‘With This Ring…’ – By Stephanie White

Ken Hutchinson woke up slowly. He was drifting in a sea of contentment. For a brief moment, he couldn’t place the feeling…until the source of that feeling moved next to him. He gently tightened the hold on the woman lying beside him. Smokey Bear slowly woke up and nuzzled his chest. She opened her eyes and looked into the beautiful blue eyes of a very happy man.

“Morning Sunshine,” he said quietly.

She turned to look at the clock. With a small groan, she said, “It’s too early to be calling me sunshine. I don’t shine until my first cup of coffee.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I could think of one or two things that might do just as well…” he said as he leaned down to kiss her.

She smiled into the kiss for a brief moment before gradually deepening it. She could feel his hands roving over her body and she leaned into him. She moved her mouth off of his and began kissing her way down his body until he grasped her shoulders, rolled her over so that he was on top of her and started doing the same thing to her (This story is NOT rated NC-17, so fill in the blanks from here…).

An hour or so later, both parties decided that coffee wasn’t all that necessary to a good morning.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After Smokey and Hutch had taken a shower - separately (They’d never leave the house otherwise!) and fed Pippa, they were just sitting down to breakfast when the phone rang.

“Hello?” Smokey said as she answered the phone. “Harrie! What a surprise! You usually call on Sundays…this IS only Saturday, isn’t it? You are? When? Okay, hang on…I gotta find a piece of paper.” Smokey scrounged frantically around her kitchen looking for a piece of paper until Hutch appeared in front of her with not only a small pad of paper, but a pen as well. She pulled the phone away from her face just long enough to give him a quick kiss and then she returned to her sister on the phone.

“Okay, go ahead…yeah…Flight 1338…TWA…Monday at 10:30 in the evening…got it! Yeah, I’ll pick you up. Are you staying here? Oh come on! Pippa will behave…she likes you. No, not just for lunch! Okay, fine. You’re staying at a hotel, whatever. You…what? I don’t know. I’d have to ask him. Okay, yeah, I will. Yeah, I’ll see you Monday. No, I’ll be there! Yeah, okay. Love you…bye.”

Hutch walked over to her and presented the coveted cup of coffee. “Your sister’s coming to town?”

“Yeah, Monday. Can’t imagine why, she says she just wants to visit. That’s not like her. She probably has something up her sleeve. When she says she JUST wants to do something, that JUST is usually only about 10% of what she really means.”

“This ought to be interesting, then.” Hutch said as he put his arms around her.

He was just leaning in for a kiss when she said, “You think Starsky would double with us? She was saying she didn’t want to be the proverbial third wheel and she thought Starsky would be a safe bet for company.”

“Starsky…a SAFE BET?” Hutch said with mock horror. “She MUST be joking!”

“Oh stop it, you!” Smokey playfully slapped him on the arm. “Do you think he’d agree?”

“Yeah, probably. I know he thought your sister was cute the last time he met her. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind playing escort for a week or so.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You want me to do what?” Starsky stared at his partner as though he had just sprouted wings and a third arm. “What am I, a gigolo?”

“Come on, Starsk! You’ve met her before. She’s a nice kid. She just doesn’t want to be a third wheel with Smokey and me. She’s only staying two weeks! It’s not like I’m asking you to marry her!”

Starsky sighed. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Then, as Hutch started to thank him profusely, he added, “on one condition.”

‘Okay, here it comes!’ Hutch thought to himself. What he said was, “Alright, what?”

“I get to pick where we eat lunch every day for the next month!” Starsky grinned in anticipation of what he was going to be able to eat and what he would get his health-conscious partner to ingest. “Starting after Harrie leaves!”

Hutch rolled his eyes. Was Smokey’s happiness really worth a month of heartburn? Okay, dumb question. “You’ve got a deal, Starsk.”

Starsky turned a full, 100-watt lopsided grin on his partner. Hutch decided that seeing that smile directed at him was also well worth a month of heartburn.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hutch didn’t accompany Smokey to the airport at her request. She wanted some quality time alone with her sister when she arrived and he agreed. Instead, he went to Starsky’s and the two of them made popcorn and watched old movies on TV.

About 9:30, there was a knock on the door. Starsky and Hutch looked at each other and then Starsky pulled himself out of his chair to answer it. He opened the door to see an attractive blonde and brunette standing at the door.

“Smokey! Harrie, isn’t it?” Starsky said. “I thought you weren’t comin’ in ‘til later!”

“I got an earlier flight,” the brunette said with a shrug.

“Well, don’t just stand there, come in!” Starsky ushered the ladies in with a flourish. “Hey Hutch, we got company!”

Hutch turned around from his position on the couch and his face lit up when he saw who was there. He got off the couch and went around to welcome Smokey with a kiss.

“Hey, Beautiful,” Hutch said affectionately. “Didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“Disappointed?” Smokey asked with a wink.

“Never!” Hutch said. The kiss Smokey gave him proved to him that it was the correct thing to say.

“Ahem…” Came the sound of two throats being cleared. Starsky and Harrie looked at each other with a grin. Finally, the blonde couple came up for air and remembered that they weren’t alone in the room. Hutch blushed and Smokey suddenly found the ceiling extremely interesting.

“Sorry,” Hutch said, a little shamefacedly. “Guess we got a bit carried away.”

“Any more carried away and I woulda had to dump a bucket of ice on you two.” Starsky said with a grin.

“Oh, couldn’t we do that anyway?” Harrie asked with an evil glint in her eye. Starsky looked at her in surprise…with a hint of admiration.

Starsky seemed to consider it then shook his head. “Nah. It’s tempting I’ll admit, but both of us gotta spend a lot of time with these two and I know at least Hutch has a vengeful streak in him.”

“Smart move, Starsk.” Hutch said with an evil grin.

Harrie nodded. “You’re right. I forgot the sort of things she used to think up for me when we were kids.”

“I’m glad you remembered,” Smokey said menacingly. Then she laughed. “Okay guys. My kid sister’s in town and it’s still early. What’re we doing?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Starsky and Hutch took the ladies to a local dance club where they danced the night away. By the end of the night, Starsky and Harrie were dancing close together and acting like they had known each other their whole lives.

Afterwards, they went back to Starsky’s so Smokey could get her car and take her sister to her hotel. Harrie actually had another idea.

“Hey, Dave, could I stay here tonight? I just don’t think I could face getting into a car again. I mean, after seven hours on a plane and then half an hour in a car from the airport and then to the club and back - it’s just I think I’m about traveled out for the day.

Starsky looked at the small brunette and then he looked at the two blonde people standing by his front door. Hutch just shrugged.

Smokey made a small sound of resignation and said, “What are you looking at me for? I don’t mind one way or the other.”

“Uh…I guess so,” Starsky said, unsure of how to handle this situation.

“Great! Let me just get my bag from the trunk. Smokey, why don’t you walk me down and you can just go home.”

Smokey looked at Hutch and shrugged. She gave him a quick kiss goodnight and followed her sister out to the car.

Hutch turned to his partner, “Starsky, are you crazy? I mean I know she’s an attractive girl and all, but you just met her and she’s Smokey’s sister for God’s sake!”

“Hutch, would you relax! I ain’t gonna do anything. I’ll sleep on the couch. It ain’t like I’m gonna ravage ‘er or anything. She just wants a place to sleep so she don’t have to get into another car tonight.”

“Are you sure you can handle it, Gordo?”

“Would you just take it easy? I’ll be a good little boy. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Okay, if you’re sure…” Hutch said doubtfully.

“Relax Babe. I ain’t gonna do anything to hurt you or Smokey. Now why don’t you go on home? We’ll be fine.”

Hutch headed slowly out the door, stepping out of the way for Harrie to re-enter the apartment. As he left, he shot Starsky a look that said ‘you behave!’ Starsky rolled his eyes at his partner and moved to lock the door behind him. Then he turned to face the attractive girl standing in his living room.

“You wanna sleep in the bedroom? I can take the couch.”

“I didn’t mean for you to give up your bed Dave. I can take the couch.”

“Hey, I know how uncomfortable an airplane seat is. Take the bed.”

“Are you sure?”

“What is it with people asking me are you sure? First Hutch, now you?” Starsky smiled to show her that he was teasing. She smiled back at him.

“You wanna use the bathroom first?” he asked her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Then next morning, Starsky and Harrie drove out to Smokey’s place to meet Hutch and Smokey. Hutch looked out the window to see Starsky coming up the walk with his arm around Harrie’s shoulders and her arm around his waist. Then, as he watched, she slid her arm down and around Starsky’s hip and…er…grabbed herself a handful. Hutch watched as his partner smiled and did absolutely nothing to remove the errant hand from its new resting place.

‘Damn it! I told him not to take advantage!’ Hutch thought angrily to himself. ‘Great! Just great!’

He pasted a smile on his face for Smokey’s sake and went to the door to let the new couple in.

“Hey, Hutch.” Harrie said with a smile. “Where’s that sister of mine?”

“She’s out back with Pippa. If you want to go on back…”

“No way! It’s a pretty cat and all, but I’m not cat food!”

Starsky grinned, “Come on, I’ll take you back there. That cat loves me. If I tell her not to have you for lunch, she won’t.”

“My hero!” Harrie said doing a very good mock damsel-in-distress.

Starsky chuckled and reached down and playfully tapped her nose with one finger. “You behave, huh?”

“Make me!” She squealed as she swatted him on the behind and took off. Starsky let out a whoop and started to run after her, only to be stopped by his partner’s voice.

“STARSKY!” Hutch did NOT sound happy.

“What the matter, Blintz?” Starsky turned around to come face to face with a furious Hutch.

“You slept with her, didn’t you?” Hutch’s voice was low and angry.

“What?” Starsky looked confused. “No I didn’t! We didn’t do anything last night. We just talked! She’s a great kid!”

“Starsky, a girl doesn’t grab your ass like that if all you did was talk!”

“C’mon Hutch! It ain’t my fault the girl’s a flirt!” Starsky grinned. “Besides, if a great lookin’ chick is gonna grab my ass, then who am I to argue?”

Hutch started to say something else when the sisters came back into the room. Harrie came running in and jumped on Starsky’s back. Starsky, surprised, went down on his knees. He recovered quickly, flipped around and straddled her so that he could tickle her mercilessly.

Smokey meantime, came over and put an arm around Hutch’s waist. She looked at the two overgrown kids playing on the floor and said quietly, “Nice to see they’ve hit it off so well, don’t you think?”

“Uh…yeah.” Hutch said, not entirely convinced it was such a good thing.

Finally, from underneath Starsky, there came a breathless voice, “UNCLE!”

Starsky laughed and stood up, offering a hand to the fallen girl. She pulled herself up and allowed her momentum to propel her into his chest for an impromptu hug. Starsky hugged her back before rumpling her hair and turning to face the other two people in the room.

“So, what are we doing today?” He asked with a smile.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The four of them went sightseeing. Starsky, Hutch and Smokey enjoyed playing tourist – almost as much as the ‘real’ tourist: Harrie. They took each other’s pictures in front of all the cheesy landmarks they could find and occasionally pretended to be lost so they could ask for directions (Smokey and Harrie invented this game because as we all know, men don’t stop for directions!).

“Do you think all people give wrong directions on purpose?” Starsky asked as the third person of the day directed them at least five miles out of the way of their destination. “Or is LA populated by idiots who don’t know where they are?”

Smokey grinned. “A bit of both, I’d be willing to bet. Wouldn’t you say, Hutch?”

“I’m leaning towards the idiot theory, myself.” Hutch said with a smile.

“I’d have to agree.” Harrie said. “It seems to me that most of these people couldn’t find their own…”

“Harrie!”

“You know what I mean,” she finished, rolling her eyes at her sister.

“Idiots or intentional, I don’t care.” Hutch said. “I only know I’m starving. Where should we go for dinner?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Hey Hutch, where’s your other half man?” Huggy said as Hutch entered the Pits alone for the third night in a row.

“He’s out with Smokey’s sister.” Hutch shrugged. “I don’t know, Hug. I hope he’s not falling for her. I mean she DOES live in Florida. Long distance relationships don’t usually work out. I’m just afraid he’s gonna get hurt.”

“Relax, m’man! Starsky’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.” Huggy studied the depressed man at the bar. “I think you’re jealous.”

“Jealous? What are you talking about? Jealous of what?”

“Jealous of the fact that your partner is spendin’ more time with this chick than with you.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Hutch said unconvincingly, squirming inwardly as Huggy’s comment struck its targeted nerve. “I’m just upset because I know who’s going to have to pick up the pieces of his broken heart when she leaves him.”

“Yeah, sure.” Huggy said sarcastically, scowling at him. “Wanna beer?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Within a week of her arrival, Harrie had been spending all her nights at Starsky’s apartment. Starsky kept insisting to Hutch that there was nothing going on and Hutch pretended to take his word for it, but he could also tell that the dark-haired man was hiding something from him.

“Would you relax, Hutch? I keep tellin’ ya. There ain’t nothin’ goin’ on! I mean, she’s a great girl and I really like her a lot, but I’M NOT SLEEPING WITH HER!” Starsky said. Then he looked around at the other officers staring at him and he realized that he had said that last sentence rather louder than he had intended. He blushed and said, “Do you mind?”

The other people in the squad room quickly turned and went back to what they were doing.

“’Sides, as big a flirt as she is, she says she’s waitin’ for marriage for the real thing.”

“Guess you’ll have to marry her then,” Hutch said bitterly.

“What is your problem?” Starsky asked irritably. “First you want me to make her feel not left out and now you want me to…what…leave her out of it?”

“No, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Okay?” Hutch snapped. Then his voice softened. “She’s going back to Florida in another week and I don’t want you getting too attached to her. I just don’t want to see you get your heart broken.”

“Look, don’t worry about me, okay?” Starsky said. “I know what I’m doing. There’s nothing going on here, okay? No one’s gonna get hurt!”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?” Hutch asked.

Starsky looked at him. For a brief second, there was a flash of guilt in those expressive violet eyes, and then it was gone. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. There’s nothin’ I ain’t tellin’ you that you don’t need to know. Okay?”

Hutch looked suspiciously at his partner for another brief moment before shrugging and returning to his report.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next day, Starsky and Hutch had to be in court early to testify. Dobey gave them the rest of the day off as a reward for finishing this case so quickly. The partners were done before the lunch recess and had the entire afternoon off to look forward to.

“Hey Starsk,” Hutch said as he loosened his tie. “You wanna do something this afternoon?”

Starsky was also pulling off his tie. “I would, but Harrie and me’re goin’ out. Maybe tonight?”

“That’s okay, Starsk.” Hutch said bitterly as he headed for his car. “I wouldn’t want to come between you two.”

“Hutch?” Starsky called after him. Hutch didn’t even turn around. Starsky stood in the corridor watching his partner stalk off, feeling guilty that he couldn’t tell the blond man the truth about Harrie. But a promise is a promise!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Starsky pulled the Torino up to his apartment and honked the horn. In a very few seconds, Harrie came bounding out to the car. She got into the passenger seat and the car slid smoothly out of its parking spot. A block away, a car pulled out behind them.

As he drove, Hutch was glad that he was able to get a loaner car from Merle when he dropped the LTD off for an unscheduled tune-up. This way, Starsky wouldn’t recognize him. He had to see for himself that there was really nothing going on between his partner and the pretty brunette.

‘Look at yourself Hutchinson!’ he thought to himself. ‘Following him like a jealous spouse! Huggy was right. You should just turn around and trust your partner not to do anything stupid!’

Another voice broke into these thoughts, ‘What will you do if he decides to marry her and move to Florida?’

The original voice was back, ‘don’t be ridiculous! Starsky wouldn’t leave me like that.’

‘He IS very fond of her!’ Came the voice of the devil’s advocate.

‘Yeah, but…’ the voice of reason was losing this round. Hutch sighed and watched the Torino pull into the mall parking lot. He followed at a discreet distance and found a parking spot near the Striped Tomato. He pulled a baseball cap over his blond hair and followed the brunette couple into the mall.

The first place they went was to a large department store. Hutch followed them as Starsky and Harrie teased each other and played among the racks of clothing – each pulling out something more ridiculous for the other to wear than the thing before. Then they headed downstairs. Hutch rode the escalator behind them, careful to keep several people between him and his surveillance target.

He followed them around the aisles until they stopped at the bridal registry. Hutch’s eyes widened as he realized what department the couple was now shopping in.

‘Relax!’ came the voice of reason. ‘She probably has a wedding gift she needs to buy.’

Not to be outdone, the devil’s advocate voice piped up with, ‘or maybe they’re getting themselves registered!’

‘Starsky would tell you if he were getting married. You know that!’ The voice of reason spoke.

‘Of course, you also know he’s hiding something from you.’ the devil’s advocate firmly stomped on Hutch’s trust in his partner in this particular situation.

As Starsky and Harrie walked away from the woman at the registry desk, Hutch discreetly positioned himself to look over the woman’s shoulder to try to read the couple in question’s names. All he could make out was the bride’s name: Harriet Joyce Smith.

The voice of reason piped up, ‘You’re on your own with this one!’

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hutch had to hurry to catch up to his target couple. He finally found them at the perfume counter chasing each other with the tester bottles.

Hutch rolled his eyes and wondered if his partner was really just an oversized twelve-year old.

After a few minutes of laughing, Starsky and Harrie left the department store – under the watchful glare of the perfume counter representative. Hutch followed them out and around the mall. They stopped in the food court for a late lunch and then goofed around in the toy store for a while. Then…oh dear…then they went to the jewelry store.

Hutch watched his partner and fiancée (?) as they browsed the counters. He saw the salesman walk up to them and he waited for them to tell him they were just looking. But no! He saw Harrie point to something under glass and the salesman retrieve the item in question. From where he was standing, Hutch couldn’t make out at first what they were looking at. Then his world came crashing down at his feet when she saw her take the item from the salesman and examine it before she slipped it onto Starsky’s left ring finger. Then he saw Starsky take another ring from the salesman and put it onto her left ring finger.

‘Told you so!’ said the devil’s advocate’s voice.

Hutch couldn’t watch any longer. He turned around and dragged back to his car. What was he supposed to do now? Starsky was leaving him…getting married and moving to Florida! Marrying a girl he’s only known a week and a half! It was like a nightmare – only he wasn’t asleep. A week and a half - he’d been dating Smokey for nearly nine months and he was only just now starting to think about marriage. How could Starsky do this? How could Harrie? How was he going to tell Smokey?

With his thoughts in a whirl, he got into the loaner car and headed for the zoo.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meredith knocked on Smokey’s office door. “Hey, your gorgeous blond is here to see you.”

Smokey grinned at her secretary. “Okay, send him in.”

“He got a friend?” Meredith asked. “There can’t be another one as good as him out there, is there?”

“His partner’s not bad,” Smokey said. “If you happen to like dark hair, a great smile and the tightest ass that you’ve ever seen on a guy!”

“It’s a good start,” Meredith said with a chuckle. Then, as she pulled her head back out of the office she said, “Okay, I’ll send him on in.”

Hutch walked in and kissed Smokey hello, but she could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

“Okay, what gives? What’s wrong, Love?”

“I don’t suppose Harrie has said anything to you about getting engaged, has she?”

“Engaged? I know there was a guy she was sort of seeing in Florida, but I didn’t get the impression it was too serious, why?”

“I meant engaged to Starsky.”

Smokey actually laughed out loud at this suggestion. “Starsky? You’ve got to be kidding! She’s only known him a week an a half!”

“I was following them today.” Then, as she started to scold him he said, “I know. It was petty and stupid. I should trust my partner and I do…normally. Huggy thinks I’m jealous of your sister and maybe I am. He’s been spending nearly all of his off time with her.”

Smokey chuckled, “I think that’s kind of sweet, actually. You were jealous enough to tail your partner. So, did you discover anything?”

Hutch nodded. “First they went to the bridal registry of a department store.”

“Maybe one of them had to get a wedding gift.”

“I managed to see the bride’s name. It was Harrie.”

“No.” Smokey shook her head. “She would have told me if she was engaged.”

“Then, they went to a jewelry store. They were trying on wedding rings!”

Smokey looked at him skeptically. “That can’t be right. Have you tried…oh, I don’t know…TALKING to him?”

He nodded. “He just told me that there are things I don’t need to know.”

Smokey looked at him – she was starting to believe him. “Look, I’ll talk to her tonight and you try talking to Starsky again. There’s gotta be a logical explanation for this.”

“Yeah,” Hutch said sadly. “He’s moving to Florida. He’s leaving me.”

“NO!” Smokey said firmly. “There is NOTHING that could come between you two.”

“You never met Kira.” Hutch said bitterly. “She managed.”

“Kira?”

“Fellow detective…bitch. She got her kicks playing Starsky and me against each other. Nearly destroyed our friendship. It took Starsky nearly dying to get us back on track.”

“Well, that’s not happening here. So maybe he does move to Florida. You’ll miss him, but the bond you two have won’t snap over a distance. It’s way too strong for that.”

“I wish I could believe that.” Hutch said. “I just don’t want to have to miss him! He belongs here with me! We’re partners! Partner’s are supposed to stick together!”

Smokey wrapped her arms around Hutch and he buried his face in her hair. She could feel him trembling and guessed (accurately) that he was trying not to cry.

“Hey, come on! It’ll work out! I still say there’s got to be a logical explanation for all this.”

Hutch took a deep breath and straightened up. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“Besides, even if he is gonna marry her, there’s nothing to say she won’t decide to stay here.” She touched his cheek gently and smiled up at him. “Now come on! I’m starving! Let’s go to dinner.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Hutch?” Starsky looked over at his partner in the passenger seat of the Torino. “What’s buggin’ you, Babe?”

“Nothin’” Hutch said. “Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

“I do worry about it, Hutch! You’re upset at something and I wanna help. What can I do?”

“You can stop bugging me about it!” Hutch snapped. He wasn’t ready to discuss his partner’s imminent departure. He knew that if he got Starsky to admit it, it would be real. At least this way, he could still pretend his partner wasn’t leaving him. He sighed and said a little apologetically. “I’ll be fine, okay?”

Starsky opened his mouth to say something else when the dispatcher made herself known.

“Zebra-3, do you read?”

Starsky looked at his partner sadly for another second before he picked up the handset. “Zebra-3 here, what is it?”

“There’s a 211 in progress at Vincent’s Currency Exchange. 429 Third Street.”

“Roger that, Zebra-3 responding.”

Hutch put the light on top of the car and turned on the siren as Starsky floored it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Starsky killed the siren just before they got to Vincent’s. They pulled their guns and headed to the door. Starsky looked in – being careful not to be seen from the inside. He looked at Hutch and held up two fingers. Hutch understood; there were two robbers. Starsky indicated that he was going around to the back of the store. Hutch nodded and watched as his partner moved around the building. He counted slowly to ten and then burst into the store.

“FREEZE! POLICE!”

The two men with guns turned toward the sound of Hutch’s voice and raised their guns. Hutch dove out of the line of fire, firing his gun as he did so. One of the robbers fell to the floor, dropped his gun and clutched his shoulder where Hutch had hit him.

Starsky came in from the back room, gun drawn and pointed it at the other man. “Drop it!”

The other man froze for a second before slowly turning around to come face to face with Starsky’s Beretta. He slowly raised his hands and allowed his gun to drop to the ground. As he did that, Hutch came up behind him and started handcuffing his hands behind his back. Unfortunately, Hutch was still preoccupied with the thought of Starsky leaving him. As a result, he was paying more attention to his partner and less on what was going on around him.

There was the sound of a gunshot and Hutch fell, clutching his leg where the bullet had hit him. Starsky’s eyes widened as he saw his partner’s face register surprise and then pain as he went down. Then he turned to the other man on the floor who had retrieved his weapon when Hutch had forgotten to handcuff him. He raised his gun to the man’s head.

“Give me an excuse, slime ball!” Starsky’s voice was low and dangerous. The man’s eyes registered fear as he realized that the dark-haired man wasn’t bluffing. He quickly let his gun fall from his fingers and Starsky moved forward with the handcuffs. Once the man was secured, Starsky turned to his fallen partner.

Hutch was sitting on the ground clutching at his leg. Starsky knelt down next to him, his violet eyes wide with fear.

“Hutch? You okay? Talk to me! You okay?”

“I’m fine, Starsk.” Hutch gasped. “Just a scratch.”

The girl behind the counter came over with a first aid kit. “I called an ambulance for you.”

Starsky barely acknowledged her. “Thanks,” he said curtly. He opened the first aid kit and found a roll of gauze that he began wrapping around Hutch’s leg. Hutch groaned and gritted his teeth under the painful pressure. Starsky was alarmed at how quickly the blood soaked through the bandage.

“Why didn’t you cuff him first, huh? Hutch, you’ve been a million miles away today and it nearly cost you your life. NOW would you tell me what’s buggin’ you?”

Hutch just shook his head. He was feeling bad enough without having to hear his partner tell him he was moving to Florida.

Starsky was about to push the issue when backup and the ambulance arrived. Starsky turned the perps over to the uniforms and then followed the ambulance in the Torino.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You ready to go?” Hutch’s voice startled Starsky, who had been nodding off in the waiting room.

“You okay, Babe?” Starsky looked at Hutch, who didn’t seem any worse for wear. If his pant-leg hadn’t been cut up to the thigh revealing a stark white bandage, one would wonder what such an apparently healthy man was doing in the hospital.

“I told you, it’s just a scratch! Only about a dozen stitches. I’ll have a limp for a bit, but nothing I can’t handle.”

For all his assurances that he was fine, Hutch was extremely grateful to be able to lean on Starsky’s arm.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hutch was sitting alone in his apartment. It had taken all of his persuasive powers to get Starsky to leave. He just couldn’t bear being in the same room with his partner knowing that he was just biding his time before he broke the news of his leaving.

He was startled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. He heard someone retrieve the key from its hiding place and unlock the door.

‘Damn it Starsky!’ He thought to himself. ‘Just let me wallow in peace, can’t you?’

Instead of his partner’s voice, he heard a soft, very welcome female voice, “Hey Lover, Starsky called me. What happened? You okay?”

Hutch turned around on his couch to see two very beautiful, very concerned green eyes staring at him. He smiled as Smokey leaned down to kiss him before moving around to sit next to him on the couch. As she leaned into him, he put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.

“It’s just a scratch. I’m fine.” He said reassuringly.

“What happened? Starsky said you were distracted and he wanted me to find out what’s wrong because you wouldn’t tell him. Why won’t you talk to him?”

Hutch sighed. “This is gonna sound stupid, but as long as I don’t hear him say it – it’s not real. He’s not leaving me.”

Smokey just hugged him, burying her face in his chest. After a minute she sat up a little and moved her head to his shoulder. “Avoiding the subject isn’t going to make it go away. If they are engaged, then you’ll have to deal with it sooner or later.”

“I take it she hasn’t confided in you, either?” Hutch said dryly.

Smokey shook her head. “She just smiles and says she’ll tell me when she’s good and ready.”

Hutch sighed. Then he got a determined look on his face. “You’re right. I can’t avoid it forever. I’ll just confront Starsky with it and hope he’s not too mad at me for following him.”

“You sure you’re up for it?” Smokey asked with a small smile on her face.

Hutch nodded briefly. Then he stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going over to his place to get to the bottom of this.”

“How’re you gonna drive with your right leg like that?”

Hutch stopped halfway to the door as he realized that Smokey was right. He turned around and the look on his face nearly broke her heart for the hopelessness that it showed.

“Okay, Love, okay. I’ll take you over there.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Starsky and Harrie were laughing over a game of Monopoly when there was a knock on the door. Starsky got up to answer it. He was surprised to see Hutch standing on his doorstep with Smokey close behind.

“Hutch? Something wrong? You okay? Smokey? What’s goin’ on?”

“Starsky, we need to talk.”

“It’s about time, Babe! You gonna tell me what’s been buggin’ you lately?”

“Can I come in?”

Starsky started. “Of course, Babe! Come in! Sit down! You shouldn’t be up on that leg yet! You shoulda just called me! I coulda come over.”

“I’m fine, Starsk.” Hutch insisted as his worried partner guided him over to the sofa.

“You ain’t fine, Hutch! You haven’t been fine for a couple o’ days now! What’s buggin’ you?”

Smokey gestured to Harrie and the two sisters made their way out of the apartment to leave the two friends to talk in private.

Hutch was barely aware of the girls leaving. His heart was twisted in knots and threatening to break completely. He looked at his worried partner.

“Starsky, I want you to answer a question for me. I want you to be completely honest with me, okay?”

“Hutch, why would I ever lie to you?”

“Just answer the question: What is going on between you and Harrie?”

Starsky’s jaw dropped. “THAT’S what’s buggin’ you? Harrie?”

“Just answer the question, Starsky!”

“I’ve told you before, there is NOTHING goin’ on with her. She’s a great kid, but we ain’t involved romantically or nothin’.”

“Don’t lie to me, Starsk! I saw the two of you trying on wedding rings!”

Once again, Starsky’s jaw hit the floor. “What are you talking about?”

Hutch couldn’t meet his partner’s eyes. “I followed you the other day…to the mall. I saw you guys in the bridal registry and then at the jewelry store.” He raised his eyes to meet Starsky’s, “Now, I’m going to ask you again. What is going on between the two of you?”

Starsky’s face contorted in confusion for a second. Then he started laughing. Hutch stared at him with eyes wide. Starsky was uncontrollable now. He was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.

“What the hell’s so funny?” Hutch asked, irritated.

“You…you…thought…we…you… thought…” Starsky was having too much trouble catching his breath to give Hutch a coherent answer.

“Starsky!” Hutch said with barely disguised anger. “Answer the damned question!”

Finally, Starsky took a deep breath and stopped laughing, although the amusement was still very evident in his violet eyes.

“Okay, I’ll tell you. She is getting married – to a guy she’s seeing in Florida. She had some changes to make in her registry list and since the department store is a national chain, she was able to make the changes here.”

“What…what about the rings?” Hutch’s head was spinning.

“She was trying out different styles. She wanted a man’s hand to model the ring, so she asked me to go along.”

Hutch’s relief was almost palpable. But there was still one other question.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was getting married?”

Starsky shrugged, “She didn’t want her sister to know yet, so she swore me to secrecy. She made me promise to especially not tell you, because she knew it would get back to her sister.”

“So it was me she didn’t trust?” Hutch said with a slight smile.

Starsky nodded. “She was afraid you might reveal something in one of your more…er…romantic moments with Smokey.”

“You mean in the throws of passion instead of yelling her name, I might yell ‘you’re sister’s engaged!’ Is that what she was worried about?”

Starsky chuckled, “Yeah, I guess so. I still can’t believe you followed us!”

Hutch blushed. “I guess I was jealous. You were spending more time with her than you were with me. Besides, you two were always so physical, I just had trouble believing there was nothing going on.”

“I told you! She’s a flirt! Besides, she’s just like the kid sister I never had. We were just horsing around.”

“Sister, huh?” Hutch said. “I never treated my sister like that.”

“You didn’t do it right, then.” Starsky said. “Little sisters are meant to be rough-housed with. It’s just playing, that’s all.”

“Yeah, well it didn’t always give that impression.”

“Yes it did,” Starsky said with a shrug. “That’s how Smokey viewed it. She could tell it was just good, clean fun.”

“Whatever, Starsk.” Hutch said, rumpling his partner’s dark curls with a playful hand. “I’m just glad you’re not making a mistake.”

“I’m glad we got this cleared up.” Starsky said with a grin. “I couldn’t figure out why you were so mad at me. It was really startin’ to drive me nuts.”

“I wasn’t mad at you. I was just scared that I’d lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me, Blintz!” Starsky said as he put a hand on Hutch’s shoulder. “No matter how hard you try.”

Hutch laughed. “Trust me, Starsk. I’ll never try that hard.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Smokey poked her head in. “Is it safe to come back in?”

Starsky whispered to Hutch, “Don’t tell her yet until we can talk to Harrie, okay?”

Hutch nodded and Starsky called to her, “Yeah, come on in. Show’s over.”

The two ladies came back in and sat down next to their favorite cops. Smokey leaned into Hutch and whispered, “Everything okay?”

Hutch nodded. “We worked it out.”

“Good.”

Harrie stood up, “Okay, now that whatever was worrying you guys seems to be settled, let’s go out for dinner. We’ve got something to celebrate!”

Smokey looked at Hutch with concern in her eyes. Hutch just smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand.

“We do?” She asked cautiously.

“Yep! I talked to mom and dad this morning. Now it’s your turn to find out. I’m engaged!”

Smokey’s jaw dropped and she looked at Hutch, waiting for him to fall apart. Instead, he pulled himself off the couch and moved in to give her a hug. “Congratulations! I couldn’t be happier for you.”

Smokey’s jaw landed on the floor. “Uh…who are you planning to marry?” she asked, shooting a look at Starsky.

“You remember Doug Baker? That guy I told you I was seeing in Tallahassee? He proposed! We’re getting married next summer.”

“Doug? You’re marrying Doug?”

“Yeah, you got a problem with Doug?”

Smokey looked at Hutch, who was nodding and smiling.

“No, no problem at all.” She took a deep breath and grinned. “That’s really great, Harrie! Congratulations!”

Starsky grinned and put his arm over Hutch’s shoulders. Hutch smiled and looked at his partner, then at the two women standing in front of them.

“I don’t know about you guys,” He said with a smile. “But I think we do need to celebrate. Come on, dinner’s on me!”

“Really?” Starsky said.

“I meant the ladies’ dinner, Starsk.” Then he looked at those big violet eyes, the disappointment showing…he melted. “Okay, yours too, Starsk.”

Starsky grinned.

Oh, yes. That lopsided grin was definitely worth it.

End.

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