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Part Three of the series A Fairy Tale Life. Things get interesting when family comes to visit.

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Hutch signaled to his partner that he was going around to the back. Adrenaline pumping as it always did in these situations, he clutched his gun tighter and stopped at the corner of the building. After checking to see that his way was clear, the detective ran quietly through the darkness towards the back of the warehouse. Cursing softly, he saw that there was a chain link fence topped with razor wire blocking his way to the rear of the building. Retracing his route, he returned to Starsky’s side before the other man had a chance to enter the building.

“No go?” Starsky asked quietly.

“Fence,” the blond detective replied.

“We can’t wait for backup. That girl won’t last.”

The two men moved in sync, standing on either side of the warehouse door, guns raised and ready. At Starsky’s nod, Hutch tried the door. It was unlocked and opened easily. Sharing an uncomfortable glance, the men moved quickly through the open doorway into the darkness beyond. They paused, giving their eyes time to adjust as they listened. The sound of water dripping, somewhere off in the distance, was the only thing they could hear.

“You see that light?” Hutch whispered to his partner, who nodded in response. They moved towards what appeared to be a closed door with light shining under the bottom. Again, the two men took up positions on either side, and Hutch tried the door. No lock blocked their access and he pushed it open. Moving quickly, the men jumped through the doorway, guns raised to fire.

There was no life in the room. There was, however, a body.

“Shit!” Starsky said, moving over to the lifeless form of a young woman. He knelt down and felt for a pulse in her neck, knowing it was futile. Her eyes gazed sightlessly up at the ceiling and her face had already taken on a waxen hue. “Too fuckin’ late again.”

Hutch had covered his partner while he examined the body. When he realized there was no need to call for medical assistance, he went to check the rest of the warehouse. He knew he was wasting his time. The girl had obviously been dead for quite a while. Moving quickly and quietly, Hutch explored the darkness, using the light from the room for guidance. He went outside again to look for any suspicious cars, and heard the sirens that signaled the approach of their backup.

Returning to the room where the girl had been killed, he saw that his partner had not moved from her side. His head was lowered, and his eyes appeared to be closed.

“Starsk?” Hutch called, moving closer. “You OK?”

His partner’s head nodded. “She looks a little like Terry, don’t you think?” he asked softly.

Hutch looked down at the girl and saw the resemblance. “Yeah, I see what you mean,” he replied, placing a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Back up is almost here.”

Starsky again nodded his head, then taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet. The two men stood together, staring down at the unfortunate victim.

“Same guy,” Starsky commented. “Her skirt’s ripped off, signs of rape, and there’s the money.”

Next to each victim they had found money, sometimes it was a dollar bill, but usually it just looked like someone’s spare change. “Her underwear is missing.”

“Another trophy,” Hutch said with disgust. “Why can’t we catch this son of a bitch!”

The dark haired detective didn’t respond, he simply walked to the door to wave in the troops that had arrived. The two moved aside and watched the forensics team begin to collect the evidence, knowing as they did, that this was just one more victim added to the list. The evidence would be the same, but useless without a suspect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Three women, all the same MO,” Hutch commented as his partner maneuvered the Torino through the darkened streets. “Finally we get a bead on the guy, and we miss him again.”

“Fucker is playin’ with us,” Starsky said savagely, his frustration evident in the controlled way that he was driving. Hutch could tell the other man was like a firecracker waiting to go off.

“I think so, too,” Hutch replied, watching his partner closely. “You think that last tip was from him?”

“No question,” Starsky replied, pulling the car up in front of the station. Turning off the ignition, they sat for a moment in silence. “We gotta find this guy before he does another one.”

Hutch placed his hand on his partner’s tense thigh and squeezed lightly. “We will, partner,” he replied, trying to calm and reassure. “We always do.”

“Yeah, but not always in time,” came the frustrated reply, and Hutch watched as the other man flung himself out of the car, then followed more slowly.

Walking down the station hall towards the stairs, Hutch inclined his head toward the men’s room, indicating he was stopping first. Starsky nodded and continued on, opening the stairwell door and disappearing inside. With a sigh, the blond detective went into the men’s room.

‘It’s gonna be a long night,’ he thought to himself as he washed his hands a few minutes later. He knew his partner was ready to blow. For some reason, this case was getting on his nerves in a way Hutch hadn’t seen in months. They had handled much tougher and more frustrating cases, but Starsky was taking this one personally.

Starsky was also bringing this one home with them, something they swore they’d never do. Their suburban home was their sanctuary, the one place they could leave the world behind and be themselves. They had great neighbors, some of whom had become good friends. Burdens seemed lighter there, and work was almost always left at the front door.

But not this time. Starsky was irritable and nervous, and he was definitely not sleeping well. When his partner was already up drinking coffee when he left for his run, it was a sign that there was trouble. Knowing Starsky as well as he did, he knew there was nothing about this case in particular that was bothering him. Hutch thought that they were both just tired. Tired of the busting their asses only to find yet another innocent victim on a cold warehouse floor.

Hutch moved quickly up the stairs and opened the door into the hallway, only to see Starsky’s arm swing and his fist connect with a face. He watched, slightly stunned, as the struck man fell back against the wall, while two uniformed officers held his partner back from continuing the attack. He recognized the other man as Detective Bryson from Robbery.

“What’s going on?” Hutch asked loudly, walking over to the fracas.

“That’s what I want to know!” Dobey bellowed from the doorway of the squad room.

“Nothin’,” Bryson said, wiping at his bleeding lip with the back of his sleeve.

Starsky shrugged off his captors and stood glaring at the other detective.

Dobey stood in the doorway, watching the two men stare at each other. “Well something sure as hell happened! Bryson! Report to your Captain. Starsky! Hutchinson! Get your butts in here!”

Hutch grabbed his partner’s arm, urging him away from the other man. Resisting him at first, Starsky started to turn away.

“Fuckin’ pansies,” Bryson said softly as he started walking down the hall.

“Fuck you, asshole!” Starsky shouted, trying to pull away from the now restraining hold that Hutch had on him to go after the other man again.

“Starsky!” Dobey shouted. “That’s enough! Hutchinson, get him in here!”

“Cool it, Starsk,” Hutch said, tightening his hold. “Enough!” Starsky calmed as he watched Bryson being pulled down the corridor by the other officers.

“I’m OK, I’m OK,” he said, breaking his partner’s hold, then turned and walked towards the squad room and his waiting captain.

Hutch could tell he was still furious, but was maintaining control. He followed his partner into the room and directly to Dobey’s office. The captain followed them in, then slammed the door behind him.

“You mind telling me what the hell that was all about?” he asked, moving behind his desk and sitting down.

“Nothin’,” Starsky replied, looking down. “Just a little disagreement.”

Dobey met Hutch’s gaze. The blond detective shrugged, indicating he didn’t know what had happened either, although he was beginning to have a good idea.

“A little disagreement does not give one officer permission to punch another, Starsky, you know that!” Dobey said furiously, then he calmed. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

“I can handle it,” Starsky replied.

“Obviously you can’t,” Dobey said. “Give me a reason not to put you on report.”

“I can’t.”

Dobey sighed. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Bryson is a bigot, does it?” Starsky looked up to meet his captain’s gaze, but didn’t respond. “Dave, you usually don’t let these comments bother you.”

“So, I’m a little on edge,” Starsky replied, and he smiled slightly at Hutch’s snort.

“It’s not funny, Starsky,” Dobey said. “I know this case is a nasty one, but you can’t let your emotions get in the way of work. Now, I know Bryson. I’ll talk to his captain, and I think in light of the circumstances, we can overlook this. But you’re not little kids and there are no hall monitors here. I expect you to handle yourself like an adult. Name calling is no cause for physical violence.”

“You’re right, Cap’n,” Starsky replied. “It won’t happen again.”

“Well, it better not,” Dobey lectured. “Listen, I know it’s been tough on you two since you bought the house. But you chose this path, now learn to live with it. Fortunately your reputation for being damn good cops has kept most of the speculation at bay. But there’s always going to be someone like Bryson. And I expect you two to turn the other cheek, hear me?” The two men nodded. “Now what’s going on with the case?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“It won’t happen again,” Hutch mocked as the Torino pulled into their street. He was tired of the silent treatment he’d received during the entire drive home. “Jesus, Starsk, since when do you let Bryson’s trash mouth get to you like that?”

Starsky pulled the car into the driveway, but turned off the ignition before Hutch could get out to open the garage door. A definite sign he was still not right, Hutch thought, following his partner up the front porch steps and into the house. Starsky rarely left the car outside now that he had his own garage.

“You know it only gives credence to his remarks when you attack him like that,” Hutch commented as they both took off their jackets and holsters in front of the hall closet.

“Shut the fuck up, will ya?” Starsky said tightly, placing his gun on the top shelf and hanging his holster on the back of the door. His jacket was flung onto the closet floor and he stalked toward the kitchen.

Hutch picked up the jacket and hung it next to his, closing the closet door and following his partner. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe and watched his partner stalk around the kitchen, picking up items and immediately slamming them back down. Finally he picked up a plate and flung it into the sink where it broke into several pieces.

“Feel better now?”

“No, goddammit, I don’t!” Starsky answered savagely. “I’m supposed to turn the other cheek when he calls you a faggot, is that it?”

“I am a faggot.”

“I hate when you do this!” he replied, his tone nasty. “The fuckin’ iceman, always cool and collected.”

“You’re just picking a fight and I don’t want to fight with you,” Hutch answered calmly.

“Well, maybe I want to fight,” Starsky replied, stalking past his partner, down the hallway, and started up the stairs. “Maybe I need to fight.”

Hutch followed the other man up the stairs and into their bedroom. He stood watching his partner pace for a moment, then made a decision.

“I always give you what you need,” he said quietly, the tone of his voice getting his partner’s attention. He started to walk towards Starsky, who tried to move away, only to find his path blocked. Starsky feinted left then moved right, but was blocked again by the other man.

“Get the fuck out of my way!” he said, moving to shove his stalker. Hutch took the opportunity to grab one of Starsky’s arms and twist it, pulling it up behind his back. “Cut it out!”

Hutch lifted the arm hard enough to incapacitate his partner, but not hard enough to really hurt him. “Thought you wanted to fight,” the blond said silkily, purposely provoking the other man.

His comment had the desired result and the other man started to battle against the hold. But both men were evenly matched, and Starsky was unable to break away. During the struggle, the pair had moved close to the bed and when Starsky’s legs bumped against the mattress, it caused the two men to fall. Starsky fell face down with Hutch on top of him, his arm caught between them.

“Ow, it hurts!” the pinned man shouted. Hutch set the arm free and waited for his partner’s next move. He knew that no way was Starsky going to let this go now. And he was right. As soon as the other man’s arm was free, he started to try to push his partner off his back. Hutch was ready, and merely used his weight to hold the other man to the bed. During the struggle, Hutch managed to grab both of Starsky’s arms and pin them above his head. “Bastard!”

“You asked for this,” Hutch whispered into a curl-covered ear. He smiled as he saw the gooseflesh his breath caused.

“Let me up!” came the response as the body beneath him tried to buck him off. He leaned more of his weight onto his partner, and eventually the body was still. “You’re hurting me.”

Hutch laughed. “Nice try, dirtball, you forget who you’re dealing with.” Then he groaned as Starsky arched his back, pressing his muscular backside into Hutch’s now very interested cock.

“Oh, God,” the blond moaned, unable to keep from thrusting his hips. While he was distracted, Starsky tried to break free, but Hutch was quicker and was able to maintain his hold. He knew that if his partner really wanted to escape, he could. But apparently Hutch had read the situation right, realizing his partner needed to blow off some steam. “Not a chance, buddy. You’re gonna get what you’ve been asking for.”

Hutch pulled his knees up underneath him on either side of his partner’s hips, still keeping Starsky’s hands pinned to the bed. He changed his grip, holding both of the hands with one, freeing up his other hand for more interesting pursuits. Starsky just panted beneath him, not attempting any further escape for the moment.

He leaned down and breathed into Starsky’s ear, biting at the exposed earlobe. This caused another buck of the hips and a groan and gave Hutch the room he needed to reach under his partner and unsnap the tight jeans and lower the zipper. Starsky groaned again as the hand delved inside to cup the straining erection it found there.

Moving his mouth to the back of Starsky’s neck, he suddenly bit down, drawing a sharp cry from the other man. Hips thrust forward, pushing the erect penis further into the tightening grip. Realizing his partner was right on the edge, Hutch removed his hand and grabbed the back of the jeans, pulling them down to expose the most delectable ass he had ever had the privilege to see.

Starsky stiffened, resuming his struggle. Hutch lay down again on top of the other man, using his weight to restrain him. His jean-covered erection thrust against his partner’s now bare backside, drawing another groan. He thrust several times in succession, arousing himself as much as Starsky. There was something terribly erotic about the situation, and Hutch was fast losing control.

Lifting his hips, he quickly opened his jeans, sighing in relief as his substantial erection was released. He pressed himself between his partner’s cheeks and resumed his slow thrusts. Hutch quickly realized that even as aroused as they both were, without lube he was sure to hurt his partner.

“Are you going to cooperate?” he whispered into Starsky’s ear. When there was no response he thrust harder, drawing another groan.

Still restraining his partner’s hands in one of his, Hutch lifted his body off of Starsky’s and reached for the bedside table, managing to open the drawer and pull out a tube of lubricant. Resting his body again on his partner, Hutch opened the tube awkwardly with one hand, squeezing some of its contents into his hand, then dropping the open tube. He lifted his hips again and quickly applied the lube to his aching cock.

“You asked for this,” he said, positioning himself, and then thrusting forward slowly, trying to be as gentle as possible. Hutch stilled at Starsky’s groan. “You want me to stop?” His partner’s only response was to push back his hips, taking even more of the invading cock. “I guess that’s my answer,” Hutch panted in his ear. He pushed in further, moving slowly, until he was completely inside his partner. He finally released the grip on Starsky’s wrists.

Quickly losing control, Hutch began to thrust his hips, driving himself into his lover. He reached underneath his partner and grabbed the leaking erection that was pressing against the bed. Knowing he wouldn’t last much longer and determined to bring Starsky with him, Hutch angled his hips so that he would hit his partner’s prostate with each thrust. Now each motion drew a loud grunt and soon the cock in his hand exploded.

Hutch groaned with the sensation as the tunnel that encircled his cock tightened around him. He could feel his balls lift and contract and his entire body stiffened with his orgasm, pleasure shooting through him like white heat as he emptied himself into his lover.

Finally it was over, and he collapsed, drawing a moan from the abused body beneath him. “Sorry,” he said softly, and shifted to the side, rolling so that he could look at his partner. Worried that he had unintentionally hurt the other man, Hutch reached out and pushed a sweaty lock of dark curls away from the flushed face. “Starsk?”

Thick lashed blue eyes opened and looked into his, then softened as he smiled. “You are such a stud,” Starsky teased, then laughed at the look on his partner’s face. “You didn’t think you hurt me?”

Hutch returned the smile, then rolled over on his back, sighing. “I was just checking,” he said defensively. “What the hell is going on with you lately?”

“I wish I knew,” Starsky replied, sighing as well. “This case is like a hundred cases we’ve had before. Why is it driving me crazy like this?”

Hutch was silent for a moment. “Maybe it’s because there has been a hundred cases like this,” he said softly. “We keep talking about it, but maybe it’s time we seriously consider getting out.”

“Your sister and the kids are coming in what, ten days?” Hutch nodded. “So we take the two weeks vacation and recharge. Enjoy the kids. You get to know Becca again. Then let’s see how we feel when we get back, whaddya say?”

“I say it sounds like a plan, buddy,” Hutch replied.

Starsky groaned as he rolled over. “Geez, you really must have had your Wheaties this morning,” he teased. “I feel like you stuck a nightstick up there.”

“Hey, when you’ve got it, flaunt it, I always say.”

“Well, how ’bout flaunting it over here and helping me up, Blondie, I don’t think I can move.”

Hutch laughed and somehow rolled to his feet, then turned to reach down and help pull his partner up. Starsky stood and looked down at his jeans that were still pushed halfway down his thighs, then at Hutch who still had his jeans on with his not so erect cock hanging out of the open zipper.

“Quite a pair, aren’t we?” Hutch said, smiling at his lover.

“Two peas in a very messy pod,” Starsky responded, then his expression became serious and his eyes darkened as he reached out and caressed Hutch’s mouth with his thumb. “Thanks for always knowing what I need.”

Hutch just smiled in response. “Pull up your pants, you look ridiculous.”

“How ’bout I take ’em off instead?”

“Flirt”

“Stud”

“Love you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Starsky replied. “C’mon, hot stuff, let’s go examine that nightstick of yours in the shower, see if there’s any damage.” The two laughing men entered the bathroom together.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch was picking the pieces of the broken plate out of the sink when Starsky appeared in the kitchen doorway the next morning.

“I’ll do that,” he said, slightly embarrassed.

“No, I’ve got it,” Hutch replied, turning to watch his partner enter the kitchen. “You feeling better this morning?”

Starsky poured a mug of coffee then sat at the kitchen table, pulling the newspaper closer. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, then met his partner’s concerned gaze. “Really, Hutch.”

The blond man smiled, then finished at the sink. “I think Danny’s got a girlfriend.”

“Yeah?”

“He was talking about her while we ran, but I couldn’t get him to admit he was interested,” Hutch said, refilling his cup and sitting at the table. “But every other word was ‘Lisa’.”

“Our little boy is growing up, dear,” Starsky teased.

Danny Williams was a neighborhood kid that Hutch befriended when the two men first moved in. Then fourteen, the dark haired boy had been withdrawn, had very few friends and no self-confidence. With a little prodding, he began running with Hutch and now, at fifteen, was a star of his high school track team.

“Oh, God, remember being fifteen?” Hutch mused, then took a sip of his coffee.

“It was like being a walkin’, talkin’ hormone,” the dark haired detective agreed. “I think I was hard 20 hours outta the day.”

“And that’s different than now because…”

“Excuse me, but who molested who this morning before he got up for his run?”

“Whom”

“What?”

“It’s who molested whom this morning.”

Starsky stared across the table at his partner in disgust. “You are one weird guy, Blondie” he said, shaking his head and returning to reading the paper.

The two men silently drank their coffee and read the paper, until Hutch looked at his watch. “If you want breakfast, you better shake a leg.”

“Nah,” Starsky replied, getting to his feet. “We can pick something up on the way.” Then he held up his hand, halting the lecture he could see forming on his partner’s lips. “No time, save it.”

Hutch shook his head and they both moved into the hallway, taking out their holsters and fastening them around their shoulders. The guns were kept on the top shelf and Starsky handed Hutch his magnum then put his own gun in its holster. After putting on their jackets, Starsky headed for the garage door.

“Starsk.”

He turned, quirking an eyebrow. Hutch nodded his head toward the front door. Starsky blushed, suddenly remembering that he’d left the car outside last night, and why.

“Sorry, I forgot,” he said, moving past Hutch and walking out the front door. The two men got into the Torino and Starsky backed out of the driveway then headed out of the neighborhood towards the station.

“Should we borrow that cot from the Williams’?”

“What?”

“For the spare room,” Hutch replied. “For Becca?”

“Oh, yeah,” Starsky said, finally catching up with the topic. “The kids can have the twin beds in the other bedroom, and we can clean out the spare room to make room for the cot. Good thing we bought a house with three bedrooms. Who woulda thought we’d need ’em all at once?”

“The kids sounded excited last time I talked to them,” the blond detective said with a smile. “And Becca is just as happy about it.”

“It’s a good thing that her husband has that conference in San Francisco,” Starsky replied, enjoying his partner’s excitement. “Otherwise they’d have to wait for us to plan that trip to Sydney.”

“Adam and Hannah,” Hutch said the names with satisfaction.

“Who can’t wait to meet their Uncle Ken.”

Hutch blushed but also smiled at the thought. It still seemed surreal, finding out about the twins when they were already five years old. “They look like Becca, don’t you think?”

“I think little Adam looks just like the pictures of you at that age,” Starsky commented. “You look at the Starsky family album and it’s all dark curls and dark skin, but your family looks like they exploded off a Swiss Miss box.”

Hutch laughed at the teasing. “Ah, but dark and light compliment each other, don’t you think? It’s the contrasts in life that are the most exciting.”

Starsky shook his head. “Gettin’ weird again. I hope Becca has a good head on her shoulders.”

“She always did,” Hutch said, and then was quiet for a moment, lost in memories. Shaking himself, he continued, “So what do you think about the girl last night?” Hutch asked, internally changing gears and staring to work on the case.

“Another waitress, everything seems the same,” Starsky replied. “The only thing different was the tip telling us where she’d be. He’s enjoyin’ the attention. He couldn’t wait for us to find her.”

“I think so, too.”

The men were quiet for the rest of the ride, preparing for the long day ahead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Starsky! Hutchinson! My office!” Dobey’s voice carried across the squad room, greeting the two detectives.

Starsky stopped and saluted. “Yes, mon capitain!”

“Just get in here.” Dobey turned and walked into his office, followed by the two men who closed the door behind them. He motioned to a tall, muscular man in a dark blue suit with curly blond hair and brown eyes. “This is Steve Davis, from the FBI’s local field office.”

Starsky’s disgusted “Feds!” comment was drowned out by his partner’s surprising response to the introduction.

“Steve?”

The man smiled, and held out his hand, which Hutch took and shook enthusiastically. “Ken, how are you?”

“I’m fine,” Hutch replied with a smile. “The Feds, huh? I always knew you’d come to a bad end.” He turned and motioned to Starsky. “This is my partner, Dave Starsky.” The two men shook hands. “Starsk, this formerly good guy now masking himself as a Fed was my RA at UCLA.”

“RA?” Starsky and Dobey asked simultaneously.

“Resident Assistant,” Steve explained. “We got free room and board in exchange for monitoring the dorm for rule infractions, drinking, and all that kind of thing.”

“Yeah, he was a good den mother,” Hutch teased. “Wrote me up how many times?”

“Seven, but that’s when I stopped counting.” The two men laughed.

“Well, now that the happy hour is over, how ’bout we get down to business,” Starsky said, then turned to his captain. “Mind telling us why the Feebs are involved, Cap’n?” He was already preparing to find a way to keep their case from the Feds. They’d lost too many to the suits lately, for Starsky’s taste.

“It appears your perp may be a serial killer the Feds have been tracking for several months,” Dobey said. “They’d like to compare notes to make sure.”

Steve continued, “We’re not trying to take your case away.” He looked over at Starsky’s snort of disbelief. “Really, we’ve got enough on our hands right now with the Asian drug cartels moving in. But we think if we put our heads together, we might be able to help put this animal away.”

Hutch nodded. “You bring your notes?”

“And maps, and profiles, everything you might need.”

“Captain, can we use the executive conference room?” Hutch asked.

“I’ll clear it with Administration,” Dobey picked up the phone, then looked up at the trio. “Well, go on, get out of here!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The three men walked from the squad room out into the hall.

“How long have you been in town?” Hutch asked, walking beside Steve, while Starsky trailed along behind the pair.

“About six months.”

“How come you didn’t look me up?”

“Frankly, I didn’t know you were here until a couple of days ago when your name came up in relation to this case,” the older man replied. “You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized you were working as a cop. Weren’t you pre-med?”

“Yeah, well, life has a way of changing us, you know?” Hutch replied, then glanced back at his glowering partner.

“You and your partner here have quite a reputation down at the office,” Steve continued. “Seems I drew the short straw. Now why is it that no one wants to work with you two?”

“I think the key word there is ‘with,’ Davis,” Starsky commented. “The Feebs don’t work with anyone.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Starsky,” Steve replied. “But I hope I can change your opinion of us. We’re not all like that.”

Starsky just made a scoffing noise in response. “I’ll meet ya there, I gotta take a leak.” With that he disappeared down the hall.

Hutch and Steve stopped outside of the Administration offices near the well-marked conference room. “Sorry about Starsk,” the blond apologized. “He’s really a good guy. He’s just got this thing against the Feds.”

“I hear you boys have been partners for years.”

“Since we both got out of Patrol,” Hutch said with a smile. “We went to the Academy together, and I guess no one else would have us.” The two men shared a laugh.

“I’ve heard other things too, Ken,” Steve continued. “You live together?”

Hutch blushed, cursing his fair skin. “Yeah, we’re pretty much partners all the way around, you know?”

Steve nodded. “OK, none of my business.”

“It’s not a problem, Steve, it’s just better off not discussed at the station,” Hutch explained. “Some people guess, but as long as they don’t really know, then they can’t do anything. Dobey’s been good and covers for us a lot.”

“But moving in together?” Steve asked. “Why risk it?”

Hutch stared down for a moment, then looked up to meet his friend’s gaze directly. “Sometimes the risk is worth it.”

“Fair enough,” Steve replied, then looked past Hutch to see Starsky approaching. “Here comes your partner. How ’bout we get to it?”

The three men entered the conference room and got to work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“What good is all this talkin’?” Starsky said in frustration, pacing the length of the room. “We should be out workin’ the streets, turning things over. Three days in this lousy room, and I’m growin’ roots.”

The two blond men looked up from the map they were studying intently. “Starsk, you know as well as I do that we’ve gotten nowhere with that,” Hutch explained. “This is our chance to find a real pattern. Maybe if we keep going over this, something will click.”

“We think it’s a long haul trucker,” Steve repeated the theory, choosing not to respond to Starsky’s complaint. His finger traced the route across the map. “All the waitresses worked at truck stops along Interstate 70.”

“So what’s he doin’ here, then?” Starsky asked. “He’s killed three women in the last two weeks.”

“Escalating, for sure,” Steve agreed. “His pattern has always been approximately once a month before this.”

Hutch stared at the map for a moment, then blurted, “He’s been taken off his route!”

“What?” Starsky and Steve both looked at the blond detective.

“Don’t you see?” he explained. “Serial killers like their pattern, their habits. They very rarely change them. But something happened here. He’s off the road for some reason. And it’s causing him to lose control.”

Steve nodded. “That’s it!”

“And he’s getting his excitement by clueing us in,” Hutch continued. “He had no chance before, but now that he’s in one place, he can use us as chess pieces to…”

“Manipulate the players,” Steve agreed. “I think you’ve nailed it.”

Starsky patted him on the shoulder. “Knew you could do it, Blondie. So where to now?”

“If he drove all the way cross country, he had to be working one of the major companies,” Hutch reasoned. “If we assume for the moment that he didn’t get fired, he’s still a trucker. But he’s working local now.”

“So we look for one of the national companies based here in town, right?” Starsky asked, grabbing the phone.

“Right,” Hutch agreed. “Call Minnie and see if she can get us the names.”

“I’m on it,” Starsky replied, then began talking into the receiver.

Hutch continued to look at the map. “Eighteen women. What a goddamn shame.” He glanced up at his friend. “What causes someone to lose it like that?”

“We’re working on it,” Steve said. “The Behavioral Sciences guys spend every day trying to figure them out.”

Starsky slammed down the phone, waving a slip of paper in the air. “We got three.”

“Let’s go.” The two partners moved toward the door, then Hutch turned back. “You want to come with us?”

Steve shook his head. “No, I’ve got to get back to the office and report in. Call me if anything turns up?”

Hutch smiled. “Will do.” And then he was gone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Since when do the suits drop a case in our laps?” Starsky asked as they drove towards the second company on the list.

The first trucking company had gotten them nowhere. They hadn’t fired anyone in several months and did strictly long distance work.

“Maybe it’s just what he said,” Hutch replied. “They’ve got too much on their plates.”

“Yeah, well, based on past experience, we haven’t heard the last of ’em.”

Hutch turned and looked out the window as the Torino approached the next company on the list. “I think you might be right.”

Pulling up in front of a warehouse which housed Alliance Trucking, the two men exited the car and started walking towards the building.

“How about if I try the office and you see if you can find someone to talk to in there,” Starsky said, motioning to the open warehouse doors where men could be seen milling around.

“You just want a chance to flirt with the receptionist,” Hutch teased, moving away from his partner.

Starsky turned and walked backwards, facing the blond.

“Hey, can I help it if females drool over my incredible bod and fall under the spell of my impish charm?”

“You’re a legend in your own mind,” Hutch laughed in reply. “Go.”

Starsky winked as he turned, then headed up the steps that led to the front office. Hutch continued on into the warehouse where he saw a large man holding a clipboard, surrounded by a small group of men dressed in jeans and t-shirts. He figured the guy was in charge of something, so he approached, pulling his badge from his back pocket.

“Can you tell me where I can find the manager?” Hutch asked.

The man looked at the badge, then at the detective’s face. Stepping away from the men who were watching avidly, he motioned Hutch over to stand about ten feet away, obviously attempting to find some privacy.

“I’m the shipping supervisor, Bert Hooks,” he replied. “Manager’s gone for the day, lazy good-for-nothing that he is, but maybe I can help you.”

“Your trucks ship nationally as well as local?” Hutch asked, pocketing his badge.

“Yep, we do long distance hauling for some of the major supermarket chains,” Hooks replied. “That’s kind of what we specialize in. Produce and such.”

“And local too?”

“Gotta get the goods here, don’t we?”

“I suppose you do,” Hutch replied, smiling. “We’re looking for one of your truckers. Someone who possibly used to run your long hauls, but now just does local. You got anyone like that.”

“Matter of fact, we do,” Hooks said, turning and pointing to the small group of men who had stayed together talking. “He’s right over there. Name’s Marvin Lukowsky.”

No sooner did he say the name than one of the men broke from the group and ran, heading for the doors. It only took Hutch a moment to realize that his prey was finally within reach before he took off after the running man, determined not to lose him.

“Starsk!” he shouted for backup as he passed the office door in his pursuit. Fortunately, his quarry was not thinking and ran towards a fence that was too high to scale. Realizing his mistake, he veered, heading for the front gate. But the lost time enabled the long legged blond to catch up. Hutch had just heard the footsteps running behind him when he performed a flying tackle, worthy of any NFL tight end.

As Hutch lay on top of the man who was obviously still trying to catch his breath, he turned to see his partner run up beside him.

“How come you get to have all the fun?” Starsky asked, reaching down to help secure their prisoner.

“Hey, if you’re going to be flirting on the job, you’re going to miss out on things,” Hutch replied, rolling over to stand up. “You get any action?”

“Why don’t you ask me later?” Starsky smiled at his partner, then turned to pull the now handcuffed man to his feet. “C’mon, turkey, let’s go.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“So this guy’s mother was killed and he watched it?” Starsky asked, filching yet another french fry from the McDonald’s bag that sat in the middle of the front seat.

“If you keep eating those, you won’t have any left when we get home,” Hutch said, pulling the bag out of his foraging partner’s reach.

“That’s why I’m eatin’ yours.”

“Asshole”

“Dickwad”

The two men smiled at each other, then turned back to the road. As soon as Marvin Lukowsky was in the interrogation room, he couldn’t talk fast enough. Upon questioning, he confessed to murdering the eighteen women and now sat in a cell, awaiting sentencing.

“We were lucky to get him at the second company,” the blond detective continued the conversation. “Steve said when they checked with the Georgia State Police they traced him back to an old file. His mother was a waitress, who apparently saw customers on the side for extra money, and was raped and strangled by one. Marvin was only seven and he watched it all.” Hutch shook his head. “Went right into foster care and never got help for it. Started killing waitresses when he was barely 22.”

“Well, Marvin Lukowsky deserves to rot in hell.”

“Starsky, he needed help and never got it,” Hutch explained. “How can you hold that against him?”

“I can hold against him the fact that there’s eighteen women that ain’t livin’ no more, thanks to poor old Marvin.”

“I just think you should keep an open mind about it. I agree he should be punished, but if the system hadn’t failed him, this might never have happened.”

“Well, no matter, the case is over, shut, and we got only two days of work left to clean up the paperwork and then vacation here we come!” Starsky practically bounced in the seat.

“I’m just glad we took a couple of days off before they get here,” Hutch said. “We’ve got a lot of cleaning to do.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“I will.”

“Thanks.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch hung up the phone, then looked across the table at his partner who was busy working on a file.

“That was Steve.”

“Yeah?” Starsky didn’t look up.

“He wants to take us to lunch.”

“Can’t.”

“How come?”

“Gotta go and get my driver’s license renewed, remember?”

“If you didn’t wait until the last day.”

Starsky’s hand came up and imitated a mouth. “Yak, yak, yak”

“Well, I told him yes.”

“So go,” the dark haired detective said, then returned to his paperwork. Only a few more files to go and they’d be done, up to date and ready for their vacation.

“I will,” Hutch replied. “Too bad you’re gonna miss Rosalita’s world famous enchiladas…” Starsky’s head shot up and his eyes pleaded with his teasing partner. “I might be convinced to bring you back a doggy bag…”

“Oh, yeah? And what’ll it take to convince you?”

“Hmmmm,” Hutch pondered. “How about the offer of a Starsky special back massage?”

“Your back botherin’ you?” Starsky asked with concern.

Hutch stifled a smile. “You know, sometimes you can know too much about a person,” he said rolling his eyes then continued, lowering his voice. “Is romance dead in this relationship?”

“Oh, you mean one’a those massages,” Starsky said. “For a Rosalita’s enchiladas, I’ve been known to work miracles.”

Hutch stood up and put on his jacket. “I await your miracle massage with bated breath.”

“You better take mints with ya,” Starsky teased. “Helps with enchilada breath anyway.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Torino drove quickly through the streets as it found its way toward home. The two men were very relaxed, knowing that the long awaited vacation had finally arrived. It was Friday and they were off for the next two weeks. Becca and the family arrived on Monday morning from Australia.

“I think we should take the night off and start getting ready tomorrow,” Hutch said, stretching in the seat.

“Sounds like a plan,” Starsky agreed. “Hey, you’ve been in a great mood since you got back from lunch. What did you guys talk about, anyway?”

Hutch smiled and turned in the seat towards his partner. “He offered me a job.”

“What?!” Starsky turned to look at Hutch in shock, before returning his attention to the road. “What kinda job?”

“They’re opening a profiling unit in Bay City, an offshoot of the BSU.”

“BSU?”

“The Behavioral Sciences Unit that’s located at FBI headquarters in D.C.,” Hutch explained. “The program is a few years old and they’ve been having great success with profiling. They’ve decided that since there’s been so much work around here, they would open a small unit, just a few agents who could examine onsite evidence and then work with the more specialized profilers at the home office.”

The conversation was postponed as the car pulled into the driveway. Starsky honked a greeting at the group of kids playing basketball at the end of the street. The hoop was strategically placed where the street ended and their driveway began. Hutch jumped out of the car and opened the garage, moving aside to let the Torino pull in next to the battered LTD. He called out a greeting to the kids, closed the garage door, then followed his partner into the house. Once the two men were in the kitchen, Hutch started down the hall.

“Hey, you’re not goin’ anywhere until you finish this,” Starsky said, grabbing his partner around the neck. “We need to talk.”

“OK, OK, can I at least get a beer first?” the blond said, after ducking out of the hold.

“Yeah, get one for me too and meet me outside.” Starsky disappeared out the back door.

Hutch smiled. Apparently they were having a talk in the ‘conference room’. He took two cold bottles out of the fridge and followed his partner out the back door, down the porch steps, and over to the hammock.

“Is there room for me?” he asked, then passed the bottles to Starsky to hold while he joined him in the hammock. The beers were redistributed, and after each had taken a swig, the hammock began to rock, set in motion by Starsky’s foot which perpetually hung over the edge.

“Keep talkin’, Blondie.”

“So anyway, Steve says they were thinking about offering a position to me even before the Lukowsky thing,” Hutch continued the story. “And apparently they liked the way we handled the profiling angle in this case. Steve talked to the big guy back at the BSU and they’re offering me the job.”

Starsky enjoyed listening to the excitement in his partner’s voice. The blond hadn’t been this excited about anything at work for months. Neither had he, for that matter.

“Sounds like you’re interested,” he said quietly.

“I am,” Hutch replied. “That’s why I knew we had to discuss this. We’ve been talking about retiring for months now.”

Starsky pushed at the ground with his foot and they continued to rock. “I think you’d be perfect for the job,” he said. “You’re such a smart guy, you should be doing something more important that shoveling the shit we do every day.”

“And you?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I’ve been doin’ a little investigating of my own,” Starsky said smugly.

“Oh, yeah?”

“I talked to Captain Morris down at the Academy? He says Bertinelli is retiring in a month or so and they’re looking for someone to head the weapons training program.”

“Starsk, that would be perfect for you!” Hutch said, nudging his partner. “You’ve always been their best marksman and you do so well with the new trainees.”

“I knew those extra hours down at the range would be good for something,” the dark haired man said proudly. “Besides keepin’ your ass safe that is.”

“You’d have to take the next Lieutenant’s exam,” Hutch replied. “But you’ll whiz through it.”

“I don’t know about that…”

“I do.”

The two men were silent, each lost in thought as they contemplated such major changes in their lives.

“So you’d be a Feeb,” Starsky teased. “Wear a suit every day.”

“Yup,” the blond replied. “And you’d stop calling me a Feeb the first time I smacked you.” The two men laughed.

“Hey, any problem with the background check thing?” Starsky asked. “I hear they rake your personal life over the coals. And our coals are pretty hot.”

“Well, now I already thought of that. Steve says they’ve already checked me out, and since final approval comes from this big guy at the BSU, I’m all set.”

“I still don’t see how…”

“He’s gay, Starsk,” Hutch laughed. “Can you believe it? Talk about luck. That’s why Steve accepted our relationship so calmly. Seems they operate on a don’t ask policy in that division because their boss is a homosexual.”

Starsky ignored the answer to his question, focusing instead on one thing. “What do you mean, ‘Steve accepted our relationship’?”

“Well, he kind of already knew…”

“So the Feds are investigating us without our knowledge, and you’ve got no problem with this?” Starsky’s voice was irritated. “And you’ve been talking to your friend about us?”

“Starsk, I’m not ashamed of us,” Hutch said quietly. “Are you?”

“No, but you could have said something…” he blustered.

“You’re just jealous of my friendship with Steve,” Hutch teased.

“Am not.”

“Are so.”

“Fuck you.”

“O-K,” Hutch responded, drawing a laugh from his partner. “I really didn’t let out any state secrets or anything, Starsk. I just told him how it was between us. I told him that we’re in love. Life partners. Best friends.”

“I like how you say that.”

“Yeah, it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Hutch agreed. “I told Steve we had to talk about this and I’d give him an answer when we got back from vacation. Lots of changes ahead. Are you sure we’re ready for them?”

“I don’t think we can afford not to change,” Starsky replied. “Look what this last case did to me…us.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s time to get out.”

“Dobey’ll be pissed.”

“Dobey won’t be the least bit surprised,” Hutch said. “I think he’s heading in that direction himself.”

“Really?”

“Edith said something at Rosie’s birthday party.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I forgot.”

“Gettin’ old, memory goes first.”

“I’m glad it’s the memory,” Hutch said, his voice lowering seductively. “I’ve still got plans for everything else.”

“Yeah, like what?” Starsky’s tone was definitely interested.

The blond man reached over and plucked the nearly empty beer bottle from his partner’s hand, then reached out to place both bottles on the ground. Rolling back, he used gravity and the hammock’s own physics to align both of their bodies so that they were face to face.

“Kinda like this,” he whispered, as he used his one free hand to caress his lover’s face. Starsky smiled, then grabbed at a finger with his mouth, sucking it and smiling as Hutch’s eyes darkened to a deeper hue. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Starsky drew his mouth back slowly until the finger popped out wetly. “What makes you think I’m makin’ promises I can’t keep?” he teased, then closed his eyes as Hutch’s mouth descended and covered his in a deep kiss. The hammock swayed as the two men’s bodies began to move together in a slow rhythm, their lips still joined, tongues dueling in a familiar dance.

Finally, Hutch pulled back, smiling at the soft look on his lover’s face. “You can’t keep those promises in a hammock, that’s for sure.”

Starsky looked around, nodding in agreement. “Shall we adjourn…?”

Surprising the dark haired man, Hutch threw his knee over his partner’s body then managed to align himself directly on top of Starsky. “I want to stay here,” he said, thrusting slowly into the hips that now cradled his.

“Gettin’ frisky in your old age, aren’t you, Bronco?” Starsky teased, then groaned at the sensation of Hutch’s body on top of his, moving languidly. He thrust back, but the swaying of the hammock served to keep the friction from being enough to satisfy the two men. “I hate when this happens,” he moaned in frustration.

“I’ve got it,” Hutch said panting, then reached above his partner’s head to grab hold of the beam that supported the top of the rope hammock. As he did, Starsky pushed down with his feet and managed to squirm up underneath the blond and the two bodies were then in perfect alignment. “That’s it…” Hutch crooned as he began to move faster, using his hold on the beam to brace himself. The hammock rocked in time with their movements.

“Huuutch…” Starsky called out softly, then released a sharp groan as he reached his completion. Hutch wasn’t far behind, arms straining against the beam as his head arched back and he thrust one last time, then collapsed onto his sated lover.

The only sound that emerged from the hammock was panting as their two hearts began to return to a relaxed rhythm. Soon there was a soft snore, quickly joined by another.

And the hammock swayed slowly under the early evening skies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning began in a frenzy, with Hutch frantically trying to set a cleaning schedule for them.

“Hutch if you don’t calm down, you’re gonna have a stroke before they even get here,” Starsky teased, sipping coffee calmly, watching his over anxious partner.

“We just have so much to do.”

“And we’ll get it all done, don’t worry,” Starsky tried to sooth his partner. “You do the upstairs and I’ll do the downstairs. Then we’ll go to the Williams’ later to pick up the cot. Tomorrow we’ll set up the rooms and make the beds with fresh sheets and blankets. Did I forget anything?”

“Shopping! When are we going to do the grocery shopping?” Hutch said, pacing the length of the kitchen. “I knew we didn’t have enough time.”

“Hutch, is it still kosher to slap people when they get hysterical?” He chuckled at his partner’s glaring response. “I’ll do the shopping Monday while you pick up Becca and the kids at the airport.”

“You don’t want to come?”

“I think you need a little time alone with your sister and her family,” Starsky reasoned. “And you’ll only have a little time with Becca’s husband before he gets right back on another plane for San Francisco.”

“You’re right,” Hutch agreed.

“Just so’s you remember that.”

There was a knock at the front door, then it opened and a dark haired head appeared. “You guys decent?” the boy called.

“Hey, Danny, c’mon in,” Hutch replied. “We’re in the kitchen.”

The lanky teen walked down the hallway, then joined the men in the kitchen. “You ready for the big day?” he asked, drawing a groan from the dark haired man. “What? I say something wrong?”

“Blondie here is getting hysterical, and I’m tryin’ to calm him down,” Starsky replied, then chuckled as he dodged the hand that tried to smack his head.

Danny laughed, watching the two men interact. “Anything I can do?”

“Actually there is one thing Karl Marx here left out of the manifesto,” Hutch replied, smiling at Starsky. “He’s old. He forgets.”

“That memory thing again,” Starsky agreed, winking at his partner, who blushed. “Thank God it’s the first thing to go.”

“Jerk,” Hutch aimed the comment at Starsky, then looked at the youth. “Would you mind mowing the lawn, Danny? Then Starsk and I can concentrate on the inside of the house.”

“Sure!” Danny replied. “Keys still in the same place as last time?”

“Yes, and thanks.”

“I’m gone,” the boy answered, then went bounding out the back door.

Starsky watched the interchange in stunned disbelief. “He knows where the lawn mower keys are? I don’t even know where they are! And I gave it to you!”

“Well, of course he knows,” Hutch replied calmly. “He loves to mow the lawn.”

“Danny’s driven the lawn mower? The same lawn mower you won’t let me near?”

“Starsk, he needs to learn to drive responsibly.”

“But what about me?”

“I’ve given up on you ever driving responsibly.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The tall blond man stood, intently observing the doorway leading from the customs area. Hutch had reached the airport at 7AM, in anticipation of the international flight’s 9AM arrival time. He didn’t want to take a chance and be late. And now after interminable pacing, the plane had finally landed and he was just waiting for the passengers from this latest international arrival to be cleared.

He watched as several weary passengers walked through the door, then he saw her. Becca spotted him at the same time and ran through the small crowd of people right into her brother’s arms. Hutch held her slender figure tightly, as she cried into his shoulder. His eyes filled as well, as he felt her sob.

“Oh, God, Beck, it’s been so long,” he said into her ear. She nodded her head, but refused to let go.

Hutch looked up to see a man approach with two small children, one holding on to each of his hands. Mark Walker was short, plump, and balding, not at all like the man Hutch had imagined as his sister’s husband. When he first saw the pictures that she sent of her family, he was very surprised. The couple certainly looked like a mismatched pair, with his sister’s long blonde hair and tall slender body, but he knew enough not to judge a book by its cover, and soon realized that Becca was madly in love with the man.

“Becca, I think you can let go now,” Hutch teased. “Besides, unless I’m very much mistaken, I have more family to meet.”

Becca laughed and finally released her brother, wiping at her eyes. She turned to look at her family, then back at Hutch.

“Ken, this is my husband, Mark,” Hutch reached out and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Ken,” Mark said, then motioned to the children who now clung to his side. “And this is Adam and Hannah. Kids, this is your Uncle Ken.”

The twins both had straight, almost white blond hair and definitely took after their mother. Adam shyly buried his face against his father’s leg but Hannah looked directly at her new uncle.

“Mommy says Mickey Mouse lives here,” she stated firmly, ponytail bobbing. “Does he live with you?”

Hutch knelt down on one knee to bring himself to her level. “Now let me see, are you Adam or Hannah?”

“Silly, I’m Hannah,” she said, then pointed to her brother, who was now peeking out at his uncle with bright blue eyes. “He’s Adam. And this is my friend, Belinda.” Hannah held up the doll she had been cradling.

“Nice to meet you, Belinda,” Hutch nodded his head toward the doll, earning a smile from his niece. Then he looked at the little girl. “Mickey Mouse does live here in California, Hannah, but he has his own house.”

“Can we go see him?” she asked. “He’s on TV, but we want to talk to him. My friend Sybil came to see him and she said he gave her his name.”

“He gave her his name?” Hutch asked, shooting a puzzled glance up at his sister.

“Autograph,” she explained, and he nodded, looking back at his niece.

“Can we do that, Uncle Ken?” she asked, then continued, “If we’re good.” She looked back at her mother, who smiled.

“Definitely,” Hutch nodded firmly. “You can’t come all the way to California and not see Mickey Mouse. But how about we go to my house first?”

Adam finally joined the conversation, leaving his father’s side to approach his uncle. “Do you have a big house? Where will we sleep? Do you have a dog?”

Hutch laughed. Apparently when he finally got going, Adam was a talker. He and Starsk would get along well.

“Let’s see, yes, in a bed, and no, we don’t.” He smiled as the boy’s face became thoughtful as he tried to figure out which answer went with which question.

Becca finally interrupted. “Before we go to Uncle Ken’s, we have to take Daddy to his plane.” She turned to her husband and asked, “Which terminal is it, hon?”

Mark checked his ticket. “It’s Terminal D. The flight leaves in less than an hour.”

“Well, let’s get this show on the road, then,” Hutch said, standing up. He pointed down the corridor. “Terminal D is that way. Shall we go, kids?”

Two blond heads nodded, then each child walked up on either side of Hutch and offered a hand. He took each of their hands and started walking, then glanced back at his sister with a huge smile. She smiled back, then put her arm around her husband and the two followed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch and Becca walked behind the children as they bounced back and forth through the airport corridor. They had just left off Mark and were on their way to baggage claim.

“Do they ever slow down?” he asked, amazed at the energy the two children displayed after a long overseas flight.

“Oh, they’re going to crash, believe me,” Becca replied. “And it’ll be ugly when it happens.” The two adults laughed.

“The kids didn’t seem to mind their father leaving so soon.”

“They’re used to him traveling a lot,” she said. “We’re in Australia on a special visa that allows us to remain in the country while Mark trains other orthopedic surgeons on his artificial joint technique. You can’t drive anywhere in Australia, everything’s too far. So he flies all the time.”

“You must miss him,” Hutch commented, reaching out and placing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as they walked.

“I do, Ken, I can’t say that I don’t,” Becca answered, looking up at her brother. “But he’s so wonderful to me and to the kids. I couldn’t ask for better.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that, Beck,” Hutch replied, gazing down at her tenderly. “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

“Adam, put that down!” Becca called to her errant son who had picked up an empty cup from the floor. “Put it in the trash, young man!” He obeyed the instructions, then raced to catch up to his sister who was now in front of him. “Kids. They’ll pick up anything.”

“I’ll take your word for that,” Hutch replied.

“Oh, you’ll find out, if you’re around them long enough,” she teased, then bumped his hip with hers. “What about you?”

“Don’t look at me, I don’t have any kids,” he said, with a broad smile. “Well, except for Starsky, that is. And you might be right, he picks up everything too.”

“Ken!” Becca protested, but then giggled. “I mean it. Tell me you’re happy.”

“I’m happy, Beck,” Hutch replied. “I think for the very first time.” They both sobered at the comment. “I think we’ve got a lot to talk about.” She nodded then noticed the baggage carousel that had caught the children’s attention. She called ahead, “Kids, stop right there.”

Hutch smiled as they froze in their steps, then waited until the adults caught up. “Can you two help poor Uncle Ken find your luggage?” Two heads nodded in unison, and they followed him over to the moving conveyer belt where they stood side by side watching for the bags.

A small hand tugged at Hutch’s sleeve and he looked down. “Are you poor, Uncle Ken?” Hannah asked, her blue eyes wide with concern.

Hutch’s eyes met his sister’s and they both laughed. It was going to be a wonderful vacation, he thought. Wait until they met Starsky.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Oh, wow!” Adam’s voice rang out in the parking garage when he spotted the Torino. “Is that your car?”

Hutch maneuvered the luggage cart over to the trunk. “It’s Starsky’s car,” he replied, then smiled apologetically at his sister. “I know it’s a little flashy, but mine’s not too reliable right now.”

Becca laughed, and watched her son walk completely around the car, inspecting every detail. “Please tell me you’re not still driving those clunkers, Ken.”

“It’s not that bad,” he replied, putting the luggage in the trunk. Closing the back, he unlocked the door to let the kids in, smiling down at his nephew’s awed expression. “So, you like the car, Adam?” The small blond head nodded, as the boy continued trailing his hand along the white stripe. “What about you, Hannah? You like the car, too?”

“It’s very red, Uncle Ken,” she replied, obviously trying to be diplomatic. “But it’s very pretty.”

“Starsky thinks so, too. I think it looks like a striped tomato.” He smiled as Hannah began to giggle. “Hop in, kids, let’s go home.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch pulled the car into the driveway and stopped, smiling as he watched Starsky bounce down the front steps. He was dressed in his usual warm weather clothing, denim shorts and a polo style shirt, bright red, of course.

“You made good time,” he said to Hutch, as he walked around to open the passenger door. “And who is this gorgeous creature?” Starsky smiled brightly at Becca as he helped her from the car.

“Beck, this buffoon is my partner, Dave Starsky.”

“It’s so good to finally meet you, Starsky,” she said, and was quickly pulled into a tight hug by the curly haired man.

“Starsk?” Hutch, stifling a smile as watched the two interact.

“Hmmm?” Starsky replied, not letting Becca out of the hug.

“Hands off the sister,” Hutch warned.

The two parted with a shared smile. “He’s been keepin’ you under wraps,” the dark haired man complained, reaching up to push back a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and smiling.

“For a very good reason,” Hutch replied, then leaned in to pull the seat forward and let out his nephew. Starsky did the same on the passenger side, reaching in to help Hannah out of the backseat.

“My, my, yet another beauty,” he said, squatting down to greet the little girl. “Are you a fairy princess?”

She blushed and replied, “No, I’m just Hannah.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Just Hannah,” he teased. “I’m your Uncle Starsky. But you can call me Just Starsky.”

“It’s just Hannah, Starsky,” then giggled as she realized what she said. Patiently, she explained to her new uncle, “You call me Hannah, and I call you Starsky.”

Starsky smiled up at Becca, then looked back at the little girl and winked. “I think I’ll call you Hannah Banana, if that’s alright with you.” The new name brought another round of giggles. He glanced over and saw Adam hiding behind Hutch’s leg. “I thought there were two of them? Did you forget one at home, Miss Becca?”

Adam couldn’t stand the suspense, and stepped out, smiling. “I’m here!”

“Well, so you are,” Starsky held out his hand, which the boy reached out and shook. “Nice to meet you, Adam.”

“Adam really likes the Tomato,” Hutch commented, drawing giggles from both children.

Starsky looked back at the boy. “I knew you were a man of taste as soon as I saw you. Do you know I have a Hot Wheels car that looks just like that?” he said, pointing at the Torino.

Adam’s eyes grew round. “You have Hot Wheels?”

Starsky nodded. “And model ships, and a train set.”

“Wow!”

Hutch glanced at his sister, smiling. “You thought I was kidding.”

She laughed with him, then looked down at the children. “OK, kids, it’s nap time.”

They both groaned, “Mommy!” at the same time in protest.

Becca looked at Hutch. “If they don’t take a nap, they’ll be wild animals by tonight.”

“Enough said,” he agreed. “Starsk, will you get the luggage? C’mon kids, I’ll show you where you’re sleeping.” The children were drooping as they followed him, and Becca moved them along.

The group entered the house and Hutch led them right up the stairs and into the room with the twin beds. Each child raced for the bed of their choice, fortunately different ones, and sat.

“Mommy, we’re really not sleepy,” Hannah complained, and Adam nodded in agreement.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Becca said, as she removed the children’s shoes. “You just lie down and rest. You don’t have to sleep. Uncle Ken will come get you in a few minutes. How’s that?”

Both children nodded, then lay down on the beds. “I’ll be right back,” Hutch said, as he and Becca left the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Becca stopped, holding a finger to her lips. Hutch smiled at her in puzzlement, but waited. About one minute passed with no sounds from the room, then she motioned him to peek in the door. The children were fast asleep. He pulled the door closed, and they walked down the hall.

“That fast,” he marveled, as they moved down the stairs. “I thought we’d have lunch first.”

“They need sleep more than food right now,” Becca explained. “I think we had 4 meals on the plane, the last one right before we landed. They can have a snack as soon as they wake up. You and Starsky will be thanking me later, I guarantee it.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch sat on the top step of the back porch and strummed his guitar, singing softly. He had a small child on either side of him, listening intently. ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ was obviously a big hit with the younger set and they were singing along with the chorus.

Starsky and Becca were sitting on the glider, watching the performance and enjoying a glass of wine. After the children woke from their naps, everyone relaxed in the backyard. In lieu of a swing, Adam and Hannah had played in the rope hammock. Apparently it worked just as well, and according to Adam, it was “bonzer.”

“It’s so peaceful here,” the blond woman commented, looking at the darkening evening sky. “It’s just perfect.” She looked at her brother and the children. “He’ll put them to sleep.”

“He’s been known to have that effect,” Starsky replied, smiling down at his partner. “Isn’t his voice just beautiful?”

“Hmmm,” she agreed. “He was always so musical. But our parents didn’t approve of the guitar. That’s why we both had to take so many years of piano. That was a proper instrument.”

“We have Hutch’s piano in the den, but he doesn’t play too often.”

“Ken always preferred his guitar. He had to sneak lessons, though. Grandpa paid for them while he was alive.” She looked troubled for a moment. “I don’t know what he did after that.” Hutch’s playing slowed, as he segued from Puff into a lullaby. Each child had their head on a knee, and if they weren’t already asleep, they were close. “I should take them up.”

“We’ll help,” Starsky said, standing and walking over to look down at the trio. “Putting ’em to sleep again, Blondie?”

“Hey, it’s a gift,” Hutch replied.

Starsky walked down the steps and reached over to pick up little Adam. The boy flopped in his arms and he cradled him carefully, taking him into the house. Becca did the same for Hannah, but as soon as Hutch put down the guitar, he took the little girl from his sister.

“Let me,” he said, smiling at her. “We never get to do this.”

Hutch and Becca made their way upstairs and found Starsky pulling back the covers, then moving Adam onto the sheets. Hutch placed Hannah on the other bed as Becca pulled their nightclothes out of their suitcase, which sat on the floor.

“Can you help me?” she asked, and smiled as she watched Starsky try to carefully remove the boy’s clothing without disturbing him. “You’ll never get it done that way,” she said, moving him aside. He watched her quickly and efficiently strip the boy and put him in the pajamas. The slumbering child never stirred.

Hutch had watched his sister, then turned to his niece and tried to be just as efficient. He did a little better than his partner, and soon Hannah was in her nightgown and tucked under the covers, Belinda at her side. The three adults walked to the door, then turned to look at the sleeping children.

“I’m going to turn in,” Becca said, yawning. She quickly kissed them both on the cheek. “Goodnight, Ken, night Starsky.” Then she disappeared into the spare room.

“Uncle Ken?” Hannah’s voice called from the darkened room.

Hutch stepped into the room and over to Hannah’s bed, while Starsky stood in the doorway. “Can I have a goodnight kiss?” The blond man smiled, then leaned down and kissed her. “Belinda too?” And the doll got her own kiss.

Hannah glanced over at the door. “Starsky has to kiss us, too,” she demanded. The dark haired man walked over to the bed and leaned over Hutch to kiss both girl and doll.

“Do you need anything else?” Hutch asked, making sure she was tucked in. The little girl shook her head. He stood up. “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Hannah giggled, then closed her eyes. She was asleep before the men had left the room.

Starsky and Hutch descended the stairs and went out to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Starsky started putting away the clean dishes while Hutch quickly swept the floor.

“I didn’t know you knew all the words to ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’,” the dark haired man commented, turning to look at his partner.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“A man of mystery, huh?” Starsky replied in a teasing tone of voice. “Why don’t you tell me some of your secrets later?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hutch said, putting away the broom. “Becca and the kids are great, aren’t they?”

“You’re a lucky man, Blondie.”

Hutch walked over and his arms wrapped around the other man from behind. “Don’t I know it, babe.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was the sun streaming through the blinds and directly into his eyes that woke Hutch the next morning. He was usually awake long before that happened and he looked at the clock in surprise. It was almost 8 o’clock. Then he glanced over at the other side of the bed and realized his partner was already up. Hutch got out of bed, quickly used the bathroom, then pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt.

While in the hallway, he noticed the door to the spare room was closed, but the children’s door was ajar. Peeking in, he saw that Hannah was still sleeping, but his nephew was among the missing. Once at the bottom of the stairs, he heard the TV on in the den. Walking over, he looked in and smiled at the picture before him. A very rumpled Starsky was reclined on the couch, sound asleep and snoring. Lying on the couch in front of him was Adam, wide awake and now waving as he spotted his uncle. Cartoons played on the TV and scattered across the coffee table, the floor and even Starsky’s chest, were many little cars and trucks.

“You two have been busy,” he whispered. Adam nodded and held up the miniature Torino to show Hutch. “Nice Tomato you have there.” The boy giggled. “You want some breakfast? I’m going to put on the coffee.” The little boy nodded and jumped up, following Hutch to the kitchen.

The blond man started to make coffee while Adam squirmed up into one of the kitchen chairs, pulling up his droopy pajama bottoms as he did. Once seated, he moved the small red car around the table, barely missing the sugar jar and using the salt and pepper shakers as part of the race course.

“Starsky fell asleep,” he said, then made a squealing sound as the Torino just missed the napkin holder.

Hutch smiled as he worked, watching the boy. “Did he wake you up?” he asked, not sure his partner might not have done that very thing.

“Nope,” Adam replied. “I got up to go to the bathroom…I don’t wet the bed no more,” he said proudly, then continued, “and Starsky came downstairs with me after. Then he fell asleep while we were playing.”

Hutch chuckled. “It might have been a little early for him. We all had a busy day yesterday.”

“Starsky has lots of cars. He has a zillion police cars too!” the boy marveled. “And fire trucks, and ice cream trucks, and race cars, and everything!” Clearly the boy was enchanted with the idea of anyone having that many toy cars.

“He’s been collecting them for years,” Hutch explained, placing a glass of milk in front of his nephew.

“Yuck,” the little boy said, making a face at the milk.

“You don’t drink milk?”

“Not white milk,” Adam explained patiently. “Must have chocolate milk. Or I get sick.”

“Sensitive stomach, huh?” Hutch replied, stifling a smile. Sounded to him like a Starsky excuse. “Well, you’re in luck. We just happen to have some chocolate stuff handy, thanks to your buddy sleeping in there.” He took the can from the cabinet and put a heaping spoonful into the glass and stirred.

The boy picked up the glass and drank deeply. “Thanks,” he said, after putting the glass down. Then he belched. Loudly. He gave his uncle a worried look, unsure of his reaction.

Hutch kept a straight face for only a moment, then laughed. Adam starting giggling, too.

“You’re not supposed to laugh,” a small voice came from the doorway. Hutch turned and saw his niece standing there, a small frown on her face. “He’ll just do it again,” she lectured.

Hutch wiped the smile from his face. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I’ll try to do better next time.”

The little girl nodded, then ran to him, holding up her arms. He scooped her up and planted a kiss in her cheek, which quickly turned into a raspberry. She started giggling and squirming in his arms. Hutch carried her over to the table and placed her in a chair.

“Do you want chocolate milk too?” he asked, reaching to get another glass. At her nod, he filled her glass and added the magic powder that apparently rendered all evil white milk palatable. She took a big gulp. Suddenly she burped, then shot a look of surprise at her uncle. He burst out laughing and was quickly joined by the two children.

After the three calmed down, Hutch filled his mug with coffee then sat at the table with the children.

“Starsky’s sleeping on the couch,” Hannah said. “I saw him.”

“We was watching cartoons and playin’ cars,” Adam commented. “Then he fell asleep. He snores.”

“He does,” Hutch agreed. “But not too loudly, thank goodness.” The children both nodded in agreement.

“Daddy snores,” Hannah said. “Mommy says she’s gonna make him sleep in the garage.”

Hutch covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. Obviously his niece was at the age where everything was repeated, private or no.

A voice greeted them from the doorway. “I fell asleep,” Starsky said, leaning against the doorway scratching his stomach. He looked blearily at Adam. “How come you didn’t wake me up?”

“You looked sleepy,” the boy said. “And I wanted to play with the Tomato.”

Starsky shot a glare at his partner. “You got him callin’ it that,” he accused.

“You say Torino and I say Tomato,” Hutch teased, bringing more giggles from the peanut gallery.

“You’re funny, Uncle Ken,” Hannah said.

“No one should be funny at this hour of the morning,” Starsky grumped, taking down a mug and filling it with coffee. After adding cream, he joined them at the table. He pulled over the sugar bowl and added three spoonfuls to his mug.

Looking up, he saw Hannah staring at him. “What?”

“Mommy says that much sugar will rot your teeth,” she replied primly. “But your teeth don’t look rotten, Starsky. How come?”

“Umm, I don’t know,” Starsky looked at his partner for help, but the blond man just raised an eyebrow at him, obviously enjoying his discomfort. He turned back to the little girl and said, “I brush them and floss them. That takes away all the sugar.”

Hannah looked at him for a minute, thinking about what he said. “Maybe…” she conceded, but then she continued, “but it will still make you fat.”

“She’s got you there, Starsk,” Hutch said, smiling at his partner. “Gotta watch the old spare tire.”

“I don’t have a spare tire!” the dark haired man insisted. “I’m in my prime.”

“Maybe right now, but you’re getting older…”

Starsky clearly had a rude comeback in mind, but just as he opened his mouth, Hutch nodded his head towards their company. “Not in front of the children…” he teased.

“Yeah, well you just wait until we’re not in front of the children,” his partner mumbled.

Hutch just smiled in response, then turned his attention to their audience. “So, munchkins, have I got a great idea for today,” he said enthusiastically.

“What, what!” they both said, bouncing in their seats.

“How ’bout…a picnic?” he asked, then smiled at their nods. “Right here in our very own backyard.”

“Oh, goodie,” Adam said. “We can play more cars, Starsky.”

“That’s a great idea, kemo sabe,” Starsky replied. “And I can show you my model ships.” Hannah looked down, obviously unhappy. “What’s the matter, Hannah Banana?”

“What will I do?”

Hutch answered her. “Well, actually I wondered if you would mind if we had some friends over.”

“Who?”

“There are two little girls we know that can’t wait to meet you. Their names are Tracy and Megan and they live right down the street. Their older brother Danny is a friend of ours.”

“How old are they?” Hannah asked suspiciously, obviously not yet convinced.

“Megan is three and Tracy is five, the same as you,” he said.

“I suppose that would be OK,” she said. “Do they like dolls?”

“I’m sure they do. I think they said they would bring some over to show you.”

“Really?” the little girl asked, now warming to the idea. “I wonder how many they have?”

Her mother’s voice answered from the doorway. “Probably just as many as you have at home, sweetie. Too many.”

“Mommy!” the twins replied, jumping up to greet their mother, who returned their hugs warmly.

“Did you wake up your uncles?” Becca asked them, then smiled as both heads shook in denial. “So are we planning our agenda for the day?” She was rewarded with a cacophony of childish descriptions of the plans. She finally held up a hand and the two high pitched voices stopped. Pointing at her brother, she said simply, “You.”

He laughed, then filled her in on the details. They would stay close to home for the day, letting the children rest up a bit and giving Becca a break as well. The plan met with agreement all the way around.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Who wants ice cream?” Starsky shouted from the bottom of the porch steps. He was soon surrounded by a foursome of children all screaming “Me! Me!” at the same time and jumping up and down.

Hutch looked on, thoroughly enjoying the scene, then turned to Danny. “You will go along and rescue him from himself, won’t you?”

Danny chuckled, and nodded, then walked over to the melee. “Let’s stop jumping on Mr. Starsky and go jump in his car instead.”

The children ran squealing up the steps and into the house, while the adults watched.

“Thanks, Danny,” Starsky said sarcastically. “You’re a prince.”

“Don’t mention it,” the boy said with a smile, then strolled up the steps to follow the children.

“You know, he’s gettin’ a smart mouth.”

Hutch smiled at his partner, then patted him on the butt. “And he didn’t learn that around here, did he?”

“Maybe from you,” the other man teased, then turned to follow the troops.

“Thanks for taking them out for awhile, buddy.”

“No problemo, kemo sabe,” Starsky replied, opening the back door.

“Keep working on that French, Starsk,” Hutch called.

Starsky just gave him the finger, and left, smiling as he listened to his partner’s laugh.

When he reached the car, he was relieved to see the three girls tucked into the back and Adam sitting on Danny’s lap in front. Getting in the car, he backed out of the driveway.

“Is that your police radio?” Adam asked, his fingers reaching out and touching the mike.

“Yep, that’s how we find out where the bad guys are,” Starsky replied, enjoying the boy’s excitement. “And you know what our code name is?”

“What?” the children all chorused.

“Zebra Three.”

There was a moment of silence while they all contemplated this.

“Starsky?”

He looked in the rearview mirror at Hannah. “Yes, Hannah?”

“Why do they call you that? Your car is red. A zebra isn’t red.” She turned to each of her seatmates, who nodded in agreement.

“It’s black and white,” Adam agreed. “So how come they call you that, Starsky?”

“You know how police cars are all black and white?”

“Not this one,” Hannah said, and her response was accompanied by four nods of agreement.

“Yes, but we’re not the only zebra,” he patiently explained. “Some of the other cars are black and white.” His audience didn’t appear convinced, and Danny was barely holding back a laugh. The teen turned his head, pretending to look out the window. “There’s Zebra Four, Zebra Seven, like that.”

There was a quick whispered conference in the back seat, then a verdict.

“Starsky?”

“Yes, Hannah,” the man sighed.

“We think you and Uncle Ken should be Tomato Three,” she said, then burst out in giggles. The kids in the front thought it was just as funny, and soon Starsky joined in.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“What happened to us, Ken?” she asked sadly. The two siblings sat together on the back porch glider.

“We drifted apart,” he replied, looking off into the yard. “Is it so surprising that we both withdrew? We were trained to be emotionally cut off from the cradle.”

“But never from each other,” Becca said, then amended her reply, “at least not until you left.” His head dropped at her comment. “Once you left for college, you only came back for holidays and you were so…distant.”

“Oh, Beck, I was on a treadmill that I didn’t know how to get off,” Hutch replied. “I was following the expected agenda, the one that had been beaten into me since I was old enough to walk. College, premed or prelaw, marry the ‘right’ girl, get an important job…and become exactly like them…” his voice trailed off.

“So what happened?” she asked, grabbing his hand. “Suddenly you didn’t come back any more. You became a cop. You got a divorce. I hated that bitch, by the way.” Hutch laughed out loud. “But then you were gone. You didn’t call, you didn’t write.”

“I know, I know,” he said, sobering as she continued talking. “What happened?” he asked himself. “How do I explain it?”

She dropped her gaze and asked quietly, “Was it because you found out you were gay?” She looked up in surprise at his laugh.

“Oh, God, Beck, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.” Hutch replied. “I guess I need to explain it a little in sequence, so it makes sense.”

“I want to understand,” Becca said then smiled as he squeezed her hand.

“I know you do,” he replied. “And that means more to me than you know.” He sat back and continued, “I was in my last year at college and I didn’t know what to do. I was still premed and should have been applying to medical schools. Vanessa and I were dating at the time and she was after me to get married. I figured if I did that, I would at least fulfill one of the expectations, even if I didn’t go to med school. God, I really didn’t want to do that.”

“Did you ever love her, Ken?”

“I thought I did,” he replied. “For awhile. But now I know I was kidding myself. Poor little rich boy looking for someone to love him.”

“How did you end up a police officer?” she asked. “That came out of left field.”

“It did and it didn’t,” Hutch replied. “I was reading the bulletin board at school one day and saw the notice about the police academy. They were actively seeking college graduates and had a pretty heavy campaign going. Right then, as soon as I read the notice, I knew I wanted to do it. I can’t tell you why exactly, I just knew it was what I was supposed to do.” He looked at his sister. “That ever happen to you?”

“When I met Mark,” she answered, smiling softly, and Hutch nodded in understanding.

“So I applied. I didn’t tell Van right away and when she finally figured out that I wasn’t hearing from med schools, she confronted me.” He laughed harshly. “Boy, was that ugly. But it wasn’t enough to get her to call the wedding off. I guess I was still the golden goose.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“I graduated and we got married. She kept working on me to change my plans, but I went ahead and entered the academy anyway.” Hutch stopped and smiled. “And I met Starsky. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I was the proverbial greenhorn and he took me under his wing. He said I was too clueless to be left on my own.” The siblings laughed. “He was right, Beck. The academy was like nothing I’d been through before.” His eyes gleamed. “But it was great. Perfect. And I knew I had made the right decision.”

“Were you and Starsky partners?”

“On the force, no,” Hutch explained. “When we graduated, we both were put on regular patrol. But we both knew that wasn’t where we would end up. Starsky made detective first, then requested me for a partner when I made it. And that was it.”

“You said ‘on the force’,” Becca said. “Were you together even then?”

Hutch laughed. “No, definitely not. Please don’t take this the wrong way, Beck, but he was the brother I never had. We knew almost from the moment we met that we were a perfect match. Not identical, but actually opposites who fit together. Am I saying this right?”

“Yin and Yang.”

“Exactly!” he agreed. “That’s perfect. We always kid each other that he’s dark and I’m light, but that’s really a physical manifestation of our relationship. Our goals and principles have always been the same, but everything else is different. When he’s weak, I’m strong, when I’m scared, he’s brave. Jesus, this sounds corny,” he scoffed at himself.

Becca grabbed both of his hands. “No, it makes sense, Ken, really,” she soothed. “I think you’re so lucky to have found him. He’s your soulmate.”

Hutch nodded in agreement. “He is my soulmate. You’re absolutely right. And about the gay thing, Starsk and I were partners for 8 years before we decided to take that final step.” He laughed. “We were your typical ladies men. Fell in and out of love a bit, too. We both came close to marriage a couple of times.” His eyes grew sad. “Stories for another night. But suffice it to say, he was looking for love with a white picket fence and I was just looking for love. Finally we looked at each other and realized we had it all right there, in one package.”

“So you fell in love,” Becca said.

“We were always in love,” Hutch explained. “We just took that last step. And boy, was it a doozy.”

“It was worth it,” she said firmly.

He smiled at her. “It was.”

“I have to say one thing,” Becca said. “You couldn’t have picked anything to do that would have alienated Father and Mother more than that. Oh, Ken, you don’t know the terrible things they said.”

“I know, Beck,” he replied sadly. “Father never talked to me again after I divorced Van, but Mother made her opinions well known as soon as Father passed away.” He looked at her, his eyes darkening. “I don’t care, you know.”

“Of course you do, Ken,” she disagreed. “They’re our parents. Bad or not, we always cared. That’s why it hurts so much.” The two were silent for a moment. “I want the kids to get to know Mother.”

Hutch was very surprised. “Beck? Are you sure?”

“No, Ken, I’m not sure,” she tried to explain. “But don’t Adam and Hannah have a right to know their grandmother? The only grandparent that they have?”

“I wish I could say I agreed, but I can’t,” Hutch said. “You know what it was like for us.”

“But they were all we had. We didn’t know anything else. My children have been brought up with great love. They’ve never felt unwanted or that they were a burden. They won’t have any expectations placed on them other than to be themselves and to be happy.”

“She won’t understand that. She never did.”

“I can’t help but feel it’s wrong to keep them from meeting her,” she held up a hand to stop her brother’s protest. “But I will go see her first. Lay down the law regarding the children.” She looked down. “Maybe it won’t work. Maybe you’re right and she’s worse. Believe me when I say I won’t risk hurting my kids. If that’s the case, then I tried.” Her eyes pleaded with Hutch to understand. “I have to try, don’t you see?”

He reached out and pulled her into an embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. “Beck, I do understand. I don’t have any children, so maybe it’s easier for me to cut her off. She said some terrible things about Starsky and I’m not sure I could ever forgive her.”

Becca’s head nodded, then she spoke. “I heard some of it when she called about the funeral. But she’s wrong Ken, so very wrong. He’s wonderful. I can see why you love him.”

Hutch smiled and held her tighter, his eyes filling with unshed tears. “Thank you for understanding. It means more than you know.”

The two pulled back as they heard footsteps in the kitchen. The door swung open and the twins exploded onto the back porch, followed more slowly by Starsky. He eyed the two, sensing the undercurrents.

“We back too soon?” he asked, watching the children run to their mother, waiting for her attention.

Hutch shook his head then looked at the twins bobbing in front of him. “How was the ice cream?”

“It was yummy!” Hannah enthused. “I had strawberry, same as Starsky. But we got sticky.”

Hutch and Becca could see the stains attesting to that fact. “Yes, I can see that,” the blond man said, then turned to his nephew. “And what about you, young man?”

“Starsky put on the siren,” he said, no longer able to keep his secret.

Hutch looked up at his partner. “Isn’t that against regulations, Detective Sergeant Starsky?”

The dark haired man shuffled his feet, then patted Adam on the head. “You weren’t supposed to find out,” he said, aiming a mock glare in the boy’s direction. “It was Danny’s fault, anyway.”

“What did Danny have to do with you using the siren? While off duty, I might add,” Hutch added helpfully.

“We drove past one of the shops downtown and he saw Lisa,” Starsky explained, a little defensively. “He wanted to show off a little, you know?”

Becca and Hutch both laughed. “And you didn’t?” his partner teased.

“Well, the kids liked it, didn’t you?”

Adam nodded wildly, but Hannah was a little more reserved. “It was loud, Uncle Ken.”

“It is loud,” Hutch agreed, then looked at Adam. “Did he put the light on the roof too?”

Adam shot a look of surprise at Starsky. “There’s a light?”

Starsky groaned. “Thanks a lot, buddy,” he complained.

“Don’t look at me,” Hutch replied. “You started it.”

“Yeah, and I’m finishin’ it. Last one in the hammock is a monkey’s uncle!” Then he took off for the backyard leaping down the porch stairs, two screaming children in his wake.

Hutch just nodded at his sister. “Yep, he’s the one, alright.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The den was silent except for the droning of the TV. Starsky sat on the couch with a child tucked on either side of him. It had been another busy day, this time involving a trip to the zoo. He was exhausted and had already started to nod off.

“Starsk?” Hutch’s voice called from the top of the stairs.

“Yeah!” he shouted in response, apologizing when Hannah held her ears.

“Can you come up here for a minute?”

Starsky stood up from the couch, untangling himself from the children, who were intently watching TV. He looked over to see Becca sleeping in the recliner. “I’ll be right back,” he said, but neither child acknowledged his departure. He definitely was no competition for Sesame Street.

Moving quickly up the steps, he stepped into their bedroom, looking puzzled when he didn’t see his partner.

“Hutch?”

The bathroom door opened and Hutch stepped out, grabbed him, and pulled him inside. His “hey!” was quickly muffled as he was slammed back against the door and his mouth taken in a very enthusiastic kiss.

His protest was stifled as he quickly got in the spirit of things. Hutch pressed him up against the door, grinding his hips into his partner’s. Their mouths devoured each other, as lips and tongues meshed. After several minutes, Starsky was light headed and pulled back. “What the hell…?”

Hutch began to kiss the side of his lover’s neck, sucking wetly. “I want you so bad…” he said softly, licking an exposed ear.

Starsky’s head fell back against the door with a thud. His “oww” quickly changed into an “ohh” as the blond moved further down his chest, parting the already gaping shirt and latching onto a nipple with his mouth. The dark haired man grabbed a handful of blond hair and held on, moaning his encouragement. Hutch moved from one nipple to the other, giving both the same devoted attention.

“The kids…” Starsky protested weakly as his partner continued on his path downward.

The blond looked up from where he was sucking at Starsky’s navel. “You want me to stop?” he asked teasingly, as he again pressed his mouth against his partner’s sensitive abdomen.

“Can they hear…?” he started to ask, then broke off groaning as Hutch cupped his swollen groin.

“Guess you’ll have to be quiet,” Hutch replied, opening the button holding the tight jeans closed. He slowly pulled down the zipper, while gazing up at his partner. Starsky was looking down at him, his eyes dark and smoky. Now both hands gripped blond hair. Hutch reached inside the opening and removed his partner’s engorged cock, careful to avoid zipper injury. Starsky’s groan of response was cut off quickly. The blond looked up with a smile. His lover could be very noisy when Hutch performed oral sex on him. This could be interesting.

Hutch gripped the swollen penis tightly, and the head quickly became wet with fluid. He leaned in and licked off the moisture, then smiled up at Starsky’s muffled shout. “Ah, ah, ah,” he warned, then quickly engulfed the entire head in his mouth. The sound of a sharp cry was heard, before it was muffled.

“You bastard, you jerk, oh, God, do that some more,” his partner had started chanting, obviously realizing that some outlet was better than none. The blond moved his hand up and down the thick shaft with long, hard strokes, knowing just what Starsky liked. “No one does it like you, you asshole, oh, the kids could hear, you make me crazy, oh, oh, God, Hutch, I love you, oh, oh,” his voice broke off just as his body stiffened.

Hutch kept stroking in the same rhythm, squeezing harder as Starsky reached his climax. He pulled his head back and cupped his free hand over the spurting cock, then used the fluid to lessen the friction as the strokes slowed, becoming softer and more gentle. Finally Hutch let go, knowing instinctively when any touch became too much.

He stood up and looked at his exhausted partner. “You look debauched.”

“I think I was,” Starsky replied, catching his breath.

“My turn?” Hutch asked. His whole body throbbed, needing it’s own completion.

Suddenly there was a light knock at the door. “Uncle Ken?” The two men looked at each other in horror.

Hutch cleared his throat. “Yes, Hannah?”

“I can’t find Starsky,” she said. “And Mommy’s asleep. We’re thirsty. Can you get us something to drink?”

“You go back downstairs and I’ll be right there.”

They both listened as the small footsteps receded.

Starsky smiled devilishly. “Well, Uncle Ken, seems you’re needed elsewhere.”

Hutch groaned, then looked down at himself. “I can’t go down there like this.”

Reaching out, Starsky pulled his partner’s shirt out of his slacks and down over his hips.

“There, that gets rid of it.”

“That’s not what I had in mind to ‘get rid of it’,” he said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish, Romeo,” Starsky said, pushing him back. “Duty calls.”

“I know, I know,” Hutch said as Starsky stepped back from the door to let his disgruntled partner through.

“Say hi for me,” the dark haired man teased, then shut the door, chuckling. Ah, revenge could be so sweet, he thought.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“May I join you?”

Starsky looked up from the couch to see Becca standing in the doorway of the den. “Sure, pull up a chair,” he replied, then stood up to turn down the volume of the TV. “I’d much rather look at you. You’re much prettier than Walter Cronkite any day.”

“It’s been interesting the watch the American news after being in Australia,” she said. “They definitely put a different slant on things.”

The sound of a shriek and water splashing drifted down from upstairs, and both Starsky and Becca smiled.

“You left him up there all alone on bath patrol?”

“Hey, he’s tough,” she replied, chuckling. “He’s a cop. He can handle two small children and a quart of Mr. Bubbles.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Starsky said with a mock shudder. “Men have been known to break under less pressure.”

The two were silent for a minute, listening to the sounds coming from upstairs, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I want to thank you two for taking us in and being such gracious hosts,” Becca finally said. “This last week has been a lot of fun for all of us. You have a beautiful home, too.” She smiled softly. “You and Ken are such a perfect match and I’m so happy he found someone like you to love him.

Starsky quirked an eyebrow at her. “I sense a ‘but’ here.”

She laughed. “No, nothing like that. But…”

“See, I knew it.”

“But…if you’ll let me finish…” Starsky waved a hand to indicate she should continue. “I want to ask you both a favor, and I want to clear it with you first. Ken will say yes, and I want to make sure you’re comfortable with it before I ask.” The dark haired man nodded, urging her to continue. “I talked to Mark earlier and we’ve decided to go to Duluth to talk to my mother. Did Ken tell you…?”

“He told me what you two talked about,” he said, eyes now shuttered. “I admit to having the same reservations.”

“I know,” she agreed. “But I still need to do this.”

“And the favor?”

“Mark asked me to fly up to San Francisco to meet him, then we’re going to fly to Duluth from there. I want to know if you and Ken would keep the kids for the next week.”

“You have to ask?”

“Don’t say yes right away,” Becca said. “Think about it. They’re a lot of work. You’ll have them 24 hours a day…”

“Becca, we love the kids,” Starsky explained. “You have no idea how wonderful your visit has been so far. Family has always been important to me, but Hutch always tried to act like it didn’t matter that he didn’t have any family that he was close to. But it did matter. Very much.”

Becca nodded, her eyes shining a bit. “I should have called sooner.”

“It’s not important what you two did or didn’t do,” he said, smiling at her. “What’s important is that you’re back together again. Adam and Hannah are terrific kids. You’ve raised them right. And I can’t think of anything the two of us would want more than to spend extra time with them.”

“I’m so glad you feel that way, Starsky. I’ll talk to Ken later.”

Hutch’s voice interrupted their conversation. “You can talk to me now,” he said, smiling at the two of them from the doorway. Water dripped from his hair, and both his shirt and jeans were soaked all the way down his front.

“You take a bath with them?” Starsky teased, and Becca laughed.

Hutch looked down at himself then back at the pair, swiping at his shirt absently. Clearly his appearance was not a concern. “Seems there’s a request upstairs for a story. One that only Starsky knows, I’m told. It’s the ‘bestest’ story in the world.” The blond walked over at sat next to his partner on the couch. “Something about the Dark Prince and the White Knight?”

Starsky stood up and winked at Becca. “Ah, my specialty. Story time.”

“I suppose it’s the Dark Prince who rescues the White Knight?” Hutch asked, turning to watch his partner walk to the door.

“Nah, it’s the other way around, actually. The White Knight comes to the rescue.”

Hutch looked surprised. “Really?”

“Aren’t fairy tales supposed to be fantasy?” he laughed and dodged the small pillow that his partner threw at his head and ran up the stairs to his waiting audience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It turned out that Mark Walker had already made reservations for Becca to fly to San Francisco where the two would meet before flying on to Minnesota, so the next afternoon the group was at the airport to see her off. The children were sitting on their mother’s lap in the waiting area, listening intently as she explained again that they would be staying with Uncle Ken and Starsky and she would be back before they knew it.

Unfortunately, although they were used to their father leaving, Becca rarely left them, so they were both upset.

“But Mommy, what if I have a nightmare?” Hannah asked, clearly wanting to cover every possible eventuality.

“Uncle Ken and Starsky will be there,” Becca soothed. “Didn’t Starsky come in and talk to you the other night when you woke up?” A small head nodded. “You’ll have such fun you won’t even notice I’m gone.” Adam was quiet, clinging to his mother. Hannah wasn’t convinced, but she appeared willing to give it a try. “Uncle Ken will let you call every day if you want.”

“Really?” Adam asked, looking up at his mother.

“Really,” Hutch agreed, reaching out to rumple the boy’s hair and Becca nodded.

They all looked up as the final boarding call was announced. Becca hugged both children to her for a moment. “Mommy loves you both,” she said. “Now give me a kiss I can take to Daddy.” Each child took a turn giving her two kisses, one for her and one to ‘give’ to their father.

Hutch reached out and took Hannah from her mother’s lap, swinging her up on his hip. Adam climbed down and Starsky took his hand. Becca looked at them, her eyes glistening. She gave each child one more kiss, then looked at her brother.

“Thank you.”

“Have a safe trip,” he replied, then his voice was quiet. “I hope everything goes well.” They both knew what he was referring to.

“Me too,” she agreed. She gave a quick kiss goodbye to both Hutch and Starsky, then she turned and walked over to give her ticket to the gate agent. Becca waved one more time, then disappeared down the jetway.

Hannah buried her face in her uncle’s neck, crying quietly. He held her close. “Mommy will back before you know it, pumpkin.”

Adam was clinging to Starsky’s leg. “You want to watch Mommy’s plane take off?” he asked the boy, who nodded. The foursome walked over to the window and watched the plane taxi out, then go to the end of the runway and take off. Adam had his nose pressed to the glass the entire time, but never let go of Starsky’s hand. Hannah stayed with Hutch, but gradually her weeping had subsided and she did become interested in watching the plane’s departure.

“I have an idea,” Hutch said brightly after the plane was out of site. Both children looked at him and Starsky raised an eyebrow. “I think we should go to the drive-in.”

Hannah, still in her uncle’s arms, was twirling her fingers in his hair. “What’s a drive-in, Uncle Ken?”

Starsky answered. “That’s a great idea! You kids will love it. We drive the car to a big parking lot and watch a movie in the car.”

“In the car?” Adam asked, his eyes wide. “How do you see the movie in the car?”

They all started to walk down the hallway towards the exit. Hutch continued the explanation. “All the cars park facing a really, really big screen. We put a speaker in the car…”

Starsky interrupted. “Clearly Uncle Ken hasn’t been to the drive-in lately. Nowadays they broadcast the sound on a station that you pick up on your car radio.”

“Really?” Hutch asked, surprised. “Hey, wait a minute! How have you been to the drive-in lately and I haven’t? You have something to tell me?”

Starsky laughed. “Not me, you bozo, Danny! He was tellin’ me about his family going to that place down on Brewster.” Starsky swung Adam’s arm, and the boy giggled. “So whaddya say, troops? Is there a movie with lots of munchies in our future?”

“Munchies?” Hannah asked suspiciously. “I don’t know what those are, Starsky.”

“He means snacks, pumpkin,” Hutch explained. “Old garbage gut here will probably spend all of our money on popcorn and Pepsi.”

Adam tugged on Starsky’s arm. “Can I have popcorn too, Starsky?”

“Absolutely, my man,” he said. “I think it’s a law.”

“I want popcorn too!” Hannah said, then turned Hutch’s face to her with a small hand. “Can I have Raisinets?”

Hutch rolled his eyes. “Monsters! I’m going to the show with Munchie Monsters!”

Adam growled, pretending to chase Starsky who ran on ahead. “I’m a Munchie Monster!”

Hannah giggled, then clutched her uncle around his neck. “Save us, White Knight!”

The blond man looked at her in surprise. Somehow she’d figured out that Starsky was telling stories about them. The little girl was nothing if not perceptive, and was smart as a whip. They were such a pleasure to spend time with. He was going to have a hard time saying goodbye, he thought, then he ran ahead to ‘save’ his Dark Prince yet again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The door into the house from the garage opened and the two men walked in, each carrying a sleeping child. There was a pair of mouse ears still perched jauntily on Starsky’s head, and Hutch’s face was slightly sunburned. They went directly upstairs and placed their respective children in bed.

“I am so tired,” Hutch said, grabbing pajamas for both children and tossing one set to his partner, who caught it one-handed. “But the kids had a wonderful time, don’t you think?” It was four days into their ‘babysitting’ job and Disneyland had been next on their busy agenda.

“Disneyland is every kid’s dream,” Starsky agreed, quickly undressing Adam, then pulling on pajamas. They both looked up as the phone rang. “I’ll get it. He’s all set,” he said, motioning towards the sleeping boy.

Starsky left the room and Hutch finished with Hannah, pulling up the covers and tucking her in. He stroked her head for a moment, enjoying her peaceful, sleeping face. He walked over and made sure Adam was tucked in as well, then backed out of the room, only to stand in the doorway for several minutes, watching the children sleep. Finally he pulled the door almost closed, leaving it open just a crack so the light from the hallway could serve as a nightlight.

“Who was that?” he asked, stepping into their bedroom. Starsky’s back was to him and he’d just hung up the phone, but was standing motionless, not responding. “Starsk?”

His partner turned around and Hutch’s heart lurched at the expression on his face. Starsky was white as a ghost and his eyes were filled with tears. “Hutch, that was Dobey…”

“Did something happen to your mother?” he asked, fearing the worst.

Starsky shook his head, then continued. “He got a call from the Saint Louis County police. As a courtesy.”

“Saint Louis County?” Hutch asked, puzzled. “But that’s in Minnesota…” his face blanched as he started to realize the import of what his partner was saying. “Becca? Please don’t tell me something happened to Becca…”

“I’m sorry,” Starsky replied, tears starting to overflow. “There was a fire…”

Hutch stood frozen, still not comprehending. “A fire? Where was the fire? Is she hurt?”

“It was at your parent’s house, Hutch,” Starsky explained, watching his partner carefully. This was going to devastate him. “There isn’t much information…it was fully involved…but…by the time anyone got there… Becca, Mark and your mother…babe, they didn’t make it out.”

“No,” he said. “No, that can’t…”

Suddenly Hutch realized that it did happen and he’d just lost most of his family. He cried out, then dropped to his knees, gasping for breath he started to sob.

“Oh, God, babe, I’m so sorry,” Starsky crooned, his heart breaking. He dropped to the floor as well and wrapped his arms around his partner and started to rock. Both men cried together, Hutch for the family he’d lost, Starsky for the loss of his new friend and his partner’s grief and they both comforted each other.

Finally the storm passed, followed by an unnatural calm. Starsky was leaning against the bottom of the bed and Hutch lay in his arms.

“I can’t believe this. It feels like it’s a nightmare.” Hutch said softly, his voice slightly hoarse.

Starsky stroked his hair. “I know, babe, I know.” Falling into an old routine that served in times of crisis, he started to give report. “Dobey only got the basic details, but he said we could check in tomorrow and he would have more information.”

“Arson?”

“Right now, they don’t think so,” the dark haired man replied. “He’ll call us tomorrow. He said he’d come over if we wanted him to.”

Hutch suddenly stiffened. “The kids! Oh, dear God, I forgot about the kids.” He looked up at his partner in horror. “How will we tell them?”

“I don’t know,” Starsky replied quietly. “I think it’s gonna be the hardest thing we’ve ever done.”

“Morning will be soon enough,” the blond man said with a shudder. “Soon enough to tell them that their parents are dead and that they have no one. They’ll be orphans…” his voice rose.

“Hey, hey,” his partner said, holding on tighter to the other man. “They don’t have no one, Hutch. They have us!” His voice was fierce. “They ain’t never gonna be orphans. We’re both their family, too.”

Hutch quieted at the words. “You’re right, I know. I just can’t help but think we’re a sorry second string.”

Starsky didn’t know how to respond, so he said nothing. The two men held each other, long into the night.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch was in the recliner in the den and Starsky on the couch when the kids woke up the next morning. Both men had slept fitfully, and were now bracing themselves with coffee in preparation for the task ahead.

Hannah bounced into the room first. “Good morning!” she said brightly, running over to give Starsky a kiss, then jumping up into the recliner with her uncle. She snuggled down, Belinda in her arms. Adam followed a minute later, walking over to sit next to Starsky, whose arm immediately went around him.

Hutch cleared his throat. “Kids, we have something to tell you.”

“What is it, Uncle Ken?” Hannah asked, turning her face up to his.

“It’s bad news, I’m afraid,” he said, barely able to keep from crying. He cleared his throat again, then met his partner’s eyes and that exchange of glances gave him the courage to continue. “Mommy and Daddy had an accident last night.”

Tears immediately started to flow down his niece’s face and Adam clutched at Starsky, not really understanding.

“Mommy?” the little girl cried in a panic. “Is she hurt?”

The blond man could no longer hold back his tears and they started to run down his face. “M-m-m-mommy and Daddy went to heaven. Do you know what that is?”

“No!!!” Hannah shrieked, jumping off the chair and running into the hall. “Mommy!! Mommy!!” she called, running into the kitchen. “Daddy?? I want Mommy!!”

Hutch ran after her and once in the kitchen he swept her up into his arms. She fought him for a moment, slapping at him and crying out. He held her tightly and finally she broke down and began to sob, hugging him tightly around the neck, crying brokenly for her mother and father. He walked down the hall and back into the den, sitting again on the recliner, and began to rock and cry with her.

As Hannah ran from the room, Adam sat, frozen, silent, tears running down his face. Starsky picked him up and sat him on his lap. The boy clutched his shirt, but had no other reaction than the tears that quickly wet Starsky’s shirt. The dark haired man looked up when Hutch returned to the room, then back down at the boy. He stroked his small blond head in comfort.

For a very long time, the only sound in the room was Hannah’s sobs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dobey called two hours later and asked to speak to Hutch. Hannah had fallen into a restless slumber in the recliner and Adam was playing on the coffee table with the small cars. The men had moved into the kitchen and had been sitting at the table in silence. Starsky was grateful for the interruption. Ever since they had told the children the horrible news, his partner had become withdrawn and cold, unresponsive to any of Starsky’s efforts to draw him out.

“Thanks, Captain, I appreciate that,” Hutch said, finishing up the call. “No, I’ll have to contact the authorities myself…I’ll let the lawyer’s handle it…I don’t know yet, we’ll have to let you know…yeah, at least another two weeks…thanks again…right, I will…bye.” He hung up the phone and stood staring at the wall.

“Did they know more?” Starsky asked.

Hutch turned, but didn’t meet his gaze and his answer was distracted. “Yeah, it wasn’t arson. They think it was the new water heater Mother had just had installed. It was a gas heater and there was something loose. Whatever happened, it caused an explosion.” He was quiet for a moment. “They never had a chance.”

“Oh, Hutch,” Starsky replied, getting up to comfort his partner. Hutch turned quickly, avoiding the embrace.

“I need to check on the kids.”

Starsky let his arms drop to his sides. First the storm and then the calm, he thought. It seemed that his partner was falling back into his old, learned behavior. Ghosts from the past. Hutchinson’s don’t grieve in front of others. Whatever the bullshit they had taught him, it was buried deep, but often reappeared in moments of great crisis.

It frustrated Starsky every single time. He was brought up to share emotions, to lean on family and friends for support when he hurt. Hutch withdrew from everything, including, it seemed, his life partner. He didn’t know how they were going to get through this. Adam was pulling a Hutch and wasn’t reacting to anything. He hadn’t said a single word since he’d been given the news. And Hannah had fallen apart. Between his grieving partner and two hurting children, Starsky didn’t know what to do.

So he did what every adult man does when he doesn’t know what to do. He called his mother.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following afternoon, Starsky was making sandwiches that no one was going to eat when the doorbell rang. He looked out the kitchen window and saw Adam playing quietly on the lawn and Hannah sitting on the glider, holding Belinda. Hutch, he knew, was upstairs on the phone. He didn’t know who his partner was calling. Apparently they were operating on a ‘need to know’ basis and Starsky didn’t need to know.

He wiped his hands on a towel and walked down the hallway to open the door.

“Ma!” he said, stepping out into her welcoming embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“My poor Davey,” she crooned, holding onto him tightly. She was several inches shorter than he, with dark hair, streaked with gray. Curly, like her son’s, her hair was cut short enough to frame her face attractively. She wasn’t heavy, but was what is often described as pleasingly plump.

He returned the embrace, hugging her tightly. “You don’t know how much we need you.”

Rachel patted him on the back, then pulled out of their embrace. “Show me where the little ones are.”

Starsky saw her bag sitting on the porch and looked around. “Did Cap’n Dobey just drop you off and run, Ma?”

“Davey, no!” she scolded him. “Your captain was nice enough to pick me up at the airport, but he didn’t want to intrude. He did say he would be dropping by later with a casserole that his wife is making for you.”

Rachel stepped into the house, followed by her son, who placed her suitcase at the bottom of the steps. “They’re out in the backyard.” They walked down the hall and into the kitchen. “It’s been really hard on them, Ma,” Starsky explained. “Adam just stopped talking. Hannah cries all the time, in between telling us what Adam wants and needs. Apparently she’s his ‘voice’ right now.”

“Twins,” she said, nodding her head.

“Yeah, probably,” he agreed, meeting his mother’s eyes. “I don’t know what to do. Hutch is…” he stopped, unable to explain.

His mother reached out and patted his cheek. “He’s hurting, Davey. It’s going to take awhile.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But we don’t have ‘awhile’. The kids need us now.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” she said, walking over to the back door and looking out. “Poor little lambs, losing their parents so young.” Her son stepped up beside her, then opened the door for her and held it as she stepped out onto the porch.

Hannah looked up from the glider, then stood up and walked over to Starsky, taking his hand. Her curiosity overcame her grief and she tugged his arm. He leaned down and she whispered, “Who is that?”

Starsky smiled and stood up. “Hannah, this is my mother.”

“Your Mommy?” she asked, eyes wide with surprise. “You have a Mommy?”

Rachel reached out and brushed back the little girl’s hair. “You’re just as pretty as Davey said you were.”

Hannah smiled shyly, then just as quickly, she again grew sad. “My Mommy’s dead,” she told the older woman soberly.

“I know, sweetie,” Rachel replied.

“Are you going to stay here with us?”

“For a little while.”

“What’s your name?” Hannah asked, moving closer to the woman, instinctively responding to any mother figure.

“This is your Mamie,” Starsky interrupted and Rachel looked up at him in surprise. He shrugged. “That was what we called Dad’s mother, wasn’t it?” She nodded. “I don’t really remember her, but I don’t think she’d mind.” Turning back to Hannah, he said, “She’s my mother, so I guess that makes her sort of your grandmother. Is that OK?”

Hannah nodded. “I’ve never had a grandmother,” she said softly.

“You’re a good boy, Davey,” she said to her son, then turned back to the little girl who was watching her every move. “Well, now you have one. Why don’t we go meet your brother?”

Starsky followed them as Hannah grabbed his mother’s hand tightly, then led her down the steps and over to Adam.

“Adam, this is our new grandmother,” she explained to the wide-eyed boy. “Her name is Mamie.”

The little boy said nothing, but looked at her longingly. “He says he wants a hug,” Hannah interpreted. The little boy’s eyes filled, but he didn’t move.

“Oh, my poor little boy,” Rachel crooned, leaning over to sweep the boy up in a hug. He sobbed quietly into her shoulder. Starsky picked up Hannah, who had joined in the tears and the foursome moved back up onto the porch. The older woman sat on the glider, the crying boy still clutched to her breast. Starsky sat next to her with Hannah, but soon the little girl had gravitated over to his mother and Rachel put her arm around Hannah pulling her close.

Starsky was forgotten for the moment, but he finally felt a small amount of hope. His mother was giving them something they wouldn’t accept from him or Hutch. Their primary caregiver had been Becca, so naturally a maternal figure was more welcome at a time of such intense grief.

Now he had to worry about Hutch. He hoped his mother could work a little magic there as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Rachel!” Hutch exclaimed when he entered the kitchen. Starsky had finished making lunch and they had all sat down to eat. Rachel smiled when the tall blond entered the room and stood up to embrace him. He held her tightly. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Davey called and told me what happened,” she replied, continuing to hold him. “Oh, Kenny, I’m so very sorry.”

Hutch’s eyes closed and Starsky could see tears seeping out from their corners. He choked up, watching his mother care for his partner. Raising his hand, he covered his face in an attempt to keep from crying himself.

The couple stayed together for several minutes, Rachel patting Hutch’s back and murmuring soft words of comfort. The children looked on with interest, but didn’t seem to realize that their uncle was crying.

Finally Hutch stepped back, his hands on the older woman’s shoulders. “Beautiful as ever,” he teased, voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, then turned to look at his partner. “You could have told me.”

“You weren’t listenin’,” Starsky replied, shooting his partner a meaningful glance.

“Kenny, look at you! You’re too skinny!” Rachel scolded, reaching out and pinching his side and feeling his ribs. “Davey, you’re not feeding him.”

Starsky laughed, enjoying the normalcy of his mother giving him hell. He held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me, Ma. I can’t help it if he doesn’t eat. He’s a grown man.”

“I’m fine, Rachel,” Hutch replied. “I’m running again. The last time you saw me, I had gained some weight.”

“Well, I still think you’re too thin,” she said, not at all happy with the explanation. “Sit, sit! You need to eat something. Davey, get him a big glass of milk.”

As Starsky obeyed his mother, Hannah watched the interaction. Rachel and Hutch sat at the table and the older woman put a sandwich on his plate, thought a moment, then added a second.

“That’s too much,” he protested.

“You eat it all, Kenny,” she demanded. “Don’t even try to tell me you’ve eaten anything in the last two days, because I won’t believe you.”

He couldn’t deny it, so he did the only thing he could to appease his mother-in-law. He ate. As Starsky placed a glass of milk in front of him, he looked up in thanks. The dark haired man placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, then sat back down at the table.

“Is Mamie your mother, too, Uncle Ken?” Hannah asked, trying to work out the relationships that she was witnessing for the first time.

It took Hutch a moment to realize she meant Rachel. “No, pumpkin, she’s really Starsky’s mother.” He smiled at the older woman then winked at his niece. “But I let her boss me around anyway.”

“She’s our new grandmother,” the little girl explained seriously.

“Well, I guess she is,” he replied, looking over at his partner, then back at the children. “It’s really nice to have a grandmother who loves you. Even if she makes you eat two sandwiches.” Hannah giggled as Rachel directed a mock glare in his direction.

“You eat too,” she said to the little girl, then she looked at Adam who was watching them, but not joining in the conversation. He had eaten half his sandwich and was now playing with the other half. “Do you want anything else, sweetie?” The little boy shook his head. “Davey, do you have any cookies? Go get them. You ate enough sandwich, Adam, would you like a cookie?”

“He says yes,” Hannah replied for him, before the boy had a chance to nod. “Can I have one too?”

“Only if you eat your sandwich.” The little girl started to protest. “At least half.”

Hannah nodded, and turned her attention to her sandwich.

Starsky watched his mother with the children, then smiled at his partner. Hutch smiled briefly, then his eyes quickly dropped to his food. Starsky sighed. Two steps forward and one step back, he thought. They had a long way to go, but maybe had at least started the journey.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starsky stepped out on the back porch to find his partner sitting in the glider, his guitar on the floor, leaning against the seat. “Ma’s reading them a story tonight,” he said, sitting next to Hutch. The two men stared silently into the darkness that shrouded the backyard.

“I’ve been thinking,” the blond man said softly. “We have some things to talk about.” Starsky nodded, but remained silent. “I’m keeping the kids.” He looked over at his partner in the darkness, but the other man only nodded again in agreement. “You don’t mind?”

“Hutch, I didn’t expect anything less,” Starsky said with some exasperation. “You’re all they have.”

“You didn’t sign on for this.”

“I love you, asshole,” Starsky exclaimed, then lowered his voice, not wanting to be overheard. “And I love the kids. No, this isn’t what we expected would happen with our lives, but it did. So we deal with it.”

Hutch nodded, but his barriers were obviously still well in place. “I’ll have to quit the force.”

“Retire, you mean?” The blond nodded and Starsky continued. “But we were gonna do that anyway.”

“Someone needs to stay with the kids,” he continued. “I’ll call Steve and tell him to forget the job.”

Starsky held up his hand. “Wait just a goddamn minute, Blondie. Since when do we make decisions and not discuss them?”

“I just don’t see anything else we can do.”

“And maybe there isn’t, but we need to think about this first, make some calls.”

“It’s not your problem,” Hutch replied. “It’s mine.”

“And what’s yours and mine is ours, partner. Isn’t that how it works?” Hutch didn’t reply with words, but looked over at Starsky and the two connected for the first time since the tragedy. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for now.

“C’mere,” the dark haired man said, and Hutch scooted closer. Starsky’s arm went around his waist and Hutch’s arm draped over his shoulder.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starsky opened his eyes when he felt a light tap on his arm. He saw Adam standing beside his bed in the darkness, tears running down his face.

“Adam?” he said, quickly waking up. “What’s wrong?”

The little boy just looked at him, misery etched on his face. Starsky sat up and tried to pull him into a hug, but he resisted. Feeling wetness against the hand resting on the boy’s back, he realized that Adam had wet the bed again.

He stood up, then took the boy’s hand, looking back at the bed to see Hutch still sound asleep. “We’ll take care of this, no problemo, kemo sabe,” he whispered. “Let’s not wake Uncle Ken.” The two walked out into the hall and into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. “Why don’t you take off your pajamas and let’s give you a quick bath?”

Starsky started the water running into the tub, making sure it was the right temperature, before turning back to the boy. Adam had stripped and was standing there shivering. It was warm in the bathroom, so the older man figured it was more nerves than cold. “Oh, buddy, it’s not a big deal,” he soothed. He closed the lid of the toilet, sat down, and pulled the boy too him. Adam clung to his t-shirt.

“Did I tell you that I used to wet the bed?” Adam shook his head. “Well, I did. It was right after my father died.” The little boy stiffened in his arms, but didn’t pull out of the embrace. “I wasn’t much older than you when it happened. It was an accident too, like what happened to your folks.” Starsky’s rubbed the boy’s back, then looked over at the tub. Seeing enough water had run in, he shut the tap and swung Adam over into the tub.

The boy was now watching him, his blue eyes wide. Starsky grabbed a washcloth and lathered it up, then started to wash the boy. “When I started wettin’ the bed, I thought I was bad. I was afraid to tell anyone, so I would hide the sheets and try to make the bed myself. But you know what?” He saw he had the boy’s undivided attention. “Mamie figured it out. She took me aside and told me I wasn’t a bad boy and that it wasn’t my fault. And she told me I could always come to her, no matter what. That there was nothing to be ashamed of.”

Starsky finished with the wash and quickly rinsed the boy. He grabbed a towel as Adam stood up, then wrapped it around the boy, lifting him out of the tub and again sitting on the toilet seat with Adam in front of him. He briskly dried him, then hugged him close and whispered into his ear.

“You don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything. Ever. No matter what, we love you. There ain’t nothin’ you can do that will make us stop loving you, you hear?” The boy nodded, then his body shook in a sob. After holding the boy for several minutes, Starsky said, “How ’bout we get you some clean pajamas and we’ll take care of that bed for you?” The boy nodded.

The two went into the darkened room where Hannah was still sleeping. Starsky handed Adam clean pajamas, then turned to quickly strip the bed. After putting the dirty sheets into the bathroom hamper, he returned with clean sheets and remade the bed. At Rachel’s suggestion, they had put a plastic sheet on the mattress after the first bedwetting incident, so the process of clean up didn’t take Starsky long.

He finished and turned to the boy. “You ready to go back to bed, buddy?”

Adam shook his head, reaching out for Starsky’s hand. “Well, I’m awake now too. How ’bout we go downstairs and watch a little TV? Maybe that’ll make us both sleepy again. But don’t tell Mamie and Uncle Ken.” He winked at the boy, who smiled at him and held a finger to his lips in response. “Partners in crime, that’s what we are, Adam, my boy.” The two figures quietly descended the stairs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One week passed and the new family moved into the second week. In some ways, they were healing. The children were responding well to their Mamie, and Starsky enjoyed having his mother there. Hutch was still withdrawn with everyone but Rachel. He talked to the kids, but didn’t really play with them. He spent hours and hours on the phone, working on all the tedious and often heart-wrenching details that went along with sudden death. There was the estate and the wills, life insurance and the added complication of trying to close out Becca and Mark’s house in Australia. He had managed to locate friends of theirs, who, along with the lawyer Hutch hired, arranged to sell off the furniture and pack up everything else to ship to Bay City. He figured it would help if the children could have their own things around them.

Finally it came time to make some big decisions. He and Starsky sat at the kitchen table while Rachel entertained the children in the den.

Hutch filled his partner in on some of the details. “I’m putting all of Becca and Mark’s estate plus their life insurance in trust for the twins. They’ll be all set for college and anything else they might need.” Starsky nodded in agreement. “The Hutchinson estate is a little more complicated, but suffice it to say, they left most of it to Becca, who in turn left everything to the kids. So ultimately the kids are inheriting everything, which is exactly what should happen. We can draw on the trust for their living expenses and it gets turned over to them completely when they reach twenty-five.”

“What about custody?” his partner asked. He was less concerned about the finances then he was the kids.

“I was getting to that. I’m their only living relative. Becca and Mark had apparently designated me as their legal guardian if anything happened.” His eyes glistened slightly as if tears were forming, then he regained control, becoming business-like again. “That makes things easier. I’ll legally adopt them as soon as the paperwork goes through.”

“I wish I could adopt them, too,” Starsky said softly.

“We both know that’s not possible,” Hutch continued, clearly holding his emotions in check. “Maybe someday, but not now. As it is, we’ll be lucky if there isn’t any protest from some well-meaning hypocrite. But the lawyers tell me that my being their only living relative goes along way.”

“You never used to like lawyers,” his partner teased, but the smile dropped from his face when Hutch didn’t respond.

“They’re serving a purpose, believe me. Can you imagine if I had to go back to Duluth?” Hutch shuddered. “I couldn’t deal with that, Starsk.”

“Are you going to have a memorial service when the ashes get here?” Hutch had arranged to have Becca and Mark cremated and the ashes shipped to Bay City. His mother had been buried in the family plot.

“I’m sure Mother’s friends will have something, but I’m not going back.” Hutch sighed. “The kids didn’t know her, but for their parents, they need some kind of closure.”

“Maybe we all do,” Starsky replied.

“I was thinking we could have some kind of ceremony, and scatter the ashes into the sea. Some place where the kids could go back to if they needed it. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a terrific idea.”

The men were quiet for a moment, then Hutch continued. “Now for the other arrangements. I think we should hold off a bit sending the kids to school. They only went to pre-school in Australia and I think it’s going to be traumatic for them.”

“I talked to Sandy Williams about it,” Starsky said, noting his partner’s surprise. “She said that if they start after the Christmas break, it might be a good time. That’s four months from now. I think that will give them enough time to settle in and we can work out a routine.”

“You sound like you have this all worked out,” Hutch replied, a little upset. “I thought we were going to talk about it first?”

Starsky rolled his eyes. “That’s what we’re doin’ right now, Blondie. I’m just filling you in on what I learned. Geez, you’re touchy.”

“Sorry,” the blond apologized.

“I forgive you cuz I’m that kinda guy,” he teased, but didn’t get much reaction from his partner. “Anyway, I also talked to Morris.”

“Captain Morris at the Academy?”

Starsky nodded. “He says Bertinelli’s not leaving until the end of November. So how ’bout this: I take a leave of absence and study for the Lieutenant’s exam. It’s coming up in October. And in the meantime, I’ll be home with the kids. We’ll have to figure out what to do for December, but I’m thinkin’ maybe Ma might want to come and stay through the holidays. Then the kids start school in January, and we’re all set.” He sat back, satisfied with the presentation of his ideas.

Hutch listened to his partner’s plan with great surprise. It sounded as if his partner had worked the whole thing out. Except for one thing.

“Where do I fit in this picture?”

“You’re takin’ that job with the Feebs,” Starsky said firmly, then held up a hand as Hutch started to protest. “You want this job badly, Blondie, and don’t try to tell me you don’t. Somehow I don’t think they’ll be willing to wait for you.” He leaned forward and grabbed his partner’s hand. “Hutch, this is the right thing to do. It’s not gonna be easy for any of us, but we’ll work it out. We’re a family.”

Hutch shook his head. “No, I’m their uncle. I should stay home with them.”

“Don’t do it, Kenny,” Rachel said, walking into the kitchen. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the kids wanted something to eat and I overheard a bit.”

“That’s OK, Ma,” Starsky replied. “You’re involved in this too.”

Rachel sat at the table and looked at Hutch. “Are you saying you’re going to give up that FBI job Davey told me about to stay home with the children?” He nodded. “And you have another choice?”

Starsky interjected, “Ma, I got it all worked out. He doesn’t have to give up the job. The one I want isn’t open for a few months and I have to take the Lieutenant’s exam anyway.”

“So what’s the problem with that, Kenny?” she asked.

“It should be my sacrifice…”

Rachel turned to her son. “Is this a sacrifice for you?” Starsky shook his head, then she turned back to Hutch. “Even if it was, it’s your job as a parent to sacrifice for your children. If that was your only choice, I would agree with you. But you do have another choice. Kenny?” He looked directly at her, his eyes intent. “You can’t abandon your dreams for your children. Believe me, you would all eventually regret that.”

Hutch sat quietly for a moment, thinking about what Rachel had said. Starsky was glad she had intervened, because he wasn’t sure his partner would have agreed with him. But with his mother talking sense into him, it was a sure thing.

“Maybe you’re right,” Hutch said. Starsky sighed and his mother smiled. “I hope this is the best thing to do.” He was clearly still worried.

“It is, Blondie,” Starsky replied. “It’s all gonna work out.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That night, the two men lay in their bed, each aware that the other was still awake. Starsky rolled over and placed his head on his partner’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around the other man’s waist. He sighed deeply.

“You think the kids are getting better?” he asked. “Adam’s still not talkin’.”

“I think they’re better. You’re mother has been a godsend.”

“She’s leaving next week.”

“I know,” Hutch replied quietly. “And the new job starts next week too.”

“It’s gonna be weird not going back to the precinct, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll miss Dobey’s yelling more than anything.”

Starsky laughed, encouraged by the first sign of humor he’s seen from his partner in days. “He’ll miss us too. Like a toothache.”

“Are you sure, Starsk?”

“About quittin’?”

“Well, yeah, but are you sure about staying home with the kids?”

Starsky pinched the blond’s side, causing him to yelp. “Quiet, Ma will hear ya!”

“Well, then don’t pinch me!”

“So stop with the worryin’ then,” he said with exasperation. “We’ve been over this again and again. It’s all gonna work out, you’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right,” Hutch replied, not entirely convinced.

Starsky snuggled closer. “When are ya gonna learn that I’m always right?” he teased, the hand that stretched across his partner’s abdomen started to inch downward. Suddenly Hutch grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“I can’t.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just…can’t,” Hutch said quietly. “I’m sorry.” He rolled over and away from his partner. “Goodnight.”

“‘Night, Blondie,” Starsky replied, hurt and very puzzled. But he decided to let it go for now. They were all tired. He rolled over himself and lay there for a long time waiting for sleep to come.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“And I’ll be back before you know it,” Rachel said to the two sad children. They were saying goodbye at the house, as no one wanted to have a replay of the airport scene to bring back unwanted memories for the children. They were still upset that their new grandmother was leaving.

“I have to get back to take care of my cats,” she said.

“Bugsy and Cupcake?” Hannah asked, always willing to hear more stories about her grandmother’s pets. They were frequently the subject of her bedtime stories.

“Yes, Bugsy and Cupcake,” she replied. “They’re lonely without me. My neighbor’s taking care of them for me, but it’s not the same.” Both children nodded their heads in understanding.

“We know, Mamie,” Hannah answered for them both. “But we’ll miss you very, very much.”

She leaned down and gave them each a big hug. “And I’ll miss my little lambs. Davey calls me every Friday and I expect you both to talk to me and let me know how you’re doing.”

“We will,” Hannah said, then looked at her brother. “I can talk and Adam will listen, is that OK?”

“Sure, sweetie,” Rachel replied, standing up. She rumpled the little boy’s hair. “But I’m looking forward to hearing from this man himself. As soon as you can, alright, sweetie?” Adam nodded.

Starsky stood by the door next to Hutch, his mother’s suitcase by his side. “We gotta go if you’re going to make your plane.”

Rachel stood beside her adopted son. “Kenny, you take care of yourself, you hear me?”

Hutch pulled her into and embrace, hugging her tightly. “I will, Rachel, I promise.”

When they parted, she turned to her son. “And you…”

“I know, I know, be careful, eat right, brush my teeth, wash behind my ears…”

Hannah giggled and Adam smiled as the two teased each other. Finally, it was time and Starsky lifted the bags.

“Bye, kids!” Rachel said as she walked out the door. “I’ll be back in December.”

“Bye, Mamie,” Hannah called and Adam waved his goodbye.

Hutch stood with the children on the front porch to wave goodbye, then the three went back into the house. The blond man was distracted, thinking about starting the new job the next day. He started up the stairs, only to turn around at his niece’s voice.

“Uncle Ken?”

“Yes, Hannah?”

“We have to ask you something.” The two children stood side by side, staring at him soberly.

He stepped back down into the hallway. “This sounds serious,” he said. “Shall we go into the den?” The twins nodded simultaneously and then they all walked into the den. Hutch sat on the recliner and the twins on the sofa. “What’s wrong?”

Hannah looked at Adam, who looked at her and then stood, walking over to stand in front of his uncle. Hutch raised an eyebrow.

“Adam wants me to ask you something for him,” Hannah said.

Hutch looked directly at his nephew. “What is it Adam?”

“He wants to know why you don’t love us anymore,” Hannah asked quietly.

Hutch looked up at his niece in shock, then back at Adam who stood trembling before him. His eyes filled and he reached out to pull the boy into an embrace. The boy clung to him, but Hannah held her ground, staying seated on the sofa.

“You never talk to us anymore,” her voice trembled. “Adam thinks you don’t want us here. Starsky is sad all the time when he looks at you.”

“Oh, pumpkin, no,” Hutch said, his voice hoarse. “Come over here.” Hannah finally broke down crying and ran to her uncle who swept her up. He sat back in the recliner, cradling both children to him, rocking. “You’re wrong, both of you. I love you so very, very much.” He squeezed them tighter, kissing the top of each blond head. “I know I haven’t been the same lately, but I’ve been sad. Sometimes adults show their sadness in different ways. But don’t ever doubt that I love you. Starsky and I both want you here living with us forever and ever.”

“Really?” Hannah asked, clinging to his shirt.

“Really and truly,” he replied.

“Starsky is sad too?”

Hutch’s heart ached. He knew he was responsible for much of Starsky’s sadness, but he just hadn’t been able to open up yet. “Yes, Starsky too. But things will get better, I promise.”

The children snuggled closer and they all comforted each other.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starsky danced around the kitchen with the wet mop, moving to the beat of the music. He knew he had only a short time left before Sandy brought the kids back. Hutch had been in his new job for a month now and they had all settled into their routine. Unfortunately the routine included long hours for his partner. He had so much to learn in his new position and often classes ran late into the night.

Not that it made much difference to himself, Starsky thought. While Hutch had opened up to the kids and returned to his formerly good-natured mood, with his partner he was still reserved. No matter what Starsky did, he couldn’t crack the ice. Their sexual relationship suffered as well. Although Hutch turned to him for comfort when he needed it, the emotional closeness that was so much a part of their lives seemed to have disappeared.

He moved the chairs as he washed under the kitchen table, his hips swaying unconsciously to the beat. It was amazing the things that he found under there once the kids had moved in, he mused.

Starsky was late with the cleaning because he had spent his free time studying for the exam. Starsky and Sandy had worked out a deal for the afternoon. They traded the kids on alternate afternoons. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays Starsky had Megan and Tracy over, giving Sandy a free afternoon. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Sandy took the twins.

Those hours had been invaluable to Starsky. He had mistakenly thought that he would have plenty of time to get everything done now that he wasn’t working. Cleaning, laundry, and cooking should all be a snap. It took him a week to realize nothing could be further from the truth. He had finally understood what all the mothers complained about. When you had kids, there was no such thing as extra time. And forget studying.

But now, everything seemed to be working out. Everything except for his relationship with Hutch, that was. Starsky knew he had to give it time and he was willing to wait out the stubborn blond. He knew his partner still loved him, but he missed their closeness terribly. He dipped the broom in a parody of a long ago dance.

“Starsky!” Hannah’s voice piped from the kitchen doorway. “You’re dancing! Teach me, teach me!”

The dark haired man stood up quickly, then almost slipped on the wet floor. “Stay right there, Hannah Banana! I just washed this floor!”

Sandy’s voice called from the front door. “Bye kids! Bye Dave!”

“Thanks, Sandy!” he replied. “See you tomorrow!” Then he heard the door close.

“Starsky!” Hannah’s voice demanded. “We want to dance, too!” Adam nodded in agreement.

“So you want to learn to dance, hmmm?” he teased, chuckling as they jumped up and down in excitement. “Well, we’re gonna have to move this party into the den or somebody will break a leg in here. Go, go, shoo! I’ll be right in.”

The children scampered from the room, squealing. Starsky carefully walked over and turned off the radio in the kitchen, then made his way over to the door into the hallway, managing not to slip again.

Once in the den, he turned on the stereo to his favorite station and pushed the volume up into the loud range. “Too much?” he shouted to the kids.

“No!” Hannah shouted. “Dance, Starsky!”

And so the threesome danced, sometimes alone, Starsky performing moves from his disco days for the kids while they bounced along, and at other times, he twirled each in turn.

The new Pointer Sisters song, “I’m So Excited” started playing and Hannah started to sing along as they danced.

Hutch heard the pounding beat as soon as he turned off the car’s ignition. Thank God the neighbor’s were far enough away not to complain, he thought. It would be embarrassing to have the police arrive on their doorstep on a disturbing the peace complaint.

He opened the front door and, not surprisingly, no one heard him. Hutch stepped into the doorway of the den to see his partner moving fluidly to the beat of the music. He enjoyed the sight for a moment before turning his attention to the kids. Hannah bobbed up and down, singing in her high pitched voice. Adam’s hips and arms swayed back and forth as he tried to imitate Starsky’s moves.

Finally Hannah spotted her uncle and squealed. “Uncle Ken! Uncle Ken! Look! We’re So Excited!!” He laughed, smiling at them.

“Yes, I can see that!” he shouted, trying to be heard over the music. Adam ran over and was scooped up for a hug and the two watched Starsky and Hannah finish the song. When it ended, the dark haired man reached over and shut off the stereo. Hannah ran over to her uncle for a hug and she too was lifted in his arms. “You two are getting too heavy, ” he teased as he pretended to stagger.

“Uncle Ken!” Hannah protested. “You’re fooling!”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” he replied. He squeezed them both again before putting them down. “So how was your day?” They each took a hand and led him over to the couch.

Starsky watched, enjoying seeing his partner react warmly to the kids. However, the only greeting he received was a smile and a quick hello before all Hutch’s attention turned to his niece and nephew. Sometimes he felt like the hired help, Starsky thought as he left the den and went into the kitchen to heat up the leftover macaroni and cheese for their supper.

Time, his partner needed more time, he told himself. But he knew deep down that he couldn’t take much more of this. Something was going to blow and Starsky was pretty sure it was going to be him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The lieutenants exam was only two weeks away and Starsky was feeling the pressure. The Williams’ had gone out of town for a long weekend and his usual free time was now nonexistent. He had asked Hutch to get home early just one day this week so he could go to the library for some quiet study time. Instead he was late again. And he hadn’t even had the courtesy to call.

“Shit!” he said under his breath, as he looked at his watch yet again.

“That’s a bad word, Starsky,” the little girl said from the doorway.

“You’re right, Hannah Banana, it certainly is,” he agreed. “I thought you were watching TV with Adam?”

“We’re hungry,” she replied. “What are we having for dinner?”

“Uncle Ken was supposed to bring home pizza, but I guess he forgot,” he said absently, then realized he had to feed the kids. “How ’bout pancakes?”

“Pancakes are for breakfast,” Hannah said.

“Who says?” he asked. “I think we should have them tonight.”

“Will you do the Mickey Mouse ones?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll have ’em ready for you in two shakes. Now go watch TV until they’re ready.” Hannah left the room and Starsky smiled as he listened to her explaining to Adam that they were having breakfast for dinner.

A short time later, he called the kids to the table and they all sat down to eat. They were about halfway done when Starsky heard the front door open. He didn’t look up right away, but knew Hutch was standing in the doorway.

“Look, Uncle Ken! We’re havin’ breakfast for dinner!”

“I see that,” Hutch replied quietly. “I forgot the pizza.”

“Yeah, and you forgot to come home early like you said you would and you forgot to call and tell me you’d be late,” Starsky said, keeping his tone even so he wouldn’t upset the children.

“Can we talk about this later?”

“Sure, we can talk about this later,” Starsky said, getting up from the table. “Much later. I’m outta here.”

“Where are you going?” Hutch asked.

“Yeah, Starsky, where are you going?” Hannah also asked.

Starsky leaned over the table and kissed each one goodbye. “I’m going to the library to study.” That explanation sufficed for the children and they returned to their dinner after saying goodbye.

As Starsky walked down the hall to the front door, he grabbed his jacket off the banister and started to open the door. His partner had followed in his wake, reaching behind him to hold the door shut.

“The library is closed,” he said quietly, meeting Starsky’s angry gaze. “I said I was sorry.”

“Yeah, well that’s all I seem to hear lately,” the dark haired man retorted. “I’m sick of it.” He pushed Hutch’s hand away from the door and opened it, stalking out.

Hutch didn’t know what to say, so as was his habit lately, he said nothing, watching the Torino drive off into the night.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starsky downed his third whiskey as he sat at the bar. Instead of going all the way to Huggy’s, he decided to have a drink at a new place that had just opened downtown called the Newbridge. Besides, he knew if he got plastered at The Pits, Huggy would just call Hutch and that was the last thing Starsky wanted.

He looked around the bar as he grabbed a handful of peanuts, watching the crowd. The bar was more upscale, obviously intended to appeal to the yuppie crowd. Glancing to his right, he saw a woman about his age, with long, curly blond hair. She caught him looking and he smiled in her direction.

“Hi,” he said. “Buy you a drink?”

“As long as you don’t ask my sign, sure,” the woman teased. She motioned to her girlfriends that she was leaving and moved over onto the stool next to Starsky. He admired her tall, slender figure as he watched her move.

“Gayle,” she introduced herself.

“Dave.”

“I haven’t seen you here before,” she said.

Starsky motioned to the bartender. When he came over he quirked an eyebrow at Gayle who ordered a Cuba Libre. Starsky pointed at his glass, asking for a refill, then turned his attention to the woman at his side.

“So you come here often?” The dark haired man realized what he said and rolled his eyes, drawing a laugh from Gayle. “I’m just full of cliches tonight.”

She patted his leg. “That’s OK,” she replied. “I guess they’re cliches for a reason. But to answer your question, my friends and I come here quite a bit. It’s a nice place. You live around here?”

“Yeah, I have a house on the north side of town. You?”

“You’re lucky,” she replied. “I would love a house. But right now I’m living in an apartment down on Franklin Ave. It’s convenient, I guess. I work at Alliance Printing, right outside of town.” Starsky nodded, recognizing the name. Gayle waited, but Starsky didn’t say anything, he just sipped his whiskey. “So, now you’re supposed to tell me what you do.”

They laughed together and the dark haired man apologized. “Sorry, it’s been a long time.”

“Divorced?”

“Hmmm?” he looked at her, puzzled.

“You said it’s been a long time,” Gayle replied. “I thought that meant you were recently divorced.”

“No, I’ve never been married,” he said, but didn’t continue.

“Dave, you are not going to leave me hanging like this,” she teased, elbowing his side. “Tall, dark and mysterious just ticks me off. The tall and dark is OK, but the mysterious has got to go.”

Starsky laughed, enjoying the banter. “Sorry about that. Geez, I am just full of clichés and apologies tonight.” His voice became serious. “You might want to find someone else to talk to. I’m really not looking for anyone, if you know what I mean.”

Gayle met his gaze. “That’s OK,” she said. “Neither am I, really. If it happens, great, but I am definitely not ready for a relationship right now.”

“Perfect,” he replied, then signaled for another round. “So what is your sign, by the way?”

The two laughed together and continued their conversation for the next few hours, just enjoying each other’s company.

Gayle looked over and noticed her friends were gone. “It’s getting late, Dave, I should be getting home.”

He nodded and stood up, swaying. “I guess I drank more than I thought,” he said, his words very slightly slurred.

“You can’t drive like that, Dave,” she said.

“I guess I can call a cab.”

“You’ll wait forever for one this late,” she said, then had an idea. “Why don’t I drive you back to my place, then I’ll bring you back in the morning and you can pick up your car?” She waved away his protests. “This is strictly a platonic offer, Dave. I’m not that easy.” They both laughed. “I have a pull out sofa that you’re more than welcome to. Unless there’s someone you could call to pick you up?”

Starsky shook his head trying to clear it of the alcohol fog. He decided that no way did he want to call Hutch tonight. In fact, a night away from home might be just what he needed. “Sounds great, if you’re sure you don’t mind?”

Gayle reached out and took his arm, steadying him as she escorted him to the door. “I love the company,” she said. “Besides, we still haven’t gotten rid of the ‘mysterious’ yet.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“This is really nice,” Starsky said, as he glanced around her apartment. His eyes were getting heavy, as the fatigue and alcohol finally began to take their toll.

“Sit, sit,” Gayle said, pointing at the sofa.

“Only if you sit down with me,” he demanded, grabbing at her arm.

“Just for a few minutes,” she replied, sitting down next to him. “I really have to get some sleep.”

He turned sideways on the sofa and gazed at her. She really was a beautiful woman, he thought, reaching out to stroke a long blond curl. He missed long hair, he thought, suddenly realizing it had been more than two years since he’d been with a woman. His body was certainly interested. Inhibitions lowered, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss.

At first she didn’t respond but, as he continued to move his lips and caress her face, she finally returned the kiss. Soon the two had moved closer together on the sofa and Starsky had one arm behind Gayle, pulling her closer. His other hand was busy caressing her breast through the thin silk shirt. She moaned as he palmed her breast. Their mouths opened and tongues mated as the kiss became more heated.

As Starsky pulled back, he looked into her face, seeing that her eyes were dark and slumberous. Dark eyes, he thought in puzzlement. They should be blue, shouldn’t they? Suddenly his head cleared and he realized what he was doing. He untangled himself from Gayle and stood up quickly from the sofa, almost falling as he swayed.

“I can’t do this, Gayle,” he apologized, then put a hand on his stomach. “Shit, I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“This way,” she said, jumping up and leading him quickly to the bathroom. Gayle shut the door behind him, then leaned her back against the door and listened to the sound of retching. Finally after several long minutes, the sounds subsided. “Are you OK?” she called.

“Yeah, I’ll be right out.”

She heard the sound of the toilet flushing and then water running, before the door finally opened. Starsky looked much more sober and very embarrassed.

“Well, I have to say that’s the first time I’ve gotten that reaction,” Gayle teased.

“It’s not one of my better nights,” he apologized. “Maybe I should get going. I think I can drive now.”

“If you’re sure,” she said, walking over to pick up her keys and purse. Starsky stopped her at the door.

“Gayle, it’s been really great meeting you, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be back to the Newbridge.”

She reached out and patted him on the cheek. “You go home to whoever is waiting for you,” she said. “I hope she knows how lucky she is.” Starsky just shook his head in denial. “I can’t figure you out, Dave. I guess you’ll just have to stay mysterious.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starsky slept on the couch when he got home that night. Hutch woke him when he got up for work the next morning. His eyes looked over the dark haired man with concern but he asked no questions and Starsky offered no explanations. They returned to their routine and Hutch made an effort to follow through on his promises. He recognized that Starsky was nervous about the exam, although he had no doubts that his partner would pass with flying colors.

When the big day finally arrived, Hutch made sure he was home. He watched his partner pace the den. The kids were upstairs getting dressed. He would have to head up there shortly, or who knew what they would come down wearing.

“You’re going to do fine,” he soothed.

“You keep saying that.”

“And I keep meaning it too,” Hutch said. “Come over here.”

Starsky looked at him in surprise and stopped pacing long enough to approach his partner. “What?”

Hutch reached out and pulled him into an embrace. “Good luck, buddy,” he said softly into Starsky’s ear. The other man froze for a moment, then returned the embrace, squeezing the blond tightly.

“Thanks,” he said, backing away.

“Starsky!” Hannah called from the doorway. “Look what we made for you! For good luck!”

Adam walked over to pass the handmade card to him. Starsky looked at the picture on the front, obviously colored by his artistic niece. Inside, someone had painstakingly lettered “Good luck, love Hannah and Adam”.

“Who did this?” he asked and Adam pointed to himself, looking down shyly.

“Uncle Ken told him what letters to write,” Hannah explained. “We can’t spell good yet.”

“This is terrific, Adam!” Starsky enthused, reaching down and lifting the boy into his arms. “You’re a genius! And you,” he said pointing at the little girl, “are a true artist.” She blushed in response.

Suddenly Adam leaned close to Starsky and whispered in his ear. “I love you, Starsky.” The boy’s voice was hoarse from disuse, but Starsky had no difficulty understand him. He pulled the boy into a hug, looking directly at his partner, as tears shone in both of their eyes.

“I love you too, kemo sabe,” he said, his voice breaking. “I think you’ve given me the best luck of all.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Two weeks later, Hutch was running through the park in the late afternoon. There were two days a week now he had to leave for an indecently early class and he made up for his morning run with one in the afternoon. As long as he was home early, Starsky didn’t seem to mind him taking a hour for himself. Fortunately the days coincided with Starsky’s ‘free’ days and his partner was often studying during this time, or since the exam was over, running errands.

Spying his friend up ahead, he speeded up, then slowed, setting his pace to hers.

“I was wondering where you were,” she said, glancing over.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I got a late start.”

“No problem,” she said. “So what’s the latest on the home front?”

“Well, Gayle, it’s like this…”

Hutch had missed having Danny to talk to while he ran, as the teen was only able to join him in the morning. He ended up meeting Gayle Newman during his first week of running in the afternoon and the two had clicked. He started using her as a sounding board for his relationship with Starsky and so far she had offered some pretty good advice.

He ended with, “I’m trying, but I just don’t know how to get past this wall I’ve built.”

“Ken, you’ve hit the nail on the head,” Gayle said. “You built the wall, you have to tear it down. Even if it’s with your teeth. Isn’t Starsky worth it?”

“Definitely.”

Just as she was about to respond, Gayle suddenly stepped on a rock and fell. Hutch jumped out of the way, then quickly went to her aid, examining the already swelling ankle.

“I think it’s just a sprain,” he said.

“You’re probably right, but it feels like it’s broken,” she complained. “Now how the hell I’m I going to get home?”

“Well, you’re in luck, beautiful lady,” he said, then pointed to a sign. “See that? My street. We’ll get you to the house and ice it up, then I’ll drive you home. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re my savior, kind sir,” she teased. “You can give me a ride on your valiant steed.”

He reached down and helped Gayle to her feet. “There’s this problem with my steed. It’s not quite so valiant…”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gayle sat lengthwise on the sofa with a towel wrapped ice pack draped on her ankle.

“Feel better?” Hutch asked, lifting the pack to check the swelling.

“Much,” she said. “You’re a prince.”

“No, actually that’s my partner,” he said with a smile. “I’m the White Knight. Ask my niece.”

“Where are the kids anyway?” she asked.

“They’re over at a neighbors. We trade off kids to give each family some time off.”

Suddenly the door opened and Hutch heard Starsky call, “Lucy, I’m home!”

He and Gayle shared a smile as Starsky stepped into the den. He was about to say something, then looked in shock at the woman on the sofa.

“I…uh…I don’t think we’ve met?” The dark haired man finally caught himself.

“Smooth with the ladies, there, Starsk,” Hutch teased. “This is my running friend, Gayle. I’ve told you about her.” Gayle just stared at Starsky, her mouth open. Dave was Starsky, she thought. Oh, this was one for the Dear Abby column.

Starsky looked directly at her and she finally composed herself. “It’s nice to meet you, Gayle,” he said. “I’ve heard alot about you.”

“Umm, yeah, I’ve heard alot about you, too,” she said, then turned to Hutch. “You didn’t tell me how good looking he is. Holding out on me, Ken?”

Hutch blushed, causing the Starsky and Gayle to laugh at his reaction. Embarrassed, he stood up. “I’m being a terrible host. I never even offered you a drink.” He looked at his watch. “It’s definitely happy hour.”

Gayle was still a little shaken. “I could stay for one before you drive me home.”

Starsky motioned Hutch back to the chair, anxious for a chance to leave the room. “You sit, I’ll do it. Cuba Libre?” he asked Gayle who nodded. “Beer, Hutch?” The blond absently nodded, then watched his partner leave the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hutch returned from driving Gayle home, walking into the den and sitting on the recliner. Starsky was reading on the sofa.

“Sandy called,” Starsky said, looking up. “Seems the kids want to try for a sleepover. I said yes, but she already warned me they’ll probably want to come home.” He laughed. “I guess five year old’s are notorious for changing their minds about such things.”

“OK”

“Gayle seems like a nice lady,” Starsky said. “You didn’t tell me how pretty she was.”

“Didn’t you already know?” Hutch asked. Starsky turned to look at him, puzzled by his tone. “Cuba Libre, anyone?” he mocked.

Starsky put down his book and sat up straight. “I can explain…”

“I bet you can, buddy,” Hutch said with scorn. “You know, I never thought I’d have to worry about trust between us.” He laughed harshly. “Guess I was wrong again.”

“Wait just one goddamned minute!” Starsky shouted, jumping to his feet and standing over his partner. “I got nothin’ to hide.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hutch asked. “Then why did you two pretend not to know each other, when clearly you do. Well enough to know her drink preference, I might add.”

“You’ve got no right to challenge me like this!” the dark haired man shouted, then paced to the other side of the room. “I do know her. We met that night I went out. You found someone to talk to. Is it so hard to believe that I needed someone, too?”

“Did you sleep with her?”

“No, I didn’t sleep with her! What the hell kind of bastard do you think I am?”

Hutch stood up and started to walk from the room. “You don’t want to know my answer to that right now, buddy, believe me.”

Starsky saw red. Stalking after his partner, he caught up to him in the hall and slammed the blond face first into the wall, holding him place with his body. “You got some fuckin’ nerve acting like Mr. High and Mighty accusin’ me of sleeping around. All we did was talk. But, ya know, maybe that’s where I made my mistake! I goddamn well should have slept around for all the attention I’ve got from you since Becca died.”

“Poor, neglected, Starsky. What’s wrong? Need to get fucked, buddy?” Hutch challenged.

The dark haired man pressed his partner tighter against the wall, drawing a groan of pain from him. He eased off slightly then whispered in his ear. “I think maybe you’re the one who needs to get fucked.”

Starsky was so furious that he didn’t even think about what he was doing. The months of frustration and emotional distance had finally caught up to him. He reached down and undid his pants, freeing his suddenly painfully erect cock. He pressed it against his partner, who just groaned but didn’t respond in any other way.

“This what you want, Hutch? This what you think I’m givin’ to the ladies?”

He moved his arm around his partner’s waist and with one hand he unbuttoned his pants, then reached inside. Hutch wasn’t the least bit aroused. Starsky suddenly realized what he was doing and immediately backed away, his erection subsiding.

“Oh, God, oh, God, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, over and over as refastened his pants. He started to walk towards the door. “What the hell am I doing? I’ll leave…”

“No!” Hutch shouted, moving away from the wall. The two man faced each other and Starsky was surprised by what he saw. Instead of the anger he expected to see, Hutch’s face held a look of bewilderment. Bewilderment and fear.

“Please don’t leave me,” he said in soft voice that was in direct contrast to his previous shout. “I’ll do anything you want, just…please don’t leave me. I can’t take it, Starsk. Everyone leaves me…” his voice broke off as he dropped to his knees, his body visibly trembling. His head fell forward as he wrapped his arms around himself. “Don’t leave, don’t leave.”

Starsky stared at his partner in stunned surprise. He knew that Hutch had been holding back a lot of emotions, but he had never expected this. Dropping to his knees alongside his partner, Starsky wrapped himself around the other man, crooning softly.

“I’ll never leave you, babe…you could never get rid of me…I love you…you’re my life…” Over and over his voice repeated the same phrases, attempting to calm his partner.

The two men rocked together for what seemed like hours. When the storm finally passed, the men slumped over, exhausted.

“My knees are killing me,” Hutch said softly, and both men began to laugh.

“Mine too,” Starsky replied and they helped each other to their feet. Hutch slumped into his arms, and his partner held him tightly.

“I meant everything I said,” he whispered into his ear. “I ain’t never gonna leave you, Blondie.” They stood together for a few moments. “Hey, I don’t know about you, but I need to lie down. You want to take this upstairs?”

Hutch backed away and motioned towards the kitchen. “Can we go to the hammock?” he asked quietly.

Starsky looked surprised, then suddenly realized that their former communing spot had gone unused for months.

“Sure, partner, the hammock it is.”

After retrieving two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, the two men walked through the backyard and climbed into the hammock. They both sighed as it started to rock.

“I missed this,” Hutch said.

“Me too.”

“I don’t know why I acted like that,” the blond tried to explain something he didn’t even understand himself. “I closed myself off from you and I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t seem to stop.” He sighed deeply. “I think I was afraid you were going to leave me, too. Then I did everything I could to drive you away.”

“Shhh,” Starsky stopped him. “I keep tellin’ ya, it’s that WASP mentality. Now what you need is some good old fashioned Jewish guilt…”

The two men laughed, then were quiet, enjoying the night and their renewed closeness, both physical and emotional.

“Starsk?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry,” Hutch said quietly.

“You can’t do this every time something bad happens,” Starsky responded in a serious tone. “It hurt, you know. You could talk to Gayle, but you couldn’t talk to me?”

“You’re right, I know,” Hutch sighed, then continued. “I wish I could say never again, but sometimes I don’t know why…”

Starsky reached out and clasped his partner’s hand and held it tightly.

“I know why, Blondie, and so do you,” he said. “But you have to get past it. We’re together

forever now and you’re gonna have to talk to me. Tell me what you’re feelin’. We can handle anything, but it’s gonna have to be together.”

“I can’t promise, but I can promise to try,” Hutch said, squeezing the hand that held his.

“Yeah, and I can promise to kick your ass the next time you try pullin’ a stunt like this,” Starsky teased, turning his head to look at his partner. They smiled at each other, then returned to watching the sky. “Can I help with your other problem?”

“What other problem?”

“You know.”

“Know what?” Hutch was clearly confused.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’ve been under alot of stress. Happens to everyone,” Starsky explained patiently.

Finally Hutch realized what Starsky was trying to say. He covered his mouth with his free hand to hold back a laugh and turned his head so his partner wouldn’t see his smile. This one was too good to pass up.

After getting control of himself, he responded, “So it’s happened to you?”

Starsky shifted uncomfortably. “Well, sure. Just once, maybe.”

“Just once, huh?”

“Well, I was tired,” he defended. “I’d had a little too much to drink. And she wasn’t very pretty anyway.”

“So, that was the only time?” Hutch managed to sound dejected.

“Maybe it happened one other time,” Starsky replied. “But we’ll have you back in working order in no time.”

The blond couldn’t hold back at that point and he started to laugh so hard, tears came to his eyes.

“You…you…you’re a regular Mr. Fix it,” he said, then roared with laughter again.

Starsky couldn’t help but smile at the first sign of true joy his partner had displayed in months. But he was definitely confused.

“You’re not upset anymore?”

Hutch wiped his face, and finally calmed himself.

“Starsk, I’m not impotent.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” the blond said, then laughed again. “But it was really nice of you to offer your services…”

“That’s it!” Starsky said, trying not to laugh himself. He reached over and started to tickle his partner. “I was tryin’ to be nice! I was tryin’ to be understanding!”

“Stop!” Hutch shouted, trying to evade the wiggling fingers. Not an easy task in a rocking hammock. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Finally he managed to get hold of both of the evasive hands and pull them down between their two bodies which were now facing each other. The two men smiled, then Starsky leaned towards his partner and joined their mouths in a gentle kiss. When their lips parted, they looked into each other’s eyes.

“I love you so much,” Hutch said quietly.

“Ditto,” Starsky replied. “So how ’bout we go upstairs so I can check and make sure all your parts are in working order?”

“Sounds like a plan,” his partner replied. “You have any specials this week?”

Starsky smiled, enjoying their renewed camaraderie. “I can give you a deal on a lube job.”

They both started laughing so hard, they couldn’t even get up.

When their mirth subsided, Hutch said, “Oh, Starsk, I missed this. I missed you.”

“Me too, Blondie,” his partner replied with a smile that quickly turned lecherous. “Now about that service call?”

Suddenly the two men looked up as the back door opened. Danny’s head popped out. “Guys?” he called.

“Yeah, Danny, what’s up?” Hutch replied.

At the sound of their uncle’s voice, the twins ran past Danny, down the porch stairs and across the yard to the hammock.

“See ya!” the teen called, then waved and disappeared, closing the door behind him.

The men looked at the children standing beside the hammock.

“What happened to your sleepover?” Hutch asked.

“We missed you,” Adam answered.

“And we were scared, too,” Hannah confessed.

“Well, that’s OK, pumpkin,” the blond man said. “Maybe you can try again another time?”

The twins nodded and continued looking at them with interest. “Whatcha doin’ in there?” Adam asked. “Are you playing?”

“Nope,” Starsky answered. “We’re just talkin’.”

“Can we talk, too?” Hannah asked.

“Sure, hop in,” he replied and proceeded to help both children into the hammock. Soon they were all settled and Starsky resumed rocking it with his foot.

“Uncle Ken?”

“Yes, Hannah?”

“This is nice.”

The two men smiled at her comment, each staring up at the stars. “Yes it is nice, isn’t it?” The hammock continued rocking, and soon the two children fell asleep, tired from their adventures.

“Hutch?”

“Yeah?”

“I guess it’s not me and thee anymore.”

“You’re right, Starsk,” Hutch replied with a big smile, knowing exactly what his partner was going to say. “Instead of me and thee, now it’s ‘we’.”

“Has a nice ring to it, babe, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.”

The hammock rocked quietly long into the night.

THE END

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Chapter End Notes:

The next story in this series is Hostages to Fortune.