Yeah...not really feeling this!

I'm not a Chapel fan (sorry!) and I am not the greatest fan of the Trek movies. So while your subject matter doesn't thrill me, this is an excellent piece of work. The relationships and emotions are complex and detailed. The exposition is beautifully handled. It's nice to see someone take on so many complex associations in a short story and handle them so competently. My only gripe is the last section. It seems a little too pat to end with the obligatory statement of love. I think you accomplished something more here than a di riguer getting of the characters to make that claim. It ends what was a powerful and richly cast story up to the very end on a little false note, a triteness, but I realize to Kirk/Chapel fans, this would be the highlight. So I apologize for that. But it would have been more powerful and more mature to me, truer to the characters, had they left their relationship in a deeper and more understanding friendship. The story engaged me into the issues of how they were dealing with those interesting times and I just felt pulled up short with the device of getting them to make that declaration at the end. Still I'm really impressed with your writing and how it engaged me up to that point. Even with me kicking and screaming, so to speak, against the pairing and the post TOS setting. It's not an easy thing to accomplish, as I have a short attention span when something doesn't grab me fast. You did. I'm going to reread this and browse through the rest of your fics hoping to mine a little more gold. Thanks for the interesting read. -pat

This is very insiteful and beautiful in its simplicity. Very believable and heart breaking. I look forward to reading more story from you.