FIC: "And All the King's Men"

[mijan]

Title:  "And All the King's Men"
Author: mijan
Betas: 001010010 and classics_geek
Artist:  vengefuldemon69
Fanmixer:   jazzy_peaches
Series: ST: XI
Character/Pairing(s): Jim Kirk & Leonard McCoy (very tight friendship, BFF, almost-slash, whatever you might call it), with appearances by Chris Pike.
Rating: R
Word Count: 63,000 words
Warnings: Physical violence, implied torture of a child.
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry is God, Paramount Pictures is Pope, and this is the blasphemy of a wayward faithful. My geeky spirit is rich, but my purse is empty.

Author’s Notes: My sincere thanks to my amazing beta readers, classics_geek and 001010010 , both of whom dedicated time and effort to this fic despite the demands and stresses of real life, and without whom I would have probably lost my mind. Additional thanks to hitlikehammers and nikki4noo for being awesome test-readers who gave wonderful feedback to help me keep the whole fic in perspective, and the former of whom also coded and hosted the fic on a webpage so it could all be read in one piece. And thank you to my lovely wife, fiona_fawkes who put up with me while I was writing this.


Summary:   "How many times can you patch up something before you realize that it's too fucking broken to fix, Bones?"  When a training simulation uncovers something that Cadet Jim Kirk was never meant to remember, it breaks him. Leonard McCoy can't sit by and watch Jim crumble. When asked what he's willing to do to get the old Jim back, Leonard has only one answer.  "Anything."

"And All the King's Men"

Link to Art: http://vengefuldemon69.livejournal.com/46658.html
Link to Mix: http://community.livejournal.com/nifty_cricket/7874.html

Comments

[hitlikehammers.livejournal.com]

My unwavering adoration for this story - for its depth, for its impact, for its absolutely stunning presence - should be common knowledge to you by this point (if it's not, I will hop a plane right now and beat that adoration into your skull (lovingly, of course) in person). What you've done here is exquisite - you've captured one of those quintessential elements of what it means to be human, and you've laid it bare for the rest of us to see, to internalize, to touch and feel and mourn and celebrate and live, damnit, and it's beautiful in every possible way. So much love for this, my dear - so much love. And congratulations - you've created something special here, and you should be so very, very proud of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it early (impatient wretch that I am), and for letting me do what little I could to help you along the way - it was nothing less than a privilege. *hugs* <3

[vixys.livejournal.com]

OH OH. IT'S UP. *FLAILS* I have been periodically checking your LJ all day to see whether it was up yet. I'm impatient like that. :D

Y'see, hitlikehammers pretty much said everything that I feel about this fic, and put it in prettier language, too. So I will therefore resort to mad, wild flailing and adoration.

This fic was amazing. Truly fantastic. So moving and so powerful, and creating such a fantastic relationship (I would say friendship, but that's not it - it's so much more) between Jim and Bones that can't be defined, and to try would be to sully it. And the supporting characters are so full, and they've come so far (read: Toland :D) from where they were when you first sent me bits and pieces of the first scene.

This is fucking amazing. *epic, epic hugs* ♥

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Hun, the privilege was all mine. Thank you for working with me. You have MY unwavering adoration, and appreciation, for all the work you did. And thank you for helping to keep me sane. It was touch-and-go there for a while. *wink*

♥

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yes, hun. It's up. You've been stalking my LJ to look for it??? *blushes* You're so awesome, you know that? And the fic wouldn't be the same without you, either. Yes, there was the stuff you beta'd, but also, I've added a few writing techniques and styles to my repertoire because of your beta work and your writing, and that's helped me so much. I don't write LIKE you (because your writing is unique and amazing and *GUH*), but I've learned some tricks from you, and I think I'm a better writer for it.

And yeah, I can't define it as just friendship, but it's not a romance either. It just IS, and it's all the better for that. I realized which scene summed that up:

“But…” Jim said slowly, “I think, even fucked up and messed up, we’re ahead of most people. We’ll be okay. Right?” His voice was firm and confident, until that last word; he was waiting for Leonard to confirm it.

Something in the way Jim had said “we,” as if that pronoun had always been there and always would be, caught Leonard’s attention. By all rights, it shouldn't have been there at all; at least, not yet. They'd known each other for so little time...(snip)... And despite all that, they were definitely a "we."

Yeah, that.

And YOU, hun - you are just wonderful. Thank you for fitting me into your schedule, my darling birthday twin. *hugs* ♥

[cedarrapidsgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow. Where do I start with this fic. I love it! I'm honored to have had the chance to test read it, and see it in its completion. I've looked forward to all the installments, and I've loved it all.

And I still think the "Terra Prime" canon business was funny. Weren't we up too late watching "Doom" that night? I think I also mentioned that the Vulcan procedure used on Jim to forget his experience is also canon via Enterprise.

The McCoy TOS quote from "Balance of Terror" and your version? Gold. The TOS quote is one of my favorites ever.

GAH. I was just scrolling throught the story (again!)trying to find something I was thinking about earlier, and there was just too much AWESOME. I am humbled in your writing presence, and I bow down and kiss your feet, as I am just a lowly writer compared to you.

Thank you for so much, as well, for being an awesome friend, 'cause you know how my RL can be, sometimes. *hugs and squeezes*. I'm memeing this, for sure, and I already told you it's bookmarked.

Long comment is long, but I don't care! YAY!

[andrealyn]

That was just a wonderful read, oh god. I totally admit that I was utterly in tears by the end of it and I really love the way you write the action scenes. The fic just had marvelous flow and great interactions and it was a wonderful thing to read. I love that you addressed BOTH their issues, but they were never so intrinsically weak that they weren't them.

Great, GREAT story and I loved it!

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

"And if the world ain't good enough for you," Bones finally said, dropping his voice to a low growl, "you've got me, too."

A number of lines got me in the heart, but that one stands out the strongest, for some reason.

So, I don't ordinarily read long fics, but I was so blown away by "Red-shirt" that I had to give this a chance. I'm so very, very glad that I did because it is extraordinary. Truly. Wonderful characterizations, wonderful plot, just... Seriously, wow. This was fantastic.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you! See, I was worried about this, because I know it's a long fic, and a lot of people don't seem to bother reading them. I mean, I wrote "Redshirt" in an afternoon, and while it was an important fic to me, and I felt it was good, it was a short fic. This fic here was a labor of love that took me two months to write and another month to edit. I was worried that people wouldn't even read it. I hope they will.

Thank you for reading it, and for leaving a review. I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you also enjoy the stuff I write in the future! :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks! I love writing action scenes. I haven't seen too many in most Trek fics lately, but they have so much energy. Love 'em.

Thank you for reading, and I'm thrilled that you liked it! :D

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

This fic here was a labor of love

It absolutely shows.

And I hope you also enjoy the stuff I write in the future!

I don't doubt that I will. I'm hooked. *g*

[damaskrose32.livejournal.com]

This was fabulous. I loved the way Bones dealt with Jim's breakdown and the interactions with SFA staff. And Jim's approach to the original sim was hilarious, and yet so believable. So was his breakdown after regaining the Tarsus memories.

Also, I'll admit, pretty quickly I was questioning whether the kidnapping was a sim or not. However, although I was pretty sure it wasn't, you kept me unsure until the very end. I couldn't imagine that Bones would be that injured in a sim, but as he was an unreliable narrator due to injury by that point, you did a wonderful job of making his confusion credible. And Jim did a masterful job of rescuing them and saving Cochrane Hall.

Overall, bravo, bravo. More! I'd love to read more about this Jim and Bones at SFA, since they're still only first-year cadets in their first semester at this point. They've got a long way to go and started with quite the Bang.

[kaitlyn142.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just wow. There are no words for how much I loved this fic. I've been anxiously waiting for it since I read a comment of yours that your bigbang fic was going to explore Tarsus themes.

This just blew me away so much I can't even leave decent feedback! Just *worships*

[sidara.livejournal.com]

i've been looking forward to this for WEEKS. and after five hours of line edits/work, i finally gave myself time to read it as a treat. i loved it! brilliant academy era story.

[yeomantpc.livejournal.com]

*squealyflail* loved this!

wish i could write you some long actually comment on your writing and how amazing the characterization and plot and hurt jim and bones was...but i can't cause i stink at those kinds of things.

this was just amazing and it was a fantastic read! (and my bedtime story to boot! (its three thirty am o.O))

[jenndarkflower.livejournal.com]

An amazing story from an amazing guy. Much kudos.

[rubymiene.livejournal.com]

I love it! I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with Star Trek canon to fully enjoy it, but it still sucked me in and made me worry.

[vixys.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there was a bit of LJ-stalking going on there. :D It was fun, and a little bit obsessive - BUT IT'S JUST SO AWESOME THAT IT DESERVES STALKERAGE MMKAY?

*facepalm*

It was weird, actually, because going through and betaing, I was picking up on little things that had faint echoes of my writing - and that just made me flail and blush because it is so unbelievably flattering. :D *flails* *hugs*

And that bit there? Is perfect. Because they're a "we", and they always will be.

*flails some more*

I'm really sorry about the whole not-betaing and then-betaing really close to the deadline - I was really down about not being able to do a proper beta job for you, and when I realised I had time I was just like "YES PLEASE NOW". I could always try and fit you into my schedule - because birthday twins deserve everything you can give, and then a little bit more.

*even more flailing, and some epic huggage, too* ♥

Also? I am madly in love with that icon. MADLY. Who's it by, and can I steal it?

[nikki4noo.livejournal.com]

You go to bed young lady! Even if I did tell you to read this. :D Isn't mijan brilliant?

[nikki4noo.livejournal.com]

I get to use one of my shiny new icons and really I had to stick with a classic TOS one to represent what I felt the first time I read this. This story deserves to be an absolute classic in the fandom. It delves into what makes McCoy, McCoy and what makes Kirk, Kirk. What you showed each reader was the flawed brilliance of these two men. Not only that, you illustrated that for all of them appearing to be quite opposite on the surface, deep down they are incredibly similar. We need to see more of the intelligence that both these men have in fics. Jim isn't a frat boy, he is a genius level offender. Bones isn't a grumpy old man all the time.

I can go on and on about this fic and I know you would love me to ;) But I shall just say that your OC's were so beautifully fleshed out. It was obvious that there was so much time spent by you on their motivations and background as there was the canon characters. The blending of TOS with Reboot was so deftly handled and the whole thing just felt so real. Right, stopping now cause I need to get to sleep. But I couldn't not comment on this lovely, lovely thing you wrote and shared with us all.

I just plain love this story and I know that when I need something good to re-read that this was be waiting for me whenever I need it.

*huggles* and Happy Halloween/Samhain!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Hehe... I've been LJ-stalked! And I'm flattered! *grins*

And I'm even more delighted that you noticed little things that had faint echoes of your writing style. Ad I tell people, I'm actively learning to write. Yes, I've been writing for a while, but the day I stop LEARNING HOW TO WRITE WELL, then I actually stop being a writer. I learn styles and techniques and tricks from other people by reading their work and analyzing it. I never REPLICATE it, but I see how they do what they do, and apply some of their techniques to some aspects of my writing in little ways while still writing things my own way. :D

Yes, they're a "we" and always will be. *grins*

And hun, don't you EVER apologize for not being able to beta! My mother is a teacher, and taught me very VERY well that academics come before everything else. I would be a horrible hypocrite if I suggested that you compromise your academic work to beta read a fanfiction.

Now, let's see if people will READ the fanfic. It's so long, I'm afraid that people will be hesitant to check it out.

**EPIC HUGS!!!***

And the icon is by _kissmygrass, and yes you can steal it. :D

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Oh hun, you know I love rambly comments. You're wonderful. And yes, the Terra Prime meta business was pretty amusing, and yet frustrating at the same time. I just wanna say, "But... but... I INVENTED THAT ON MY OWN, DAMMIT!"

I'm glad you liked the nod at the "Balance of Terror" quote. That's my favorite quote of all time, and it was something that needed mention.

Anyway, you are awesome, too. Thanks, hun. ♥

[mijan.livejournal.com]

*blushes* I'm glad it shows. That's important to me. :)

And well... I've got some other fics out there. I've got to create a fic links post. I've got five solid fics at this point (including one other novella-length), and I'm just gonna keep writing them. I'm going to start my next one this weekend. Already plotted. I MIGHT do it for NaNoWriMo. *grins*

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it! I had fun writing that first sim. It was the only part of the whole fic that could be truly light-hearted, and I also wanted to take a chance to get to show how clever Kirk really is, but also show how he thinks outside the box and generally treats rules like "guidelines." :D

And yes, the reader is SUPPOSED to question whether or not the real abduction is a training sim. We're supposed to know that Bones is too out of it to really put it together, but we're still supposed to suspect the whole time. I mean, I even have Jim come flat-out and say, "This isn't a fucking simulation." My goal wasn't to fake people out, but to make them just that tiny bit uncertain. It seems to have worked!

Anyway, I actually do plan to write more Academy-era fics. I'm going to get two series started: An Academy series, and a "Continuing Missions" series, of which I've already written one, and I'm going to start another this weekend. I hope you'll come around and read them! :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Awwww, thank you! I'm glad you remembered about my fic, and I'm glad that you really enjoyed the story. I've seen Tarsus IV handled well in a couple of fics, but a lot of the ones I've see didn't quite hit it the way I wanted to see it, so I decided to dig right in. I'm delighted that it worked for you! :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

YAY! I'm glad it lived up to your expectations! :D