A Bear to Remember

Summary:

An established relationship story, beginning just prior to Sweet Revenge, and ending many years later. The series is what happened in between. It was inspired by the first story in the series, A Bear to Remember. Friends wanted to know what happened in their lives together. And this series was born.

Part one of the series: A Fairy Tale Life. A short story that ended up giving birth to a happy ever after universe.

My first S/H story. An established relationship story, beginning just prior to Sweet Revenge, and ending many years later. The remainder of the series is what happened in between.

Originally published in 2002 in the Starsky & Hutch Zine, The Fix #22.

The pale light of the early morning sun filtered through the greenhouse windows as Hutch watered his make-shift garden. The golden haired man hummed softly as he moved amongst the greenery, carefully monitoring the moisture level of each of the plants. Pausing in front of a particularly lush fern, Hutch smiled, gently caressing its leaves.

“Starsky never thought you’d amount to anything, Matilda,” Hutch said as he inspected the delicate fronds. “You were in pretty rough shape when he pulled you out of that trash can.”

Hutch continued humming as he moved on to the next plant. ‘Starsky thinks I can save anything,’ he mused, shaking his head. As he stepped back and looked at the profusion of greenery, Hutch laughed at himself. Well, maybe Starsky was right. He certainly had a green thumb when it came to gardening. Too bad he couldn’t seem to nurture relationships quite so successfully.

The aroma of coffee drifted out from the kitchen, and Hutch checked his watch. If they were going to get to work on time, he better get moving. He quickly finished with the garden and walked into the kitchen, stopping to pour two mugs. One was left black, the other doctored with cream and sugar.

He carried both into the darkened bedroom and placed them on the bedside table. On the bed was a vision worthy of any Playgirl centerfold, Hutch thought, admiring the wealth of dark curls and tanned flesh spread out before him. The sheet had been kicked to the bottom of the bed, unveiling a masterpiece consisting of well-muscled legs, firm rounded buttocks, and a beautifully sculptured back.

A snuffle emerged from the face buried in the pillow, bringing the artwork to life. Hutch sat on the side of the bed, smiling as Starsky’s face turned toward him, eyes still closed. He reached out and touched the warm flesh of his lover’s back, caressing him lightly.

“Time to get up, babe.”

The darkly lashed blue eyes opened slowly. Starsky looked confused for a moment, then focused his gaze on his partner.

“What time is it?” he asked, then yawned widely.

“Almost six thirty,” Hutch answered as he watched Starsky roll over and stretch. His eyes gleamed as he watched the play of muscles under the tanned skin tense and relax. Unable to resist, he leaned down for a kiss. A light blue gaze met dark blue before both sets of eyes closed to savor the meeting of lips. Reluctantly, Hutch pulled back and sat up.

“Hey, we have time,” Starsky protested, reaching out for his lover. “A shower sounds interestin’, don’t you think?”

“Not this morning,” Hutch replying standing up to evade the seeking hands. “You’ve got to go home and change before work, remember?”

Starsky fell back on the bed and groaned.

“Shit, I forgot,” he sighed, then moved to sit up on the side of the bed, watching his partner open the blinds to let in the early morning sun.

“If we got a place together, this wouldn’t be a problem,” Hutch said quietly, turning to watch the other man. Starsky rolled off the bed and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on in silence. His body tense, he moved towards the bathroom.

“You’re mad, aren’t you?”

Starsky stopped at the bathroom door, but did not turn.

“Do we have to do this again, Hutch?”

“We have to do something.”

The darker man spun around to face his lover. “Why?”

“Because we’re not together.” Hutch mumbled

“Waddya mean, not together? We work together, we eat together, we sleep together…”

“But we don’t live together.” came the quiet response.

Starsky sighed heavily, hanging his head, the quiet statement effectively draining the tension from his body. “Oh Blondie, why can’t you understand?”

Hutch stood silently, not meeting the darker man’s eyes. With another sigh, Starsky grabs his shirt and walked out of the bedroom. Realizing his lover intended to leave, Hutch followed. “But I do understand, Starsk. I understand what you’re afraid of.”

“Do you? Do you understand the back-up that won’t come when we need it? Do you understand the cops that want to kill us just for being in love?”

“It might not be that way.”

Starsky laughed, a short barking sound. “Take off the rose colored glasses, babe. You saw what happened with Blaine. That’s just the way it is.”

“So that’s it then?” Hutch asked. “We’re always gonna hide?”

Starsky stared at his partner for a moment, not quite knowing what to say, then silently walked out the door.

Hutch stared at the closed door silently for several moments before turning and walking into the bedroom. Grabbing the coffee from the bedside table, he took a sip then spit the mouthful back into the mug. Too sweet, he thought, grimacing, realizing he had grabbed Starsky’s cup by mistake. He reached out and took a sip from his own mug, then carried both into the kitchen. After pouring the contents of both into the sink, Hutch turned and headed for the door, determined to get a better start on the day with some exercise.

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

Running down the sidewalk, Hutch watched the city awaken. Cars traversed up and down Ocean Avenue, some headed to work, others on their way to an early walk on the beach. He passed several others runners, nodding at familiar faces. Keeping a steady pace, he took a deep breath and tried to dissipate the tension still gripping his body.

It was a familiar argument, but one that seemed to have no resolution. Hutch wanted more, Starsky didn’t. Not true, he told himself. Starsky wanted more too, he was just afraid of the possible consequences of taking that final step of living together. ‘But damn the consequences,’ he thought, ‘we deserve this, we need this.’

Laughing softly to himself, Hutch amended his last thought. Who was he kidding? He was the one that needed it. He wanted to completely mesh his life, his very existence, with that of his partner. Hutch loved Starsky more than he had ever loved another human being. Was it so wrong to want everything? Hutch knew that his partner’s concerns were well founded. They would risk a lot taking that final step. Although some people knew or at least suspected the intimate turn their relationship had taken, they had only confirmed it to a very few.

Finally reaching the park, Hutch made a circuit of the grassy area, then began the return trip along the same path. He continued to dwell on his current problem. Unsuccessful intimate relationships seemed to be his forte, he mused. His own family, Vanessa, Abby, Gillian… Starsky was the only person who had ever accepted him for what he was, moods and all, and loved him unconditionally. Maybe he should just back off for now, Hutch thought. Their relationship had changed less than six months ago, deepening from a loving friendship to another kind of love.

His own impatience was putting a strain on their time together, dropping like a large rock into a placid lake, every time the issue arose. Always a believer in fate, Hutch realized he needed to back off and let nature take its course, so to speak. It wasn’t fair to Starsky to keep harping on this issue. Let it go, he thought, smiling as he felt a wave of peace pass through him. If it was going to happen, it would.

More relaxed than he had been for days, Hutch rounded the corner, turning onto his own street. He frowned as he saw a child standing alone on the sidewalk outside his door. Slowing his steps, Hutch quietly approached the small figure.

“Are you OK?” he asked, smiling softly at the tear streaked face that looked up at him. Kneeling to bring himself down to her level, he reached out and took the girl’s small hands in his larger ones reassuringly. “What’s your name?”

Blonde and blue eyed, the girl stared at Hutch warily, sniffling and obviously trying not to cry. He could tell she wanted comfort, but was still afraid.

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” the girl replied to his query. She took a deep breath, and stifled a sob.

“That’s very smart,” the detective replied softly, “but sometimes everyone needs help. Do you need help?” The little girl nodded, eyes never wavering from his. “Then I’m just the person you need. I’m a policeman. Do you know what that is?” China blue eyes widened as a more vigorous nod came from the small figure. “I’m Detective Hutchinson, what’s your name?”

“Emily” came the soft reply. Hutch smiled reassuringly, then looked around.

“Where’s your mother, Emily?”

The blue eyes widened even further, then filled with tears. A sob escaped, releasing the flood as tears overflowed down small cheeks.

“They took her aw-aw-awaaaaaay…..”

Then the little girl lost the last of her control and flung herself into Hutch’s arms, crying piteously. He hugged her protectively and looked around. Seeing Mrs. Sanchez from the bakery standing in her doorway, he called her over.

“What is wrong with the little girl, Senor Hutch?”

“I’m not quite sure yet,” he replied, as he tried to soothe the still crying child. Reluctantly pulling her arms from around his neck, he moved the girl away from him. “Emily, you have to help me find your mother.” That statement seemed to get her attention, and the sobs slowed, even if the tears didn’t.

“Who took your mother away?” he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“The m-m-men in the t-t-truck.”

Hutch looked around again quickly, then glanced up at his neighbor.

“Mrs. Sanchez, did you see anything going on out here?” he asked.

“No, I just got here. I came in the back way,” she replied. “Who took her mother?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Hutch placed his hands on the little girl’s shoulders and met her eyes. “Emily, can you be brave and stay with Mrs. Sanchez while I go call for help?” Emily nodded and Hutch stood. “Can you keep her here while I go upstairs and call this in?”

“Of course,” the matronly woman replied, then reached down and took the little girl’s hand.

Hutch took one last look around then moved quickly up the stairs to his apartment. Grabbing the key from the lintel, he opened the door and went to the phone. Calling dispatch, he reported what little information he had then hung up. Realizing he was now working whether he wanted to or not, Hutch pulled off his sweatshirt and quickly replaced it with a t-shirt. He put on his holster and jacket and headed back to the door.

Glancing to the right, Hutch noticed Ollie sitting on top of the piano. It was just what was needed to distract the young girl, he thought, and grabbed the bear from its perch before heading back down the staircase.

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

The Torino moved slowly through the early morning traffic. Starsky swore as a blue Chevy cut him off then he had to brake for an inconvenient red light. ‘Another shitty beginning to another shitty day,’ he thought, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.

It was the same old argument, the dark haired man reflected. Hutch had to know the dangers that they would face if their relationship became common knowledge. Starsky knew his partner’s heart was in the right place, but his head surely wasn’t.

The car moved forward as the light changed, but it didn’t get far before being held up in the stop and go traffic. The commute from Hutch’s beach side apartment to Starsky’s more suburban home usually took about twenty minutes, except in the mornings when everyone who lived at the beach tried to make their way into the city for the day. Today it seemed worse, Starsky thought, although he was sure it had less to do with the traffic volume and more to do with his horrible attitude.

His partner just didn’t understand. Or maybe it was that Hutch just didn’t want to understand, the detective considered.

“Stubborn be thy name, partner o’ mine,” Starsky said fondly. “You want what you want when you want it. Not that it’s always a bad thing.” He chuckled to himself as he contemplated his best friend, partner, and now his lover. God, he really loved the big, blond lummox. Starsky kept smiling at the thought, frustration at the traffic lessening.

The radio crackled to life. “Zebra Seven, Zebra Seven…possible kidnapping…address 1027 Ocean Avenue…please respond….”

“This is Zebra Seven, we are responding, code three”

“Oh, shit, that’s Hutch’s place!”

The Torino braked abruptly, then horns blared as the car swung a wide U turn, forcing other traffic out of its way. What the hell had Hutch gotten himself into now, thought the dark haired detective as he sped up, weaving his way in and out of traffic.

Even at top speed, he knew it would take another 10 minutes to get back to Venice Place. Starsky considered calling in for more details, then decided against it, preferring to get himself there as fast as possible.

“I just left ya, Blondie,” he muttered, clearly worried. “If I hadn’t left this morning…” his voice trailed off. If something happened to Hutch, he didn’t know what he would do. “Stupid, stupid,” he continued mumbling. They faced danger every day, at home and at work, Starsky thought. At least if they were together, they had a fighting chance. Was it really added danger keeping them apart, or was it really his own fears?

Tired squealed as the red car rounded another corner, crossing the divider to pass some traffic before continuing on.

“Please be okay,” Starsky pleaded to the deities. “Please just be okay.”

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

“His name’s Ollie and he’s very brave.” The little girl reached up to take the offered bear. Ollie was quickly examined and then hugged close. The tall man knelt down again. “Ollie took really good care of a friend of mine, you know.”

“He did?”

“Yep, he sure did.” Hutch replied, hoping the bear would help comfort the girl. “And he can help take care of you too. Can you be brave like Ollie?” he asked. The girl nodded, clutching the tan bear even closer, burying her face in his fur. “Can you tell me about what happened? To Mommy?”

The head nodded again, but no sound emerged.

“How about if I start? You were walking down the street with Mommy….?” Another nod.

“A truck pulled up…?” The head shook back and forth.

“It didn’t?” Another shake, then the small face emerged.

“Mommy got sick,” the little girl answered. “She fell down. I ran…”

“You ran for help?” Hutch asked.

“But I got lost…” another sob followed, and Ollie was clutched more tightly and the small face disappeared again in the fur. Hutch reached out and stroked her hair soothingly. He was beginning to have an idea what had happened, and thankfully it wasn’t a crime.

“How about if I finish?” he asked, watching for the nod. “You got back and saw an ambulance taking away your mother.” Vigorous nodding and the small face made a reappearance.

“She has Beetees.”

“Beetees?” Hutch asked, looking up at Mrs. Sanchez for help. Deciphering child speak had never been one of his strong points.

“Diabetes, perhaps, Senior Hutch?”

A squad car pulled up to the curb, and Hutch walked over to talk to the patrolmen. “Call County General and see if they just admitted a woman to emergency with a pick up from this location, will you Steve?” The patrolman nodded and called dispatch. Glancing back at his charge and seeing everything was under control, Hutch turned and greeted the other officer. “Hey, Tom.”

“Hey, Hutch. No kidnapping?”

“No, thank God,” he replied. “Looks like the attendants took the mom, but left the little girl behind. Probably didn’t even know they belonged together.”

“Poor thing,” Tom answered. “What’s up?” he asked his partner, who had just replaced the mike.

“Hutch, she’s there. Screaming for her baby.”

“Call ’em back and say she’s fine,” Hutch told them then asked, “If I can get Mrs. Sanchez to go with you, will you run her over to County?”

“Sure, Hutch, no problem,” came the reply.

“Thanks.”

Hutch walked back over and asked Mrs. Sanchez if she would mind escorting Emily back to her mother. “She probably would be better with you.” The older woman agreed instantly, placing her hand on the little girl’s head.

The detective then knelt down once more to talk to the child.

“Emily, we found your mother,” he explained. “She’s at the hospital and she can’t wait to see you. Mrs. Sanchez is going to take you to see her, okay?”

“Okay”

“C’mon, chiquita,” the woman urged, reaching down for the young girl’s hand and began walking with her toward the patrol car. One of the officers opened the door to let them in the back, but suddenly the little girl broke away and ran back to Hutch.

“Here’s your bear,” Emily held out Ollie. Hutch quickly made his decision.

“No, Emily, I think Ollie should stay with you.” The bear was again hugged tightly. “He needs someone to take care of. I’ve been watching him for a friend that had to go away, but I think she would like it very much if he went to live with you. He’s a very special friend. You will take good care of him?” The small blonde head nodded solemnly.

Hutch smiled down at the child. “Go now, your mother is waiting for you.” Emily ran back to the patrol car and got in. The car moved away from the curb and the detective watched as it drove away.

“Ya did the right thing, Blondie.”

Hutch turned around and saw his partner leaning against the building next to the apartment entrance.

“Where did you come from?” he asked, walking towards the lounging detective.

“I heard the kidnapping call,” Starsky replied, “I was racin’ over here figurin’ I had to rescue you again when I heard that it was a lost little girl and not a missing dumb cop. I parked around the corner so I didn’t scare the kid.”

Hutch stood directly in front of his partner, and the two men gazed at each other, smiling.

“You were gonna rescue me, huh?”

“I *always* have to rescue ya, Blintz,” Starsky replied, then pushed away from the building and slung his arm around the taller man’s waist, steering him toward the door of Venice Place. “You need me.”

Hutch returned the gesture, placing his arm around Starsky’s shoulder and opened the door to the stairs. As the two men moved inside and the door closed behind them, they moved into each other’s arms. Always better together than apart.

Epilogue

The light from the setting sun peeked through the leaves of the large shade tree, painting a dappled pattern across the lawn. The golden haired man looked with satisfaction at the beginning of this year’s vegetable garden. Wincing, his hands massaged his aching lower back. He laughed quietly to himself, a reminder that he was not as young as he used to be.

“Hey, Hutch, c’mere quick!” the anxious voice called from the direction of the house. Realizing from the tone of the voice that was an urgent call, not an emergent one, the lean figure moved toward the house, wondering what his partner had to show him. He loped up the stairs and crossed the broad porch, opening the screen door and walked toward the noise in the den.

“Hurry up, will ya, old man,” called the familiar and beloved voice. Walking into the den, Hutch moved quickly to sit next to Starsky on the couch. Obviously something on the TV had caught his always mercurial interest.

“So what’s the excitement?” Hutch drawled, draping his arm over his lover’s shoulders.

“You’re not gonna believe this, Blondie,” his excitable partner replied. “Watch this next story coming up right after the commercial.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just wait, will ya!” came the impatient reply, then he was shushed as the commercial ended and the evening news returned.

Anchor: “And now for the Good News of the Day, we take you live to Headquarters and Police Chief Cooper.” The scene changed to a podium on the steps of the Municipal Building. “The Los Angeles County Police are happy to announce new funding has been received for our Teddy Bear program. This program, like those gaining popularity all across the country, provides teddy bears to be stocked in all police cars, to be used to calm and comfort frightened children that police officers encounter on various calls. I would like to turn the podium over to the program’s generous patron.” The Chief stepped away, allowing a well dressed woman in her early thirties to step up, an old, worn teddy bear in her arms.

“Do you see it, Hutch!” Starsky said excitedly, pointing to the screen. “It’s Ollie!”

Hutch quickly shushed his partner, then leaned toward the TV.

“My name is Emily Sanders and I am donating this money because I believe in the effectiveness of these programs and believe the children of Los Angeles County will be the beneficiaries. Many years ago, I was a small child, lost and confused. I was rescued by a police officer whose name I don’t even remember, but to comfort me, he gave me this bear named Ollie. It made what was a terrifying situation a little more tolerable. For that officer, for the children, and most especially for Ollie, I hope this donation is sufficient to keep the program in operation for years to come.”

Hutch sat stunned, staring at the TV. He turned to look at his partner. “I can’t believe it,” he said softly. “That was Ollie.”

Starsky smiled at him fondly. “I said ya done good, didn’t I, Blondie?” Looking back at the TV, he commented softly, “I think Terry woulda been so proud to see this. In her own way, she’s still helping children.”

Hutch’s gaze caressed the beloved features of his mate, noticing the gray blending in with the still dark curls. It was time for more of that Grecian Formula stuff, although he knew Starsky would deny it fiercely. And more wrinkles graced the mobile face, laugh lines they both called them. There had been much laughter in the last twenty two years, along with trying times and their share of heartache. But together they had weathered it all.

“That was a turning point for us, Starsk,” Hutch commented to his lover. “Not long after that, we moved in together, remember?”

“Yeah, of course I remember,” the darker man replied. “We decided we could face anything together.”

“Better together than apart, right, old man?”

“Hey, who you callin’ an old man?” Starsky said, leaning closer, a gleam in his eye. “You’re askin’ for it!”

Hutch tried to escape the couch, but his partner’s fingers were faster. Nimble fingers tickled his sides and he fell to the side, Starsky right on top of him.

“Stop!” he cried, giggling as he tried to squirm out from underneath the attacking man.

“Say it!”

“No!” The fingers became more aggressive in their attack, and soon Hutch was breathless. “Okay, okay. You’re the best cook!” he shouted, laughing as the man above him stopped tickling him and relaxed, resting quietly. Hutch’s arms came up and wrapped around Starsky and the two men lay peacefully on the couch.

“I love you,” Starsky whispered, “But you know you stink right now.”

“You just want to go fool around in the shower,” Hutch commented. “I’m comfortable right here.”

“No, you really do stink, Hutch,” the dark haired man complained, but made no effort to move. Quiet reigned for a few minutes. “Ya know, a shower sounds interestin’, don’t you think?”

Hutch laughed, pulling his lover closer. Nothing changed and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End

Chapter End Notes:

The next story, Family Matters, was also published in The Fix #22;- I have added back a scene that was removed – Martha thought the pot smoking scene didn’t fit – I’m not married to it, so if you want to take it out too, that’s fine. I just thought it was funny.