therumjournals: (OT3 animated)
therumjournals ([personal profile] therumjournals) wrote2009-12-29 07:54 pm

Beyond (Beyond Measure Series - Star Trek XI Fanfic)

Title: Beyond
Author: [livejournal.com profile] therumjournals
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Pairings: Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Spock
Rating: PG-13
Description: A story of love, told in 10,100-word drabbles.

The tenth and final installment of the Beyond Measure Series.
Previous Installment: Warmth
Begin at the beginning: Torn

A/N: I can't believe this story is finished. I'll miss writing it so much. Feedback was what really kept me going on this, so please comment if you read, especially if it's your first time reading or if you went back and read the whole thing from the beginning (I admit, I haven't had the courage to do so yet. Maybe soon...)



1.
“So, what did you think of the retirement ceremony, Bones?”
“Still hate ceremonies, still think your ass looks amazing in a dress uniform.”
“And out of one.”
“That, too.”
They walked in silence for a moment.
“I still can’t believe we’re leaving her behind.”
“Had to happen sometime, Jim. I’m sure the new crew is more than competent.”
“Damn. I was really hoping for a ragtag band of rowdy upstarts.”
“Just so long as they’re not sex-crazed, co-dependent, angsty headcases.”
“Why not? It worked for us.”
"I think we were a special case. God, I really hope we were a special case."

2.
Jim turned around, smiling brightly as they approached, but they could see the paths that tears had been tracing down his cheeks.
“Thought you sounded too damn chipper back there,” drawled Bones. “I knew your sentimentality would kick in soon enough.
Jim laughed, but the sound caught in his throat, and he wiped his eyes. He shook his head at them hopelessly, spread his arms to pull them in close.
“Goddammit, Jim,” said Bones, blinking back his own tears.
“We’re not really leaving anything behind,” Jim whispered into their embrace.
Spock’s only response was to hold them a little tighter.

3.
“So, Spock! How did your meeting with the admirals go?”
“Starfleet has requested that I accept a position as ambassador.”
“Well, I suppose we saw that coming, didn’t we?”
“You’re not leaving us, Spock.”
“Yeah, please Spock, don’t leave me alone with this crotchety old man.”
“I could not leave you. I would, however, ask you both to consider joining me.”
Jim and Bones looked at each other. Bones recognized the beginnings of a smile on Jim’s face.
“Aw, for crissakes, we’re too old to keep running around in space. What about our place in the Caribbean?”
“That will be our vacation home.”

4.
"Spock, won’t there be plenty of time for that... later?"
They all knew what Bones meant. The Vulcan lifespan was almost twice as long as that of humans.
Spock closed his eyes momentarily. "Please. We must not speak of the future in this way."
"Sorry." Bones put a hand on Spock's shoulder.
"Tell them you'll get back to them, Spock. Tell them we have some important business to attend to first. No need to let on that it involves hammocks, tanning oil, and copious amounts of tequila."
"Tequila, Jim?"
"Daquiris for you, Spock. We know how you like your daquiris."

5.
"So... anything promising?"
"Jim..."
"Come on, Bones, I haven't asked in over three months!"
"No, Jim, nothing new."
"No vitamins, or..?"
"Jesus Jim, you're already consuming a metric ton of vitamins per day, I think you've got that covered. And you're scheduled for cell regeneration treatments next month."
"But you said that only adds a few years..."
"I'm sorry, Jim. But there's nothing else we can do."
“I hate this.”
“I know. I wish you wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
“I can’t help it, Bones, I can’t.” Jim buried his face in his hands. “I want to be here for him, always.”


6.
Jim wondered what it would be like for Spock to lose them, tried to imagine living half of his life with only half of his heart. Jim would never have to live without Spock, and when he remembered this, waves of guilt and grief crashed over him and he had to turn away.

Jim reminded himself to focus on what they had, here and now, together and in love and perfect. But every so often, he let himself grieve for Spock, clinging to Bones and sobbing like a child, and wondering if Spock would ever cry when they were gone.

7.
“Remember the first time I tried to get you guys drunk so you'd kiss?”
“Oh God. Yes, we remember.”
“Oh man, remember when I walked in on you guys trying to-“
“Jim!”
“Yeah. That was awkward.”

"Hey, remember when we saved Earth?"
"Which time?"
"All of them."

“Do you guys ever miss Comet?”
“Sure. And Comet 2.”
“What about Comet 3?!”
“Comet 3 was a tribble, Jim.”

“I confess that I do not understand the logic of this so-called ‘reminiscing’.”
“Come on, Spock… what’s the point of living a good life if you can’t stop and remember it once in a while?”

8.
Bones laughed out loud.
“Spock, you know you look absolutely ridiculous right now, right?”
Spock was reclining on a chaise lounge in sunglasses and a pair of swim trunks, sipping his strawberry daiquiri through a straw.
“I am attempting to relax. You are interrupting.”
Bones grinned and squinted out toward the ocean. “God, look at Jim. Can you believe he’s not 25 anymore?”
Jim whooped and splashed in the water, silhouetted against the setting sun.
“Guys, you gotta come out here, the water’s awesome!”
Spock’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. “If he does not believe it, why must we?”

9.
Bones felt a trickle of sand against his neck. He cracked an eye open. "Jim, did you just put sand on me?"
Jim grinned. "Maybe."
Bones rolled his eyes.
"Bones, do you miss space?"
Bones was silent.
"You do, don't you?"
"Well, for one, I never had to worry about sand in my hair."
“Exactly.” Jim shifted in his lounge chair.
"I did, however, have to worry about you getting blown up from time to time, which I have to say hasn't really been a concern this past month."
"We're going back up there, you know. We're going with Spock."
"I know."

10.
It wasn’t the Enterprise, but they’d long ago learned that it didn’t much matter where they were. They’d visit the Caribbean, and they’d avoid ice planets entirely, but the hum of an engine beneath their feet was almost comforting. This was their ship, and the giddy adrenaline of new adventure radiated around them as they sat close together at the helm, watching space dock recede into the distance.

It wasn’t the Enterprise, but as they lay together that night, on the biggest bed that Starfleet had been able to requisition, Jim was thrilled to realize that it felt like home.

[identity profile] blcwriter.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
Comet 3 was a tribble.

I think that I love you.

No. I know that I love you.

Wonderful.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
ha ha, thanks! i love you to, for commenting :-D

[identity profile] hpgeek215.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
Aw, yay! I really enjoyed this series! :)

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
awesome! thanks so much for enjoying and commenting!
ext_38142: (Default)

[identity profile] starlettmalfoy.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
Absolutely gorgeous. I lost count of how many times I laughed, winced, and generally felt for our favorite spacefaring men. ^^

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
yay, emotions! that's what every writer is hoping for, i think!

[identity profile] jimpage363.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
Just lovely. A fitting end to a series with a very unusual structure.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
thanks, i'm glad the end worked for your. The structure definitely stands alone and it was a very interesting challenge to write!

[identity profile] lizzie-marie-23.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 03:15 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this. They belong together and this was a great way to finish it up, But I'm sad that it's over. You managed to make me laugh and cry and then you fixed my heart just to break it again over and over with this series. I'll miss it, but I'm sure you'll keep writing more wonderful stories.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
Aww, well if it makes you feel any better, I'm sad that it's over too. I'm glad you liked the ending and i hope there was a good balance of laughter and tears. Thanks for the great comment, makes it all worthwhile... :-)

[identity profile] masterpenguin82.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
I adored this series so much! Just in this chapter alone there were so many lines worth quoting. Gonna have to go back and read them all now.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
I finally went back and read them all, too, it was only a little heartbreaking ;-) I'm glad you liked this chapter and the series as a whole and thanks for commenting throughout!

[identity profile] my-kurama.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Right from the very beginning this story was the one I'd always been looking for. That perfect blend of sexy angsty spacey goodness that only a true ot3 can achieve.

A beautiful conclusion to a lovely story. Thanks so much for taking the time to finish it, truly a pleasure.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks, I'm so glad the ending worked for you and that you enjoyed the story as a whole! I couldn't have defined it in the beginning, but i think "sexy angsty spacey goodness" is what i was going for all along...

[identity profile] weepingnaiad.livejournal.com 2009-12-30 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
AWWW! Wonderful! I have to admit I almost teared up with Jim when he was thinking about leaving Spock alone because... yeah. Ouch! But the rest was so warm and wonderful and funny!

Lovely!

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2009-12-31 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I couldn't leave out the angst in the last chapter of an angst-filled story. About halfway through writing this, I realized that I could make it REALLY depressing if I wanted to...luckily I'm a happy ending kinda gal, so hopefully the tears were at a minimum. I'm glad you liked it though, and thanks for commenting!

[identity profile] pixelmayhem.livejournal.com 2010-01-03 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
ā€œGod, look at Jim. Can you believe he’s not 25 anymore?ā€
Jim whooped and splashed in the water, silhouetted against the setting sun.
ā€œGuys, you gotta come out here, the water’s awesome!ā€
Spock’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. ā€œIf he does not believe it, why must we?ā€


Aww my heart exploded.

This was a great ending to a series I've enjoyed from the very beginning. I was always excited to see updates for it because of the quality and substance I know would be contained within. I loved the structure and the tone. Thanks so much!

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-01-03 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay! I'm glad you liked that scene, that was one of my favorites, too. I'm usually not into writing/reading the characters as that much older but it seemed fitting in this case. Thanks for reading, enjoying, and commenting throughout!!!

[identity profile] flubber2kool.livejournal.com 2010-01-10 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
That was a wonderful end to a wonderful series. glad that I stumbled over it and thanks for sharing.

Also Yay for the Tribble mention. They don't get mentioned nearly enough. :-)

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-01-10 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks, I'm glad you found the series and enjoyed it! And yay tribbles!!

[identity profile] blue-jack.livejournal.com 2010-03-26 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
Ah...I'm glad the boys love each other so much. It makes me sad for Spock though. I've always kind of wondered the same thing, how he would survive without his bondmate and for so long. Poor Spock.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-03-26 12:59 pm (UTC)(link)
thank you so much for reading this and for commenting throughout! i'm so glad you liked it :-D

and yeah, I get really sad if i think about the whole spock thing too much. i also realized that i could have made the last installment of this much more depressing. luckily i am a happy ending kinda girl :-)

[identity profile] 1lostone.livejournal.com 2010-03-30 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Ohhhh kay.

First, the characterization..
I think the UST of them hurting each other before they got together was great. So believable, I had no problems picturing actions and expressions. In a story, that's awesome. In a drabble... wow BB you're a STAR.

Uhura and Pike cracked me up. Again, just perfect ways of adding extra dimensions to everything.

Them growing old together was fantastic. And sad. My heart always breaks for Spock, a little at the thought.

In summation,

I love you. :D Feel free to pimp rec anything else. I had purposefully been trying to stay away from any kirk/bones stuff. I just love k/s so hard, but them as an ot3 just makes my little possessive brain a happy one.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-03-31 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
thanks so much for reading and i'm glad you enjoyed it! it was kind of heartbreaking to write in parts, too, but also fun and made me grin a lot. the drabbles were a challenge and this was actually one of the first fics i wrote, so i think it was a great way to get into writing fanfic for me.

i understand the K/S love. i actually wrote this because i was torn between the two pairings, and i was like maybe jim is torn too. it's like "epic bromance or...DESTINY?!" i find kirk/mccoy easier to write, which is the only reason i've written so much more of it.

[identity profile] jimpage363.livejournal.com 2010-03-30 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Loved the series. I hope, in some obscure way, this is how it works out for them in the new universe. It's how it SHOULD.
And Comet 3 as a tribble just seriously struck me as funny. Let alone the whole first riff.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-03-31 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
i'm so glad you enjoyed the series! and yes, this is definitely how it should be! :-D

[identity profile] oreouk.livejournal.com 2010-04-13 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
How did I miss this back when you were writing it? This was great, I really loved it. I loved the format and the way it let you jump about the emotional spectrum and tell so much story with such individually little snippets - brava!

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-04-13 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
thanks so, so much! i'm glad you did discover it, and even happier that you enjoyed it :-) i really did enjoy writing in this format, it was a challenge, and i'm not sure it's something i would do again, but it was fun! thank you so much for reading and commenting!!

[identity profile] inpurity.livejournal.com 2010-09-10 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I cannot believe I had not read this yet. This.... oh this... I love it so.

I love long arcs (coffee verse for example), the way dynamics, and relationships and feelings evolve and change.
I never thought I could find Spock/Bones realistic, but I did. I love the way they got together, how bonds were forged, how, even with happiness, there are shadows and the possibility and inevitability of heartache.

This was amazing.
Like you are.

Laila

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-09-10 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
oh yay! i'm so glad you read this and enjoyed it, thank you so much for the kind comment! writing this was really interesting, since i was evolving as a writer as i wrote it and i had no idea where it would end up going. i had the same thoughts about spock/bones and their relationship to each other through jim kind of surprised me as well. thanks again :)

[identity profile] fagur-fiskur.livejournal.com 2010-11-07 09:39 am (UTC)(link)
Such an awesome series♄ First with the angst, and then with the hurt and then comfort and then more hurt and then finally the adorable, all of which you are brilliant at. Love those three when they're old, especially Bones, the crotchety old bastard.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-11-07 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
thank you so much for reading and for the lovely comment! :-) i'm so glad you enjoyed the series, with all its ups and downs. and can you imagine bones getting even more crotchety with age?! ha ha! ;-)

[identity profile] tlakht.livejournal.com 2010-11-15 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I just read the whole thing, and it was wonderful. So sweet and fun and heartbreaking. It brought out the romantic in me and almost made me believe in true love while I was reading it.

I'm glad it ended on a positive note, but my heart still aches for Spock, knowing that he'll outlive them both and has to spend half a lifetime without them. Just thinking about it makes it seem like someone's ripped the heart out of my chest. Kinda like I feel every time I watch Spock's death scene in Wrath of Khan.

Thank you for this.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2010-11-16 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
oooh, thank you so much for reading and commenting! i'm so glad you enjoyed the journey :-) i got really sad writing the last parts about Spock too...and realized i could have ended it on an even more depressing note - but luckily that's not my style.

thanks again :-)

[identity profile] bandearg-rois.livejournal.com 2011-01-14 09:41 am (UTC)(link)
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

I, um, I don't, I can't... I can't... oh man I can't type.... no complete sentences....

I ♥ you.... just so you know.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2011-01-14 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
thank you so much, bb! the more incoherent the comment, the better, i always say :-D

PS - i <3 your icon! ;-)

:)

[identity profile] reddluvsblue.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
:):) That's all I can say. Your story made me smile!

Re: :)

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2011-01-17 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
aww, thanks so much! an awesome comment to get, especially since I just re-read this fic the other day! you rock!

[identity profile] secretsolitaire.livejournal.com 2011-06-22 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
I really enjoyed this series! I like how you let Spock and Bones take a long time to warm up to each other, with plenty of hiccups along the way.

[identity profile] therumjournals.livejournal.com 2011-06-22 11:40 am (UTC)(link)
yay, i'm glad you liked it! thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to leave a comment!