To End is to Make a Beginning

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	To End is to Make a Beginning
Author(s):	Rosemarie Heaton
Date(s):	2001
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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To End is to Make a Beginning is a Kirk/Spock story by Rosemarie Heaton.

It was published in the print zine Beyond Dreams #3.

Summary

"Stationed together on the Enterprise, Ensign Kirk and Lt. Spock begin a love affair that soon becomes an obsession, causing a break between then."

Reactions and Reviews

Ah, a story where Kirk and Spock meet long before they become the captain and the first officer of the Enterprise. I always love reading stories where they meet before the five-year mission. Either going to the Academy together or —as in this case—where they serve together on the Enterprise as fresh out of the Academy ensign and lieutenant.

The introduction of the story had me gaping. Spock and Kirk become lovers almost instantly and I found myself intrigued, and wanting to see where the story would go.

Their life as young officers in Starfleet is portrayed in a way that it makes me believe that this could really be what it would be like. I also love the way the author develops the relationship between Spock and Kirk. The feelings they have for each other border on obsession, and Kirk finally realizes he has to break off with Spock in order to be able to reach his goal and become the youngest Starfleet captain in the Fleet.

When he reaches that goal, Spock is still on the Enterprise. Lovely story.

"To End Is to Make a Beginning" by Rosemarie Heaton is approximately 50 pages long. This is an a/u universe where Spock and Kirk are both on the Enterprise under Captain Pike's command. Spock is Assistant science officer and Kirk is an Ensign and an astro-navigator. Spock and Kirk almost immediately become lovers. Gary Mitchell is also on the ship. There are a bunch of original characters in this story as well as some characters that we know from the Jeff Hunter original pilot. The first part takes about 35 of the 50 pages, and there are various ups and downs to Spock and Kirk's relationship before Kirk leaves for the Exeter.

The second shorter part is now when Spock, Kirk, and Mitchell are all reunited on the Enterprise under Kirk's command 12 years later. And again there are problems between Kirk and Spock, and some original characters who are important. I'm personally not into stories with a lot of original characters so that is perhaps one reason I'm just not into the story at all. Also, since Kirk and Mitchell were not on the ship under Pike's command in the general ST canon that I accept, I just have trouble with accepting this a/u version. It's hard for me to say if this story even had a chance against my prejudices. There's nothing wrong with the writing style, however, and the story flows smoothly. The plot is fairly complicated. I do have to give the writer credit for creating such a long story. I tried writing a 50 page B7 story once and found it's not a length that I can handle successfully at all. I'm more limited to stories that are about 20 pages in length.

This is not a story I would ever bother to reread again because it just isn't my type of plotline, I guess. However, that doesn't mean that the story won't appeal to other readers.

I don’t normally like stories set at Starfleet Academy much because I find it quite difficult to accept that Kirk and Spock met before Kirk took command of the Enterprise, but this one was an exception. This is another fairly long but very enjoyable story, which depicts Spock joining the Enterprise as Assistant Science Officer under Captain Pike having just graduated from Starfleet Academy and meeting Kirk who is then an Ensign. Of course they bump into each other and quickly become friends and then lovers and Kirk finds himself becoming obsessed with the Vulcan to the exclusion of all else including his ambitions to become the youngest Captain in Starfleet.

This was a nice look at a younger Kirk and Spock earlier in their respective careers, and how Kirk comes to realise that their relationship is endangering his ambitions for advancement, while Spock is completely smitten and already thinking in terms of a lifetime bonding with Kirk. This was an interesting look at the two main K/S characters earlier in their respective careers. Of course even at this early stage of their careers, they are both written very true to the characters they later develop into with Spock already excelling at his chosen specialty as shown by his performance on leading his first landing party.

Kirk takes the opportunity while Spock is away leading his first landing party to break off their relationship, although his is heartbroken by the necessity. This was also a nice peek at the Enterprise under Captain Pike (although not with the same crew as we see in the pilot episode The Cage), although we do see both Gary Mitchell and Lee Kelso making brief appearances in the later part of the story.

The second part of the story deals with Kirk’s reactions 12 years later when he assumes command of the Enterprise and finds he has to deal with Spock all over again which is something he was not expecting. The author really makes us feel Kirk’s discomfort as he first encounters Spock and realises the difficulties he will have because he is still attracted to him and thinks this is unwelcome to the Vulcan. We also see the early beginnings of his friendship with Dr McCoy and his previous relationship with Areel Shaw, both nice touches which link into what is later seen in the original episodes as is the preparation for the first five year mission and Kirk asking Spock for information on the Valiant which was the basis of the episode “Where No Man has Gone Before” .

I also liked the way in which Spock finds a solution for their attraction to each other and the idea that Spock never completed his education with regard to his mental abilities. The fact that the healer they consult (who is Spock’s cousin) plans to take Sarek to task for neglecting his son’s education with regard to his telepathic abilities was a nice touch! I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that particular conversation!!