to do so and asks on every question of Kirk"that is a long story". Only due to the stubbornness of Kirk he get finally some of his answers.

McCoy tries with hypnotherapy to help Kirk regain his memory, but without results. So, they go to a starbase hospital. There is a very pigheaded doctor who does everything wrong. And again, McCoy disappoints me. He brings Kirk there and is then not allowed to visit his patient, and every suggestion of him is ignored, and he stays away! Then finally McCoy has had enough and he and Spock rescue Kirk from the painful Electro therapy. They go to Vulcan now. A Vulcan healer will help Kirk. There is an explanation why they don't go to Vulcan directly, but I didn't think that very believable. The healer turns out to be T'Pau. She made a deal with Spock. If he is going to bond with her choice, she will help Kirk. Spock has little choice and agrees. Kirk of course, knows nothing about it.

TPau melds with Kirk, and sees in his mind how much he loves Spock. Kirk's memory returns fully and he remembers what happens between he and Spock before beaming down and is desperate, because he wants Spock back but doesn't know how.

Spock is set free from his pledge and everything could be settled, but....

But Kirk thinks he is still in love with Dana, his lover on the planet and wants to be sure. So he beams down to the place where he lived as a slave, and of course he finds out that Spock is the onry one he really loves....

A long soapy story, well written but with too many plots. I felt like reading one of those TV soaps, "As The World Turns", or The Bold and the Beautiful", although I never saw them because I hate that kind of series.

There is just a little bit of the real Kirk in this story. The Kirk without memory looks like a simple psychiatric patient and is treated that way by everybody but Spock. Spock has to control his feelings and he has difficulties with that in a very un-vulcan way.

The other characters and the society they live in are beautifully pictured. It is a real living community, although I would have like to know more about Liogese, Dana and the other people Kirk meets on the planet.

As far as I remember, there isn't much sex in it.

For those who want a complicated long story with a lot of angst and frustration, this is a must.

2006

A compelling take on the slave scenario, despite a high smarm rating and a rather fragile, golden-boy Kirk - maybe because Kirk is amnesiac, and has been living as a pleasure slave. The transition back to our decisive captain is nicely done when he is healed by mind-meld with T'Pau. A good deal of breast-beating and martyrdom for Spock, who has to agree to bond with T'Pau's choice for him to have her heal Kirk. She relents, though, on discovering the extent of their bond. McCoy here is well-drawn in his protective role - approving of the relationship, and trying to keep Spock from sacrificing himself, and outraged when he is prevented from fulfilling his promise to be Jim's attending physician during painful treatments. Kirk's guilt over a relationship during his slavery prevents him from taking up with Spock again easily.

2007

Reading this 15-year-old story has been a journey of love, but not a smooth one. We catch Kirk and Spock in the throes of passion at the very beginning – new lovers so completely wrapped up in each other that it seems nothing could go wrong. That‘s wrong.

Eager to make a lasting commitment to seal their love, the pair has asked permission of T‘Pau to enter into a formal bond. Both are devastated when she refuses, but Spock reacts in a way I suppose is typical of someone who is bound by strong ties to any faith or doctrine. He tells Kirk he cannot go against Vulcan. He will continue to be Kirk‘s lover, but will not bond with him. Kirk, angry and hurt, turns on him and tells him it‘s over.

It is at this juncture that Kirk is captured and sold into slavery. No, no – don‘t groan! I, too, thought, 'here we go again'. Which is both true and untrue. It‘s easier this time around for two primary reasons, Kirk has suffered a head injury and remembers nothing of his past life, and this is a benevolent society who treats its slaves with more dignity than most. It isn‘t a happy life for a man who is a born leader, but Kirk gradually accepts it and in the course of a few months falls in love with the owner‘s pleasure slave. There follows a trail of very mixed emotions for the reader. Part one ends on a high note, but with many questions unanswered. I‘m happy at this point that all I need to do is reach into my closet and pull out the next chapter rather than wait several months for the next edition to be published.

As it turns out, there was much left to be resolved in the second half. It is more suspenseful than the first installment, showcasing the real James T. Kirk and doing a noteworthy job of exploring his psyche. Yes, this story is a journey—one filled with many unexpected forks in the road, demanding difficult decisions be made. Such a road is an entertaining one to travel, and I‘m very glad to have made this trip.