The Valley of Love and Delight

Fanfiction
Title:	The Valley of Love and Delight
Author(s):	Elenadia
Date(s):	2000
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	illo for this story, a fairly rare example of hand-drawn art from this time, Allison Fiddler is the artist
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

The Valley of Love and Delight is a Kirk/Spock story by Elenadia.

It was published in the print zine T'hy'la #21.

This story was nominated for a STIFfie Award.

Summary

"Spock relates the story of his and Kirkʼs love and life together to his grandson, Kirkʼs namesake, as he prepares to die and rejoin his bondmate."

Reactions and Reviews

My eyes were tearing with the first few paragraphs of this very poignant story. It's really lovely.

The story is told in first person Spock and is set many years after the events of the five year mission and movie arc. Spock's grandson, S'James, wishes to know of his grandfather's life with his bondmate of long ago, James Kirk, as he is now a cadet in Starfleet.

Spock and his grandson meld and certain memories are revealed to tell the story of Kirk's and Spock's friendship that turned to love... I'll stop here cuz the ending is really hauntingly beautiful and should be experienced. Have the tissue box handy.

I did find myself wondering a bit about the mother of Spock's son and how and why he came to be with her. All the reader knows is that she was Vulcan. I assume that at some point within the century after Kirk's death Spock had to, because of pon farr, be with someone? Unless I missed something it is not reflected upon in the story. Only in saying that Spock's Vulcan son is like his mother. It's made quite clear that Jim is/was Spock's t'hy'la and only love. But I was curious about this woman all the same and the reason Spock had been with her.

A really great teary-eyed K/S read.

This story begins: Translation of the Katra of Spock cha Sarek, Selayan Archives, Hall of Ancient Thought." I was pleased to think I was about to read something by one of our [new?] 'Vulcanologists" and indeed, the story has a lot of rich Vulcan color. Ifs not overly about Vulcan society per se, but has a number of little Vulcan aspects put into the story, in a natural way (as opposed to like a textbook or lecture).

This is in first person present tense. (Groan, here she goes again, you're saying.) This is one kind of setting where first person works for me. Maybe I'm being too literal, but if a story set during the five-year mission, say, is in first person, I cant stop wondering, when is Spock (or Kirk) saying this, and to whom? (When it's obviously not a personal log.) When the story is set in way later years, the reminiscence-quality that first-person hints at feels more natural. As to present tense, this feels true in this story because it's from Spock's katra.

Besides all that, this is a beautiful, beautiful story -- very good writing, rich mood and visual portrayals, a poignant (and ultimately erotic) expression of Spock and his long-gone bondmate Kirk.

Spock is in Amanda's garden with the son of his son Soral. Here's one of those creative expressions of Vulcanness: With this last-born son of his son, Spock invoked his right to name the child. S'James.

I love the boy—a Starfleet cadet. He has a difficult time, of course, living up to his grandfather's reputation, and being the namesake of James T. Kirk. Spock melds with S'James, who wants to know how itwas for Spock and Kirk. Besides, it seems ifs nearing the end for Spock.

We see these wonderful scenes, such as when Kirk first came aboard the Enterprise, and the sparks igniting between them. Beautiful Spock thoughts here; beautiful Spock thoughts throughout. Next we see the day of koon-ut-kalifee. Back then, even at that intensely exposing moment, Spock did not feel Kirk could think of him as a lover. These scenes are full of rich emotion.

We see when Spock is about to be assigned to the new Enterprise. He declines, devastated to learn that Kirk has chosen the admiralty, to remain planetside, without him. So he goes to Gol, leaving without seeing Kirk. Wonderful tortured feelings, Spock at that time; and another plausible and satisfying scenario for Spock's leaving for Gol. I always like to see these.

And the best scenes are yet to come. I'm trying to quell myself here. Such as the sickbay scene in ST1 and then, oh god, the wonderful scene of their finally coming together. I'll stop spelling everything out; but here is everything I could want, in the range of emotions and then the exquisite sex, and more.

Back in the present, the ending is gorgeous, too. This could almost be called a "death" story, such that some K/S'ers don't want to read; but I found it perfectly fulfilling. It did acknowledge the fact of death some time later on, but this didn't take anything away from the K/S lovewe want to go on eternally; itadded to it.

Also, this story makes me want to see this boy again, Spock's grandson S'James.

'The Valley of Love and Delight" by Elenadia is an 12 page story. This is a sad little story, but then I cry very easily. I certainly wouldn't read it if you are feeling blue. The basic setup is that Spock is talking to the son of his son, a young man he calls S'Jameskam. He is remembering the past and, of course, his love of Kirk.

A lovely, haunting story of an elderly Spock—now a grandfather at the end of his life—as he shares his memories with his grandson, S'James and initiates a mind meld to show the past.

Poignant and sad—and Spock dies at the end with the belief that he'll meet with Kirk again.

Death of either Kirk or Spock for any reason is not my favorite scenario, but this is done tastefully and quietly.

There's even a beautiful sex scene between Kirk and Spock.

I believe that this is this author's first story and even if this were her twentieth, this is terrific. Please, please write more!