Shoo Fly and Chicken Pot Pie

After delivering a prisoner to Pennsylvania, Starsky and Hutch have some time before they have to go home.

A 20 minute fic challenge (I went over time) to have Starsky and Hutch in your part of the world.

“And then we can go to the smorgasbord after we ride the steam train.”

Hutch stopped so abruptly that Starsky bumped into him. “What are you talking about?” He wiped his face as he stood in the heat of a south central Pennsylvania summer.

“We knew we wouldn’t be getting a flight back to Bay City from Harrisburg for three days, so I picked up these brochures while you were handing Bright over to the State Police at the airport.” Starsky pushed a few of them under Hutch’s nose. “The way I figure we can go to Lancaster County and see the sights. We’ve got a rental car.”

Hutch glared at his partner who appeared to not mind the heat at all. “God, how do they stand it?” He opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.

“Stand what?” Starsky tossed the brochures over to Hutch and handed him a map. “You can navigate.”

“Turn on the air conditioner,” Hutch said. “I’m going to die.”

Starsky glanced over at him. “Ah babe. You really mind this don’t you? It’s only 85 degrees.”

“It’s 90 degrees with god knows how much humidity.” Hutch adjusted the vents so they blew directly on him.

“65 percent today,” Starsky said as he pulled out of the parking lot. “Take us through Hershey, okay?”

“But that’s out of the way. We can get there quicker if we…”

“Hutch. Hutch. Hutch. Why are you in such a hurry? We got three days.” Starsky took one hand off the wheel to point at something. “Hey, look at that! It’s Three Mile Island.”

“Oh boy, maybe we can go and get some radiation poisoning.” Hutch shifted his legs. This damn car wasn’t big enough.

“It didn’t…never mind. Just look at the map and tell me what road to take.”

Hutch took a deep breath and glanced at Starsky who was smiling and happy and, thank all the deities Hutch didn’t believe in, alive and back on the force with him. Three days. Three days with Starsky—alone with no responsibilities. Except for the heat and humidity, it could be good. Right?

“Pull over,” Hutch said as they drove through Hershey a short time later. “You can’t look at them properly.”

He looked at Starsky looking at the Hershey Kiss shaped street lamps and grinned.

“I shoulda brought my camera. Didn’t even think of it,” Starsky said. “Maybe we can buy some postcards.”

“Yeah.”

They wound up in Intercourse about an hour or so later and Starsky couldn’t stop snickering after they’d checked into a small motel.

“Hey, Hutch. Get this, there’s a town called Blue Ball too,” Starsky said. “And Paradise. And Bird in Hand.”

Hutch lay on the bed, letting the cold air blow over him. “That so?” He’d be happy just lying here for the next three days instead of venturing out into the heat.

“C’mon.” Starsky tugged his hand. “Let’s get going.”

“Starsk.”

“Someone is gonna have blue balls if he doesn’t get off his ass in the next few minutes.”

Hutch got up although Starsky did reward him with a kiss for the effort.

They went on the steam train at Strasburg and Hutch had to admit the ride was fun if, for no other reason, than Starsky loving it so. He wished he could sit holding Starsky in his arms the way other couples did, but he settled for his thigh tight against Starsky’s and his arm over the back of the seat just skimming Starsky’s shoulders. It had to be enough until they were back in the room for the night.

The sky grew dark with ominous clouds as they drove to the smorgasbord restaurant.

“Gonna storm,” Hutch said. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a good old fashioned thunderstorm. Maybe it would help break the heat.

They made it into the restaurant just as the first crash of thunder sounded and the rain came down in buckets.

“There will be a forty five minute wait for a table,” the hostess said. “Feel free to visit our gift shop.”

They wandered the gift shop, and Starsky found plenty of postcards while Hutch found a few books about the Amish and their way of life. He had been surprised to see a few horse and buggies in a lean to on the restaurant parking lot. Even getting to the restaurant had taken longer than expected due to the buggies along with cars and trucks on the very busy road.

Soon it was time for them to be seated. Their table overlooked farmland and they had a view of both corn and cows. Lightning still flashed and thunder boomed as the waitress explained where the various stations of the smorgasbord were.

“At least we weren’t on the train when this started,” Starsky said. “You think it’s gonna last much longer?”

Hutch looked. He could see the clearing to the west. “It’ll be over by the time we’re done and ready to leave.”

Starsky nodded and then stood. “May as well get our food.”

They separated as they went to the stations. Hutch wound up getting some salads— tossed salad with dressing, something called pepper cabbage and a bright red egg picked in beet juice. He filled a plate with hot foods, surprised Starsky wasn’t there, and took some of the chicken pot pie which was nothing like a pot pie he knew. It was stewed chicken with squares of thick noodles.

He got back to the table at the same time as Starsky.

“What is that?” Hutch asked as he looked at Starsky’s tray.

“Dinner,” Starsky said as he sat and took up his fork.

“It’s…Starsky, you have nothing but desserts.”

“I know. Ain’t it great?” Starsky used his fork to point. “Coconut cream pie, cracker pudding, home made ice cream, apple dumpling, and shoo fly pie.”

Hutch just stared. “How are you gonna eat all that sugar?”

“Same way you’re gonna eat that…wait is that an egg?”

“Called a red beet egg,” Hutch said as he cut it. “You want to taste it?”

Starsky leaned forward. “Tell you what. I’ll eat some of that if you eat some of my shoo fly pie.” Starsky nudged his foot against Hutch’s under the table. “And…if you are a good boy and eat all your dessert here, I’ll make sure you get a reward back at the motel.”

Hutch hesitated and then gave into the inevitable. “I’ll get another plate.” Three days with Starsky in Intercourse weren’t going to be so bad after all.