MEMORIES

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Starsky and Hutch. Just borrowing them for entertainment. I do no make any profit from writing about them, just cheap thrills.

Spoiler: A Glimpse into the Life of David Micheal Starsky written from his POV.

EPILOGUE

My name is David Micheal Starsky. And today is my thirty-eighth birthday. A few months ago, there was some question as to if I would even be around to see this particular birthday. A few months ago, I was laying in hospital bed more dead than alive, my body torn apart by three bullets to my chest and my abdomen. According to my doctors, it's a miracle that I'm still alive. They can't explain it and neither can I. I guess god decided he had something else in mind for me. Not that I'm complaining. I'm grateful to be alive and to be able to share this day with my friends and my family.

I've been a police officer with the Bay City Police Department for almost fifteen years. For thirteen of those years, I've been a Detective First class working undercover. That's why I was shot. In a few months, a medical review board will decide if I can go back to the job that I both love and hate. Until then, I'm still recovering from my injuries and receiving disability payments from the department.

Being a cop is a big part of who I am. It defines me as a person and gives me a sense of fulfillment that I have never been able to find anywhere else in my life. And I'm good at it. I'm damn good at it. My partner, Hutch and I are the best team in the department or at least we used to be until I was shot. I just hope that I will have the chance to be that person again.

Bing a cop gets into your blood. And me, I've always lived on the edge. So living with the danger that goes along with the badge just feeds that addiction. But to me, being a cop also means caring about people and wanting to help make their lives better, to protect the victims and to make the bad guys pay for what they have done. I'd like to be able to say that things work out the way they should but the truth is, that isn't always the case. Sometimes it seems like the system protects the bad guys more than it does the victims which makes my job more difficult. Sometimes I think I'm crazy to do the things I do day after day but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've never been the kind of guy who analyzes things or thinks a lot about cause and effect, that's more Hutch's style than mine. But after coming so close to death the way I did after I got shot, it does change your outlook on things. It changes you. It changes who you are, what you want out of life, even how you view the world around you. Things that used to drive me crazy or make me madder than hell don't seem to bother me that much anymore. I'm more grateful for the things I do have. My friends, my family, my home, but most of all my life.

I guess we all want to leave something behind when we go, something for people to remember us by. I guess for most people that would be their children but that's one blessing I don't think I will ever have the joy of knowing. Not when I'm thirty-eight and still single. I'm pretty much set in my ways and on my way to being a confirmed bachelor for life. Not that I haven't come close to settling down a time or two but something always seemed to happen that kept those relationships from becoming permanent ones. I know that my work as a cop will leave behind a legacy in the department but I doubt if anyone will remember my name fifty years from now.

So as I sit here tonight, alone, drinking a beer, I decided that I would write down my most precious memories and share them with you. Maybe when I'm done, you'll all have a better understanding of just who David Micheal Starsky is and the influences in my life that have made me the man that I am today.

I would like to hear from you. Please review and tell me what you think so far.

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