CHAPTER 13
 

Just five short days before Christmas the Torino decided to take a turn for the worse. He had suspected that something was wrong with it judging from the strange noises that had begun to emanate from under the hood lately…but he had decided whatever repairs it may need could wait until after the holidays. After paying the bills and shopping for presents…he was all
tapped out. Merle had given him the bad news this afternoon during a quick stop to check up on it. The bill would come to close to $300.00 and it would have to sit there until he could come up with the money. The thought of riding around in the bomb for the next couple of weeks and relying on Hutch for a ride anywhere else he needed to go was really putting a damper on his Christmas spirit.

Cassie could always catch a ride with Stacey so she wouldn’t be too inconvenienced by it…other than the fact that she wouldn’t be able to ask to borrow it for a while.

Merle would go ahead with the repairs on good faith since Starsky was one of his most loyal customers…although while the Torino was in his shop…he would have to conceal it from the rest of his clientele. It was to him almost an embarrassment to let anyone know that he actually allowed a car like that to drive into his shop. He DID after all have a certain reputation to
maintain …and that white Cop’s striped tomato was almost beneath being worthy of his mechanical genius. The few times that Starsky had talked him into working on Hutch’s car…he agreed out of friendship and out of the fact that when it came right down to it black or white…the money was always green.

That night when Cassie got home from work…Starsky waited for her to give her the bad news.

She turned the key in the door and then waved a friendly goodbye to Stacey as she pulled out of the drive. Then she stepped in and pulled her shoes off before speaking to him.

“Hi…where’s the Torino?” She asked as she spotted him lying on the couch with a sad look on his face.

“Merle’s got it…Water pump, Timing belt, and an oil leak.” He told her. “We’ll probably be without it for about two weeks.”

“It’s gonna take him that long to fix it?” She asked as she lifted his feet and sat them on her lap.

“No…it’s gonna take that long to come up with the money to pay him.” He added.

“How much money?”

“Close to Three Hundred.”

Cassie thought about it for a minute and then looked at him. The expression on his face was like a little boy who just wrecked  his new bike. He was really depressed.

“It’ll be alright…don’t worry.” She soothed as she rubbed her hands on top of his feet. “Hey…turn over.”

“What?…”

“Just roll over.” She told him. “Trust me.”

Starsky gave her a puzzled look for a moment but decided to go ahead and see what she was gonna do.

She got up and slowly sat down on his back…rubbing his shoulders and talking softly to him.

“I used to do this for my Dad…whenever he had a rough day.”

At first he didn’t know how to react as he felt her legs wrap around his back…her hands where soft and sensual as they rubbed slowly over his shoulders and around his neck.  He stiffened up for the first few moments but soon felt every muscle in his body relax. He knew it probably wouldn’t look too good if anyone where to walk in the apartment and catch them this
way…but it was just a message…and it felt too good to ask her to stop.

“Feel better now?” She asked after a few minutes. He hadn’t said anything and she didn’t know if he was nervous about what she was doing or if maybe he was having uneasy thoughts.

“Much better…” He told her softly. “I should have had you do this a long time ago.”

“I was afraid to cross any boundaries…” She said as she continued to rub him gently. “After all you’re NOT my father.”

Her warm body against his back and the constant pressure of her hands…over his shirt…under his shirt…on his skin. He hadn’t realized that she had lifted his shirt and now had her hands on his skin. It felt so good…it tingled throughout his entire body…until the sound of her voice caught his attention…it wasn’t just the words alone but the way she had said them.

“I know I’m NOT you’re father…so why do you bring that up?” He asked with a little defensiveness in his voice.

“Nothing it’s just that I didn’t think you would allow me to ever get this close to you." Her voice was hesitant…as if waiting eagerly for a response.

She hadn’t stopped her message and he hadn’t wanted her to but the conversation was getting a little uncomfortable…so to avoid her obvious question…he decided to play it off innocently.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me Cas…I’m harmless.” He sighed as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to take pleasure in the warmth of her soft touch.

“I know that….It’s just that …well…you’re all I have in the world.” She said softly. “I’d hate to drive you away.”

With that he turned halfway over to look at her. She had the beginning of tears in her eyes. So he pulled himself up to sit next to her…and put his arms around her.

“You’re not gonna do that…no matter what you do.” He said as he held her tightly.

She held back the lump in her throat but the tears fell uncontrollably as she looked into his eyes.

“I just love you so much.” She told him. Not really knowing how he would react…her body trembling a little at her own words.

He smiled down at her…she was so beautiful with her tear-filled brown eyes…full of truth and sadness as she looked at him. He didn’t ever want to loose her either. There where so many times that he hadn’t bothered to look past her rough exterior…her smart ass little comments…the mask that she put up in front of the rest of the world to hide the fact that deep down inside she was just a frightened little girl. Alone and dependant…gees it’s a wonder she hadn’t broken down before this.

“Hey…” He said as he held her by the back of the neck and kissed a salty tear from her cheek…and wiped the other side of her wet face with his hand. “I thought you were supposed to be cheering me up?”

She laughed a little at him and he hugged her tighter…

“I love you too…”
 

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  Chapter 14
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