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THE PERFECT GIFT - Karla Kelly

"The problem with you, Jim, is you keep looking for the perfect gift. There ain't no such thing."

Kirk shrugged, refusing to acknowledge the truth of his CMO's statement. "It's just that Spock deserves the best."

McCoy grinned, shaking his head. "Well, keep looking."

VIRUS - Royal Stewart Montgomery

"Are you telling me, he's dying?" There was a catch in Kirk's voice, his eyes were impossibly large.

"No, not yet," McCoy said carefully. "What I'm saying is that someone's killing him."

"What?!"

ONE DAMN LUCKY BASTARD - Brianna Falken

Soft green-gold eyes opened to meet dark brown velvet. "I love you, Spock," Kirk breathed. "I think I always have."

"I too, until death and beyond," the deep baritone whispered. "Know this also, Jim.

Although I would love you in any form you happen to inhabit, I prefer you as you are, in all your masculinity. For you are beautiful so beautiful you make my blood burn as no woman, Vulcan or human ever could."

THE CAPTAIN'S NEEDS - Quilla S. Pongee

"Anyway...I wanted to talk to you about...." McCoy noticed himself beginning to fidget under the Vulcan's intense stare.

"The captain." Spock didn't have to hazard a guess. Jim Kirk was the primary focus of their lives.

"The the 'anniversary.'"

PERSONAL PROPERTY - Rosemarie Heaton

"Why didn't you check with me?"

"You were ashore with Doctor McCoy and therefore unavailable."

"You could have contacted us." Kirk was impatient.

"You had specifically stated that you had no wish to be interrupted." Spock had no intention of informing his captain he would not have told him anyway.

ECHOES OF FOREVER - Kathy Stanis

The Vulcan in love passing for a regular Joe sat on the stoop, waiting, facing in the direction of the docks. As he caught sight of his captain, his lover, he closed his eyes for a moment, shuttering wildly errant images; then watched the man approach. From the distance of a city block, their eyes met and held, laser gazes drawing them unerringly to each other.

THE PASSION OF THEIR DESTINY - Shelley Butler

"They've probed my mind, Spock," Kirk said, anger tingeing his rough voice. "They wanted to know about me."

"Passion," Spock answered. And Kirk knew what he meant.

"Yes," Kirk pulled on the tethers, feeling hope now that Spock was here by his side. Even tied as he was, somehow Kirk knew the Vulcan would find a way out of this. "They made me remember...."

"The Enterprise and the first time we met," Spock completed.

"Yes, Spock ," Kirk said clearly despite the pain. "My passions."

POETRY

COVERS

ART

January 1994