Finding Jane

by sandybeliever

So many people asked for a sequel to "If The Sun Comes Up," I decided to write one. Thanks to Hotshow for her storyline and to Rescue45, as always.

Finding Jane

Starsky strutted into the squad room and sat down at his desk. Hutch had just hung up the phone and had his left hand still resting on the receiver. He tapped a pencil on his chin, lost in thought. After a moment, he looked down at his notes in front of him and crossed something off.

"Whataya doin'?" Starsky asked making Hutch jump. Starsky watched as Hutch slid the paper under a file on the desk.

"Starsk, when did you get back?"

"About three minutes ago." Starsky's eyes slanted as he studied his partner. Hutch continued to fidget. "Geez, Blondie, you seem tense. Loosen up, would ya."

"Tense? Me?" Hutch shook his head a little too much. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You've been either wound up or spaced out for the past few weeks. And you and I have hardly hung out." Starsky's eyes slanted even more. Hutch looked away. "Is it a chick?"

Hutch looked back at him, eyes wide. "Hey, you know I'd tell you if I had a lady in my life."

Starsky leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "Have you thought about a vacation?"

"Um, sure, where do you want to go?"

"Not me. Just you. I had plenty of time off after Shields tossed us off that train bridge." He watched as Hutch's brow furrowed and he nodded solemnly. "Why don't you ask for a few days off? You held down the fort while I was on leave. I can certainly do the same for you while you take a break. Go back and see your folks, maybe?"

Hutch put the pencil down and folded his hands. "I'll think about it, Starsk. And thanks."

Starsky reached out and plucked a piece of lint from Hutch's sleeve. "Eh, don't mention it." He smiled his trademark grin and was happy to see Hutch smile back warmly.

The next day was Friday and the partners had the whole weekend off. Starsky pulled into the lot behind the station.

"Well, look at that," he said eyeing his watch, "back before five on a Friday. And no paperwork to file. Life is good, hey, Pal?"

"It sure is. I'm not even going inside," Hutch said with a grin, pulling his car keys from his pocket.

"Why don't we go have a few beers, meet ya at The Pits?"

Hutch had already started to get out of the Torino but stopped. "Uh, can you take a rain check, Starsk? I have some things I'd like to do tonight."

"Oh…okay. Sure."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. Go ahead." Starsky waved Hutch away.

"You sure? How about tomorrow?"

"Yeah?" Starsky said, his mood lifting.

"Yeah. Dinner at the pits and if you can find a perfectly awful movie playing at the Odeum, I'll join you."

"Oh man, 'Piranha' opened there just last week! I've been dying to see it."

Hutch grimaced at the movie title but nodded. "Okay, okay, it's a date. I'll pick you up at 6."

Starsky clapped his hands together and rubbed them together happily. "Okay. See you then."

The next night Hutch picked Starsky up at 6 p.m. and they headed to The Pits. He only half listened to Starsky regaling him about the women he met the night before.

"I'm telling ya, Hutch, she was beautiful. Ya shoulda been there."

"Uh huh."

Starsky looked over at Hutch who was maneuvering through an intersection. He could tell his friend's mind was not on women. He sighed heavily and hoped whatever was eating at his partner would resolve itself. He had tried numerous times to talk to Hutch but his inquiries were always met with denial. Hutch's mood would somewhat improve but it seemed forced. Eventually, he would become sullen again. Distracted, that was the word Starsky thought best described him.

After a few beers and dinner, the friends played pool before heading to the theater.

Two hours later they were back at The Pits. Huggy smiled as he watched a very animated Starsky talking to Hutch about the movie.

"I'm telling you, I just about fell outta my seat when that fish jumped out of the water and bit that guy right in the face."

Hutch sat down in their favorite booth that had just been vacated by some college kids. "Starsk, I know; I was sitting right next to you."

"Come on, none of that got to you? Not at all?"

"Well, yes. It was the most sanguinary film I've ever seen."

Starsky's mouth dropped open for a moment. "Sanguin…what?" Hutch opened his mouth to explain. "Oh never mind, you're no fun." Huggy had joined them at the table with two frosty beers. "He's no fun, Huggy. Tell him."

"He says you aren't any fun." Huggy said to Hutch.

"I heard him."

"Well, if you need me to tell him something else for you, I'll be at the bar." Huggy pointed a long brown finger over his shoulder, smiled and sauntered away.

Hutch stared into the foam in his beer, then said, "I'm sorry, Starsk."

Starsky put down a now half-empty mug and wiped the froth from his upper lip with the back of his hand. "What for?"

"I know you enjoyed that movie. I don't want to be a stick in the mud."

A flicker of worry passed over Starsky's face before he forced a smile and said, "And you are apologizing for that now? You've never appreciated the movies I like. Don't sweat it. I'm just glad you came along."

Hutch looked up from his untouched beer and looked Starsky in the eye. "No, it's more than that." He paused as he ran a finger through the fading beer head, licking his finger. "You know, I'm going to take your advice."

"Two firsts! You apologize for your bad taste in movies and now you are taking my advice." Starsky's attempt at levity fell flat and his smile faded. "Let me guess, you will ask for vacation."

Hutch nodded. "Yeah."

"That's great, Buddy. I'm glad you are taking a break. Any idea what you will do?"

Hutch looked at Starsky for a second then looked away, shaking his head. "Uh, no. I'm not sure yet. I may just hang out at home. Who knows."

"Nothing wrong with that but do something fun, okay?"

Hutch nodded, not meeting Starsky's eyes. "Yeah, sure, I will. Thanks."

After they finished their beers, Hutch drove Starsky home. "See you Monday morning."

"Yeah, okay. Call me tomorrow if you feel like talking. Okay?"

"I may. Thanks again, Starsky. I had a good time tonight."

"Liar."

Hutch smiled slightly as Starsky shut the passenger door of the Ford. He drove away with a wave.

Starsky stood with his hands in his pockets and watched until the taillights disappeared. He then turned to head into his apartment.

~ S&H ~

The following Friday afternoon, Starsky was tossing a completed report in a file on his desk. Hutch was neatening his own desk.

"So, Partner, we've been so busy all week, I haven't had a chance to ask you what your plans are." Starsky leaned back in his chair, stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

"Oh yeah, I'm…I'm flying out tomorrow. Going to see the family. You know, just kick back and relax a bit."

"That's nice. Your mother will be thrilled to wait on you. I'm jealous." Starsky grinned broadly. Hutch forced a laugh but didn't respond. "You could not have picked a better time to take vacation. Man, I am beat. I may just sleep all weekend." Starsky got up and picked up the light jacket off his chair.

Hutch straightened a few more things on the desk and then took his own plaid shirt from his chair back, heading toward the double doors. "See you in a week, Starsk."

"Hey, call me!" Starsky called out after him but the doors swung shut. Starsky stood and look into the empty hall beyond the doors. He hoped this vacation would help Hutch and he would come back his same old self. Something niggled at the back of Starsky's mind. He felt something just wasn't right but he didn't know what it was. He shrugged his shoulders and headed out to his car.

Starsky did spend most of his weekend lounging on his deck. He stopped by The Pits for lunch on Sunday.

"Hey, if it isn't half of the dynamic duo. How ya doin', Starsky my man?"

"Fine, Hug. I haven't left my house since Friday after work. I figured I better get some decent food into me. Cereal, beer and marshmallows gets old after a while." Starsky held up his hand as Huggy went to speak. "And no, I didn't eat them all at the same time."

"Oh, good, because that sounds nasty. What'll it be, a double Swiss cheese burger or a beef and bean burrito?"

Starsky smiled and rubbed his belly in anticipation. "I'll go with the burger, Huggy. And can I have both fries and onion rings with that?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. And a root beer, correct?"

"Yeah."

After Huggy put in Starsky's order, he sat down with two bottles of root beer. He raised his bottle. "Here's to the Blonde Blintz getting the rest he needs."

"I'll drink to that." Starsky downed half the bottle and let out a content sigh. "I can't believe what a week we had. I don't know if I'm ready to go back tomorrow."

"Who will you be working with? Please tell me it will be that lovely Sergeant Meredith." Huggy's eyebrows bounced making Starsky laugh.

"Don't I wish. Nope, I'll be with Tony Jackson. He just transferred from L.A.P.D."

"Well, that was fortuitous."

"Huh?" Starsky asked but his eyes were on his food that the barmaid was delivering.

"The timing worked out well." Huggy explained.

Starsky took a large bite of his burger and mumbled "Uh huh," through the mouthful. He gave Huggy a thumbs up as he swallowed then grabbed a handful of fries.

Huggy handed him the ketchup bottle from the end of the table then snagged an onion ring for himself. Starsky slapped at his hand but chuckled.

"Where you off to after this?" Huggy asked.

"Home. I'm too tired to do anything else. Man, I am just picturing Hutch sprawled on that huge patio by the pool with a martini in one hand, a stogie in the other. Boy, that's the life."

"It sure is," Huggy said as he freed another onion ring from Starsky's plate.

~ S&H ~

Hutch got into his Ford on Friday and his stomach lurched. He hated to lie to Starsky but this was something he felt he needed to do on his own.

Pulling up in front of Venice Place, Hutch wearily pulled himself out of his car and headed up the stairs. The week had been tough on him – on both of them. He wanted nothing more than to drop into bed but he had a lot of packing to do still. Unlocking his door, Hutch then stashed the key on top of the door jam and went inside. His camping gear was laid out across his bed.

"Good, that'll keep me from laying down". He picked up the two canteens he planned on carrying and brought them to the sink in the kitchen to fill them. He grabbed a can of beer from his fridge after that and went to his kitchen table to review the maps he had left there the night before. Hutch ran his finger along the route he had mapped out. He pulled out the chair and sat down with a groan. "Oh no, I may never get up now." He smirked at the thought of sleeping with his face planted on the map. Putting down his beer, his eyes fell on the copy of the newspaper clipping he had found. He picked it up and ran a finger along the grainy and faded photo of a young girl. The clipping, from a Porterville paper, was about a missing 14-year-old girl who had disappeared from her family's farm in the tiny town of Lakeville seven years earlier.

Hutch's mind wandered back to the previous Saturday. Hutch had risen at 7 AM, ate breakfast, showered and shaved then headed out to make the hour trip to Lakeville. Once he reached the main street, which consisted of one blinking red light, he stopped the first couple that he saw and asked them to direct him to the Zvonecek farm.

"What do you want with them?" the man asked in a thick accent, stepping in between his wife and Hutch.

"I wanted to speak to them about their daughter, Anya."

"Anya does not live with them anymore." The man turned, took his wife by the elbow and quickly walked away.

"Yes, but…" Hutch gave up calling after them. He drove down the street a few hundred yards and parked in front of what seemed to be a combination general store and post office. He pulled open the squeaky screen door. The older woman behind the counter and a patron, an elderly man, looked up as if they expected to see a familiar face. Their forming smiles soon faded when they took in the tall, handsome stranger.

Hutch became very self-conscious. He nodded a polite hello to the old man then approached the counter. "Hello, ma'am."

"Yes?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you could direct me to the Zvonecek farm?"

"What business do you have with them?"

Hutch was afraid to tell anyone else after the reception he got down the road. "Well, I'd just like to speak to them. If you could kindly give me directions…"

The woman eyed him warily for a moment. She looked out the window and studied his car. Hutch turned to follow her gaze for a moment wondering why she cared what he drove. "Please, ma'am?"

The woman let out an exasperated breath. "All right. Go down the road and take a right onto West Street. They are about a mile down. Can't miss it. Old farm house on the left with a red barn."

"Oh, thank you very much. I appreciate it." Hutch hurried back to his car and in a few minutes was on West Street. He passed one farmhouse on the right and could already see the Zvonecek house ahead. His car tires kicked up the dirt from the old road, obstructing his view behind the Ford which bothered him. Force of habit had him always looking behind him to see if he was being tailed.

Hutch parked his car in the driveway. As he got out of the car, the front door of the house opened and a woman stepped onto the porch. Hutch believed she was in her 50s but thought that a hard life in the hot sun may have aged her beyond her years.

"Hello, ma'am," Hutch said as he slowly made his way toward the house.

"May I help you?" The woman's Czechoslovakian accent was very thick.

"Mrs. Zvonecek?"

"Yes?"

"I am Ken Hutchinson from Bay City. I'd like to speak to you for a few minutes, if I may. Is your husband home?"

"He is in the fields."

"Is there any way we could call him back? I won't take much of your time." Hutch paused, then added, "Please."

Mrs. Zvonecek wiped her hands on her apron nervously. "Fine. Come in." She went back into the house, holding the screen door for Hutch.

"Thank you very much."

"Sit," the woman said simply and pointed to an old sofa as she turned on a floor lamp nearby. She disappeared into the back of the house. The kitchen, Hutch assumed. He heard a bell sound outside then she returned.

"Would you like some tea?"

"I would love some tea, thank you. Would you like some help?"

The woman looked at him incredulously. "No, I do not need help." She left the room with a huff.

Hutch looked around the sparsely decorated home. He tried to find a family picture of the Zvoneceks and their daughter but there were no recent photos, only a few faded black and white pictures, obviously taken in Czechoslovakia, were on display. Hutch heard the whistle of the tea kettle a few minutes later. As it died down, he heard what sounded like a horse drawn cart approaching from the fields behind the house. Hutch fidgeted nervously.

Mrs. Zvonecek entered the room with a tray. Hutch stood as she arrived. She looked up at him, seemingly confused by his actions. "Mr. Zvonecek will be here in a moment." She started to serve the tea as Hutch sat back down.

Hutch heard the creak of a back door hinge then heavy footsteps. "Reza?" Mrs. Zvonecek rushed back into the kitchen. Hutch heard a mumbled conversation. He wondered why they kept their voices down since it was obvious he wouldn't understand a word that was said. He stood as the couple approached him.

"This is my husband, Tomas."

Hutch extended his hand. "Mr. Zvonecek. I'm glad to meet you." Hutch kept his hand extended as the older man studied him. Finally Mr. Zvonecek took his hand and shook it firmly. Hutch sat back down on the sofa while Mr. Zvonecek sat across from him. His wife served him a cup of tea then stood next to his chair with her hands folded in front of her. Hutch slid to one side of the sofa and gestured for her to sit down. Her brow creased and her head shook back and forth stiffly.

"What is it you want?" Mr. Zvonecek got right to the point.

"Well, I…uh, I would like to speak to you about your daughter, Anya."

"We do not have a daughter," the man said gruffly.

Hutch was momentarily confused and looked up at the woman standing next to her husband. He saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry but I thought you are the family mentioned in this article." Hutch pulled the clipping from his shirt pocket and unfolded it, holding it out towards Mr. Zvonecek who only glanced at it then cut his eyes over to his wife then back to Hutch.

"Yes, we did have a daughter named Anya. But no more. Why do you care? Why are you here?"

"Uh, well, it is a long story but I came across a young woman…in the mountains a few months back."

"What? And you think that she is our Anya? Why do you care? Go ask her, not us."

Hutch looked away from the angry man and up at Mrs. Zvonecek whose expression had become one of anxiousness. Hutch worried he may be causing her pain or worry and he wished there was an easier way to go about this. He had expected the parents of a missing girl to be at the very least interested in what he had to say.

"Well, I can't ask her, Mr. Zvonecek, because I can't find her now." Hutch leaned back and rubbed his forehead. He leaned forward again and looked back and forth at the man sitting and the woman standing. "Do you have any pictures of her that I could look at?"

"There is a picture on the paper you hold."

Hutch leaned back again, amazed at how difficult this was becoming. "Yes, but this is very grainy. If I could see a picture, maybe I could figure out if it is Anya that I met."

"And what good would that do? I have no time for this nonsense." Mr. Zvonecek dropped his tea back onto the tray with a clatter, tea spilled onto the tray. "I have work to do. There is no reason to continue speaking of this. Goodbye."

Hutch stood up as the man did. "Mr. Zvonecek, please. I'm only trying to find out who that woman was and maybe find your daughter." He looked back at Mrs. Zvonecek after her husband disappeared out the back door. She was mopping up the spilled tea with a towel she pulled from her apron pocket.

Hutch turned toward the front door, not being able to face the woman cleaning the tea near him. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" Hutch stopped. He couldn't believe he was about to say that he shouldn't have come. He turned as he felt a hand on his arm. Mrs. Zvonecek looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes. She put a finger to her lips and looked toward the back of the house. When the sound of the cart pulling away could be heard, she crooked a finger at Hutch to follow her.

She tossed the tea soaked towel on the tray and went to an old desk that stood under the window on the far side of the room. Opening the bottom right drawer, she pulled out the few things that were stored there then lifted up a piece of wood that matched the wood of the drawer. She pulled an envelope from beneath it and held it over her heart. She looked up at Hutch.

"These are of my Anya."

Hutch's eyes grew wide. He realized she did care about her daughter and had hidden the pictures from her husband who probably had rid the house of all traces of the girl.

Gently reaching into the yellowed envelope, Mrs. Zvonecek took out a photo and looked at it sadly. She traced the face with her finger then turned it around for Hutch to see.

"Jane!" He saw the confusion in the mother's eyes. "I'm sorry, that is what we called her since she didn't speak to us." Hutch smiled. "That is her. That is the woman I met in the mountains."

Mrs. Zvonecek's knees buckled. Hutch grabbed onto her elbow and led her to the sofa and helped her sit.

"Do you need some water?" the older woman shook her head as she stared at the photo then held it to her heart again.

"She's alive."

Hutch sat down beside her. "Yes, she's alive and well, Mrs. Zvonecek."

"Please, call me Reza."

Hutch settled in to tell the mother the story of her lost daughter. He then heard the story of how Anya had come to live in the woods.

"My husband is very old fashioned. He wanted boys. Boys to help with the farm. When Anya was born, he was disappointed. He did love her but each year he waited for another baby. A chance to have his boys. But it wasn't to be. Anya was an only child. He became angry. One year, when Anya was almost fourteen, my cousin and his family immigrated to America. They came here to visit before settling up north. They had three sons. Their youngest, David, was fifteen at that time. My cousin and my husband came to an arrangement and it was decided that Anya would marry David when she turned sixteen and he would come to live with us and work the farm like a son."

"What did Anya think of this?" Hutch asked quietly.

Reza's face was now awash with a melancholy smile. "My Anya was headstrong. She wanted nothing to do with David. When we moved into this house, there were shelves full of books and Anya started reading all of them. They filled her head with nonsense. Dreams. She especially loved books about the old west, travel and nature."

"Did your husband throw her out?"

"Oh no, no. They would argue and argue. He wouldn't listen to her. His mind was made up. One Sunday she told us that she was ill and couldn't attend church. When we came home…she was gone."

"She ran away?" Hutch asked and Reza nodded sadly.

"Mr. Hutchinson…Ken, will you tell her that I miss her and I want her to come home?"

"I can't do that. When my partner and I went back, she was gone. She had packed up her camp and moved on. I don't think she wants to come back. She was not far from civilization so she was there by choice. I think after helping us, she probably went further into the mountains."

Tears spilled from Reza's eyes and she again stared at the young girl in the photo in her hand.

"Ken, I need her to know something."

Hutch's neighbor slammed a door and that jolted Hutch from his reverie. He picked up a book from the table. Reza Zvonecek had given it to him saying it was one of Anya's favorites. He thumbed through it and found notes in the margins. Next to one particular photo of the national park she had written a word. Hutch smiled as he remembered asking Reza what the word meant.

"Beautiful," he said aloud to himself as his finger traced the letters. "I have to find you, Anya. Are you here in this place?" Hutch read the caption on the photo and added the information to his notes. He pulled out a map of the mountains and located it. Circling it in red, he then took a smaller travel map and marked off the area there.

Hutch looked up and realized that the sun had completely set while he sat working on his plans. His stomach growled loudly and he yawned. Eat or pack? He thought to himself. Sleep, that's what I want to do. Hutch wearily pushed himself up from the table and went to his bed. As he arranged things in his backpack, he opened a bag of granola and started eating it as he worked. Kill two birds with one stone.

~ S&H ~

Saturday morning, Hutch dragged himself out of bed, packed up his car and headed north. He contemplated calling Starsky and confessing his plan but knew he'd be back before his friend even realized what was up. He and Starsky had gotten into a few arguments about Jane…Anya. Starsky kept insisting the life she chose was hers to live and that Hutch had started to obsess about finding out her identity. "Let it be, Hutch. It isn't your decision, it's hers," Starsky had said more than once.

"I can't let it be, Buddy," Hutch said aloud. He downed the last of the take-out coffee he had bought and yawned. He was still exhausted from the miserable week they had on the streets. Maybe I should have waited one more day before heading out. For a moment Hutch considered turning back or finding a hotel and sleeping in for the day but as he passed a motel with a sign that said "Last lodging before State Forest," he kept on going.

Hours later, he pulled his pack from the trunk, locked up the car and headed up the trail he knew would eventually lead him to the area of the mountains that Anya had marked in the dog-eared nature book. Hutch's legs felt like lead after only an hour so he stopped to take a break and have some water. You are never going to get there at this rate, Hutchinson, he thought to himself. He knew he couldn't stop for long or he'd never be able to get back up. I'll make camp soon, rest up and head out early tomorrow.

Hutch left the well-worn sightseeing trail and took a much less travelled path. Not only would this shave off a few hours of hiking, he would have a better chance of finding a good out-of-the-way camping spot. He'd make camp and start a small fire after sundown to avoid being hassled by rangers who were vigilant about making sure a careless hiker didn't start a forest fire.

After making some good headway, Hutch couldn't take another step. He found a fairly open spot and began to set up camp. After the tent was pitched, he pulled open his sleeping bag and spread it out inside the tiny tent.

He laid down on the bag and stared up at the peak of the tent, planning his hike for the next day. Within minutes his eyes were closed and he was fast asleep.

Hutch opened his eyes and glanced around, momentarily confused. The sun was shining brightly through the tent and it was getting warm. Wait a minute? It is seven o'clock in the evening. Why is the sun so bright? He pulled his pocket watch from his pants and looked at it. Eight? Eight o'clock. But it should be dark by now.

Hutch groaned as he pushed up onto his hands and knees. He reached to unzip the tent but saw it was open. What on earth? He crawled out and wearily pushed to his feet. He looked up at the sky.

"It's eight o'clock in the morning? How can that be?" Hutch rubbed his eyes and realized he had fallen asleep almost instantly and slept thirteen hours. He kicked at the dirt in anger. I've lost valuable travel time, he thought. His stomach rumbled with hunger. He reached in and pulled out his pack and ate a peanut butter sandwich then had some water.

Face it, Hutchinson, you needed the rest. Now get your ass in gear and get moving. He quickly broke camp, checked to get his bearings with the map then pulled on the pack and began moving. If I can keep a good pace, I should be close by nightfall and start searching the area by tomorrow. That'll be Monday. I can be back home by Wednesday if everything goes well. Starsky will never be the wiser.

Hutch smiled as he hiked on but his smile soon faded. Wait a minute, I'm acting as if Anya will just welcome me in and agree to come back with me. I have to convince her. Hutch sighed. If I can't, at least I can speak to her and tell her…

Hutch's thoughts trailed off as he sighed loudly again.

~ S&H ~

Monday afternoon, Starsky and Tony Jackson came into the squad room together.

"Great bust, Tony. I guess the rumors were right."

"What rumors are those, Starsky?" Tony asked with a smirk.

"That you L.A.P.D. guys know a thing or two about detective work." Starsky grinned sheepishly.

Tony laughed. "Well, thanks. That means a lot coming from Bay City's finest. But I think you can teach me a thing or two."

Starsky brushed his hands down the front of his coat, jutting out his chest proudly. "That I can, that I can."

Dobey had opened his door and heard the banter. "Starsky, you two can teach each other a lot. Don't be so cocky."

Minnie lifted her head from a file she was perusing and laughed loudly. "Telling Starsky not to be cocky is like telling a dog not to bark." She smiled at Dobey as he winked at her.

"I resemble that remark," Starsky said with a feigned look of hurt.

Tony sat down at Hutch's desk. "Well, I'm going to get started on the report."

Everyone in the room turned to Starsky who threw up his hands. "I know, I know, he can teach me how to write a report."

"Correctly," Dobey said before heading back into his office.

"And on time," Minnie said as she spun around and headed down the hall.

Starsky sat down across from Tony who was typing away on the typewriter. "Everybody's a critic," he said and plopped his chin in his hands. Tony chuckled but continued to work.

After a few minutes, Starsky was getting fidgety. "I think I'll call Hutch while you work on that. Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead. Tell him I said hello."

"Can I tell him his job is in jeopardy?"

Tony stopped typing and looked up, wide-eyed. "Starsky, I haven't met the man. Don't make him hate me already."

Starsky laughed as he dialed Hutch's parents' home number. "Okay, okay. I won't say anything…yet." Tony grinned and went back to work.

"Hello, Mrs. Hutchinson. It's Dave Starsky. Oh no, everything is just fine here. Yes, I'm sorry. Sandra. I'm sorry. It's just that…okay. Yes, I will remember next time. How are you? And Mr. Hut…Ken, uh…your husband? Oh good. That's great to hear. I'm doing just fine, thank you. So Mrs…Sandra, can I speak to Hutch? No, not Ken, Hutch. He is there, isn't he?"

Tony looked up when Starsky's smiled faded and was replaced with a look of concern.

"Uh, no. Well, he's on vacation and he said…you know, I just assumed he was heading out your way. Silly me, always jumping to conclusions." Starsky forced a smile, hoping it would show in his voice, and tried to sound unconcerned. "I haven't spoken to him since Friday. You know, we had a really tough week and I bet he slept all weekend because that is just what I did." Starsky winced as he listened to the woman on the end of the line. "No, nothing particularly bad happened last week. It was just busy." He forced another smile as he massaged his forehead with his free hand. "Lots of paperwork. Hear that typing? That's my temporary partner, Tony, pecking away at a report right now. Yes. Hey, don't worry. Forget I called. Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I'll have him call you. Sorry for the confusion. Okay…okay. I will, Sandra. You too. G'bye."

Starsky hung up the phone and let out a groan. "I'm gonna kill that Hutch."

"So he's not at his folks' house?"

"No, I guess he changed his plans."

"He should have told you."

Starsky's mind wandered as he tried to figure out what had become of his wayward partner. "Yeah, he should have. Hey, Tony, do you mind if I take off a little early. I feel bad leaving you, but…"

"No, go right ahead. I'll finish this up and drop it on Captain Dobey's desk before I leave."

"Are you sure?" Starsky asked, but had already stood up to leave. "Do you have all the info? Any questions?"

Tony thought for a moment. "No, I think this one is cut and dried. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Hey, I really appreciate this," Starsky said as he backed his way toward the doors. "I'll take the next report, I promise." Starsky bumped into Minnie who had just come into the room from down the hall. He turned and leered at her.

"You better get that promise in writing, Jackson," she called over to Tony.

"I have you as my witness, Minnie," Tony said with a laugh.

"Hm, I like that boy." She gave Starsky a sideways glance, huffed and walked back out of the room.

After knocking loudly and getting no answer, Starsky unlocked Hutch's apartment door and placed the key back over the door jam. He opened the door slowly, afraid he might be interrupting his friend and a woman.

"Hutch? You here?" The place was almost completely dark in the late afternoon light. Starsky flicked on a lamp and slowly made his way inside, calling out for Hutch again and glancing into the bathroom. He went back and shut the door. He saw Hutch's closet was open and peered in. "Ah ha, camping gear is gone. Well, why didn't you tell me you were going?" He looked into the kitchen. Cabinets were left open, dirty dishes were in the sink. He spotted books and papers strewn across the dining table and went over to look. There was a large map with a route marked in red. Starsky looked at it casually. Not being a hiker, he didn't really know what he was looking at. He saw the nature book and dismissed it, as Hutch had many of them. He was still confused as to why Hutch would not tell him his plans but turned to leave just as something caught his eye. He reached for the grainy photocopy of a newspaper article as he switched on another light.

"What is this?" Starsky picked up the article and scanned it. His eyes stopped at the small photo of a young girl. "Oh man, Hutch." He looked over at the map again. "You aren't doing what I think you are doing, are you?"

Starsky sat down in one of the chairs and looked more carefully at the contents of the table. He opened the nature book and saw a name scrawled in childish writing. 'Anya' and another word written in what must be her own language, 'Anča.'

"This is Jane? You found her family?" Starsky studied Hutch's notes. "Why are you going after her, Buddy? She doesn't want you to find her." Starsky ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. After wondering what his partner was up to, Starsky finally tossed the notes back onto the table and left the apartment, slamming the door loudly behind him.

~ S&H ~

"Ya mind driving today, Tony?" Starsky asked his younger partner.

Tony stopped on his way to Starsky's Torino. "Oh? Yeah. Sure, no problem. That will help me learn the area better."

Starsky forced a smile to imply that was his plan. He got into Tony's car and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes tight.

"Headache?" Tony asked but received no reply. "Starsky?"

"Huh?" Starsky asked as he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"You okay?"

"Oh yeah. I was just thinking."

"About Hutch?"

Starsky looked over at Tony, surprised. "Actually, yes."

"Still no idea where he went?"

"Well, I do know now. He headed into the mountains."

"Really? Well, I know some time alone in the woods does wonders for my attitude. He'll be fine. But there's some Tylenol in the glove compartment if you need it."

Starsky opened the compartment, pulled out the Tylenol and dry-swallowed two pills. "Thanks." He shut the compartment and let out a sigh. "But there is more than Hutch just going for a hike in the woods."

"How do you mean?"

Starsky told Tony about the run in they had with Michael Shields and his goons and how they met 'Jane.'

"Holy cow, that's pretty amazing. I'm glad you guys made it out of their in relatively one piece."

"Well, I'd be a goner if it wasn't for Jane. It seems Hutch finally found out her identity."

"So you think he's out there trying to locate her?"

"Exactly. From what I could gather from his notes, he found her parents."

"They must be thrilled to finally know what happened to her."

"Yeah, they must be. Now Hutch won't give up until he finds her and brings her back. But…"

"She doesn't want to be found."

Again Starsky looked over at the young man beside him. "Yes, and that is what I've been telling him ever since we went back to her camp and found she had packed up and left."

"But she saved his best friend's life. I'm sure he feels indebted to her."

"Wow, Jackson, you ever think of becoming a shrink?"

Tony laughed. "Why?"

"I don't know, you just seem…"

"Insightful?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Tony chuckled again. "Well, not so much. I've just heard a lot about you and Hutch the past few days. I know you are more than partners."

Starsky nodded. "That we are." He stared out the passenger side window. "I just hope he is okay. I know my partner. He can get an idea in his head and not let it go."

"Like a bulldog with a bone?"

Starsky grinned and nodded. "Exactly," he said with a laugh.

"It isn't a good idea to go hiking alone unless you really know what you are doing. Oh, sorry, I don't mean to make you worry more." Tony looked contrite.

"Yeah, I know. Hutch does know his stuff. He loves it out there. If he can't find her, I just hope he has the sense to give up and come back."

"Where is he headed?"

Starsky looked over at Tony and shrugged. "I dunno. I saw marks on a map but they were gibberish."

"Tell you what, if it will help put your mind at ease, I'll take a look at the map and let you know how long he would be gone if he hiked straight in and back. But in any case, he knows he has to be back to work on Monday, right?"

"Yeah. But a lot could happen between now and Monday. I would really appreciate you taking a look, Tony. Thank you."

"No problem. We can stop on our lunch break if his place is close."

"Aw man, thank you."

Tony smiled over at Starsky. "It's no big deal. No more thank yous, okay?"

Starsky gave a crooked grin. "Yeah, okay."

Hours later, Starsky let himself and Tony into Hutch's apartment. Tony saw him stash the key back over the door.

"That's not the best idea for a key, does he know that?"

"Believe me, I've argued that one 'til I'm blue in the face. I have no idea why he does that. I'm the one that loses keys all the time, not him."

"Maybe the key is for you then?"

Starsky looked over at Tony and thought about what he said. "Oh geez, probably. I have to get him to stop doing that."

Tony snickered. "Okay, show me that map."

"Here it is," Starsky said as he picked up the large map from the dining table.

Tony studied it. "I see. That's a couple days hike at a good pace. Let's assume he left Saturday morning, he'd be there by now if he hiked all day.

"So he's there already?"

"Yeah, absolutely. He would even be on his way back if he didn't stay in the valley." Tony put down the map and picked up the nature book. He thumbed through it until he came to a well-worn page. "Krásný."

"What?"

Tony tipped the book toward Starsky. "Right here. It says 'beautiful' in Czech."

Starsky looked at the photo. "You speak that language?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I only know a few words. I dated a girl from Czechoslovakia. That's a word I used a lot." Tony winked at Starsky.

"Ha, maybe Hutch's job is in jeopardy. You are handy to have around," Starsky kidded. He flipped back to the inside of the front cover. "Look, this was Anya's book. That's Jane's real name."

"I'd say Detective Hutchinson has nothing to worry about. He's a better detective than any I've seen. Present company excluded."

Starsky put the book down. "Thanks. And thanks for helping me with this. I feel a little better at least knowing where he is." Starsky stared at the map sadly.

"But you aren't going to be able to relax until he's back."

Nodding, Starsky said, "You got that right."

"Tomorrow is Wednesday. Stop by after work. I bet you find him here."

Starsky looked up at Tony and tried to smile. "You know I will do just that. We better get back out there. Criminals aren't taking a vacation, I promise you that."

Tony headed out the door. Starsky put a friendly hand on his shoulder as they made their way down the stairs.

~ S&H ~

Hutch had made his way to the edge of valley marked on his map late Monday. He broke camp after eating a breakfast of a protein bar and peanut butter. He scanned the area and he referenced the map in his hands. There should be a small lake about a mile from here. If I were her, I'd be fairly close to a water supply like that. I'll hike the perimeter and maybe take some time to catch some fish for lunch. Hutch's mouth watered at the thought of fresh fish. He was already sick of the rations he had brought with him. "Fish and berries," he said aloud. "That sounds delicious."

With renewed energy, he put his pack on his back and headed toward the lake. It didn't take long for Hutch to reach the lake. He put his pack down and stood on the edge of the water taking in a deep breath. Man, it is beautiful here. I wish Starsky didn't dislike nature so much. Hutch remembered when he and Starsky were at Dobey's cabin after he kidnapped Starsky from the mental institution in L.A. His mind wandered back to their conversation.

"I like it here."

Hutch got up from the rowboat and walked over to his friend. "You do?" Starsky finally turned to look at Hutch and smiled slightly. "Maybe I'll make a nature boy out of you yet."

"Don't push it, Blondie."

Hutch smiled at the memory. That was when Starsky was just coming back from the dark place he had disappeared into. He sighed as he realized how much he missed his best friend.

Stashing his backpack in some brush, Hutch carefully made his way around the south side of the lake watching for tell-tale signs of Anya. He followed anything that looked like a worn path in the brush but so far, hadn't found anything concrete. He headed back to where he left his pack, took out some fishing line and a hook and rigged a pole from a branch. He pulled out a small bag of mini marshmallows and slid one onto the hook. If Starsky were here, these marshmallows would never had made it this far. Hutch chuckled at the thought as he carefully walked out onto a downed tree that worked well as a pier. He dropped the line in the water and patiently waited. While he fished, his eyes scanned the far shore.

"Where are you, Anya? I need to find you," Hutch whispered. After about forty-five minutes, Hutch had a nice-sized trout. He worried about starting a fire because it might cause Anya to retreat into the woods but he needed to eat and he was sure there had been plenty of campers doing the same thing.

"Who knows, maybe she'd spot me and come to say hello." Hutch held onto that hope but knew there was a slim chance of that happening. He went about gathering some wood. Once he had the fire started he laid the fish down on a fairly flat rock and began to fillet it.

Across the water, Anya watched the column of smoke rising into the air. She backed up into the shelter of the trees to keep watch on the visitor. Most hikers came to fish but did not linger long and she hoped this one left soon. She had her own fishing to do.

Hutch pushed dirt onto the smoldering fire and waited to be sure it was completely out. He scanned the lake shore again and decided he should take his pack with him in case he didn't make it back around before nightfall. Shrugging it onto his shoulders, he took one last look at his camp fire and headed west. That side of the lake was rimmed by a jagged cliff and he wanted to put that behind him early. The protein from his trout lunch fueled his body and he hiked briskly up the hill, weaving to and from the shoreline to look for signs of paths or a camp.

Down on the lake, Anya, saw the hiker extinguish his fire and head west. She quickly made her way onto a natural levee that jutted into the lake to catch some fish for dinner.

Hutch was at the peak of the hill and made his way back toward the water. He reached the cliff and scanned the lake in front of him, admiring the beauty. Should have brought my camera, he thought but knew the equipment would have weighed him down too much. As Hutch's eyes scanned the view, he spotted a figure on the north side of the lake. Hutch squinted to try to see the person better. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small set of binoculars. He scrambled to focus the lenses.

"Anya!" he said aloud. He took a step closer to the cliff edge. Adrenalin pumped into his veins. I found her. Hutch tried to calm his racing thoughts. Should he wait here and watch to see which direction she went? Should he try to move toward her? Her senses will alert her if I try to sneak up on her. I have to be careful how I do this. If she bolts, I'll lose her for sure. Hutch put the binoculars up to his eyes again and his heart caught in his throat. Anya was looking right at him, her fish lay in a heap at her feet where she had dropped them. She turned to run.

"No! Anya!" Hutch shouted as he stepped too close to the edge of the cliff which began to crumble under his weight. He tried to step back but the bulky backpack threw his balance off and he lost his footing completely.

Anya dropped her fishing pole and headed off the levee but the sound of her own name carried across the water and froze her in her tracks. She whirled back around to see the person calling her fall down the cliff face into the water below. Instinctively, she raced along the water's edge to help.

Hutch's arms flailed to grab onto something as he felt himself fall. He landed in the water, his head striking a rock just below the surface. His world went black. The weight of the pack caused his body to flip onto his back and for a few moments his face remained above the water but as his clothes and equipment became saturated with water, he slid beneath the murky surface.

Anya gasped as she saw the body slide under the water and tried to run even faster. She cut off the last few yards by running straight into the water toward the spot where she last saw the blond man go under. Once the water reached her knees, she dove into the lake and began kicking toward the bottom of the cliff. She came up for air briefly, looking around frantically. Taking a deep breath she headed to the bottom, with her eyes open, her hands reaching for the man.

Finally she felt the cloth of a cotton shirt and grabbed on. She pulled and kicked but the weight was too much for her. Desperately, she grabbed at the man until she found the straps of his backpack. She yanked his shoulders free, took hold of his collar and, planting her feet on the lake bottom, vaulted herself and her burden up toward the surface.

When her face broke through, Anya took in a gulp of air then pulled the face of the man up beside her as she anxiously swam to shore. Soon her feet found purchase on the lake bottom. Once she had the victim close to the water's edge, she stood up, hooked her arms under his, and dragged him onto dry land. Laying him flat, she put her ear to his chest and was relieved to hear a heartbeat. Not feeling any breaths, she did the only thing she knew how to and rolled him onto his stomach. She pulled his arms so they were over his head then straddled him and pushed on his back. She repeated that a few more times until she heard a gurgle which was followed by a cough. Water spewed from the man's mouth. Relieved she pulled herself off of him and gently pushed his hair from his face then gasped. She recognized him.

Watching him carefully, Anya relaxed a bit when he continued to take in much-needed air but she was worried when Hutch didn't open his eyes. Hutch had introduced himself as 'Ken' a few months ago but his partner, Starsky, had called him by the nickname so that is what Anya remembered him as.

Once she was assured that the water had finished draining from Hutch's mouth, she carefully rolled him over onto his back. She brushed the hair from the right side of his face and felt the lump near his temple. She drew back her hand and saw blood as fear gripped her heart.

Anya looked back to the levee where she had left her supplies then glanced back at Hutch. She knew she needed to do something about the bleeding. She ran a hand down Hutch's cheek, pushed herself up and took off at a run. She returned a few minutes later with her supplies. She pulled a cloth from her small deerskin pack and dabbed at the wound. She pressed the cloth to Hutch's head and he let out a small groan. Even though she knew the sound was made in response to pain, she was relieved to see some sign of life in him.

Once the bleeding had lessened, she wrapped Hutch's head then set out to find fire materials to warm him. She knew she had to get him dry before the sun set or he would become too cold and die. After starting the fire, Anya dove into the lake and came back with Hutch's waterlogged backpack. She pulled everything out, discarding soaked food into the lake for the fish to eat. She found a change of clothes and laid them across a large rock to dry but she knew they wouldn't be of any use until the next day. She stoked the fire, got Hutch as comfortable as she could and took off into the woods.

She returned thirty minutes later, breathless and tired. She checked on Hutch then set about peeling off his still-soaked clothing. Once she had him down to his boxers, she covered him with the same deerskin throw that she had used on Starsky not long before. She was rewarded with Hutch's cheeks pinking up and his shivering lessening. Stoking the fire again, she moved back into the woods to find sturdy logs. By dark fall she had fashioned a travois but knew she would have to wait until the light of day to make it back to her camp.

Anya, gently removed the wrap from Hutch's head and checked his wound by firelight. The bleeding had completely stopped. She took her waterskin and placed it to Hutch's lips to dribble the liquid into his mouth. Thankfully, he swallowed some so she dripped in a little more. She ran her fingers through his tangled hair, wishing with all her heart to see those blue eyes. She felt his cheeks. They were warm but not hot. She took his right hand from beneath the throw and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his pink nail beds. Anya rose, put some more wood on the fire, then slipped under the throw and pressed her warm body up to Hutch's. She tucked her head under his arm and fell into an exhausted sleep.

~ S&H ~

Tony came into the squad room Wednesday morning and sat down at Hutch's desk. He assumed Starsky hadn't arrived yet until he heard his temporary partner's voice coming from Dobey's office. He sounded agitated and Tony leaned in to try to catch the conversation. He hoped it wasn't about him. He distinctly heard the name 'Hutch' and relaxed a bit. The door opened and Starsky backed out of the office followed by Dobey.

"Starsky, you don't know where he is. I think the best thing to do is to wait for him to come back," Dobey was saying loudly.

"Cap'n, I just have a bad feeling about this. What if something happened? If we wait to see if he shows up Monday morning…" Starsky still had not turned around and didn't realize Tony was listening.

"You said yourself you don't know the area and I know you aren't a hiker, Starsky. Just wait."

Starsky, who had been gesturing wildly with his hands, dropped his arms down to his side but looked his captain in the eye. "I can't wait. I have to go."

"We'll end up rescuing you instead of Hutch."

"I can show him how to get there," Tony said quietly. Both men turned to face him.

"What's that?" Dobey asked.

"I know that area and I have a pack Starsky could use. I can explain to him how to get there."

"I can't have you both gone, Jackson," Dobey said sternly.

"I know that. But if you give Starsky a couple of days off, he can head in and find Hutch. Heck, I bet if I drive you up there, you'll find him jumping in his car to head home." Tony smiled to try to lighten the mood.

Dobey calmed down and leaned a hip against Starsky's side of the desk. "Look, if I had any reason to think something happened to Hutch, I'd have half the city out there looking. But, if Jackson can guide you, I'll give you two days off to go check on him."

"Thank you, Cap'n," Starsky said, gratefully.

"I know you aren't going to be any good to us here, so go. Jackson, can you get him geared up and on his way in the next few hours?"

"Yessir, I can."

"I'll see you back here by noon – no later!"

"Thank you, Captain," Tony replied with a nod.

A few hours later, Tony pulled into the parking area.

"There is his car!" Starsky exclaimed, pointing to the old Ford. He then searched the path wishing against all hope that Hutch would walk up as they sat there.

Tony saw the turmoil in Starsky's eyes and felt for him. "Listen, he may be just fine. Hopefully, you find each other because if he gets here first and leaves…"

"Well, I'd be up shit's creek, to put it bluntly." Starsky smirked.

Tony reached into the back seat and picked up a notebook. He ripped out a piece of paper and handed it to Starsky along with a pen. "Write him a note and leave it on his windshield.

"That's a great idea," Starsky said. "And if worse comes to worse, I can get the ranger to contact someone." He wrote the note and handed the pen back to Tony who then handed him a map.

"You sure, you understand the route?"

"I really do. Tony, I can't thank you enough." Starsky pulled the heavy backpack Tony was lending him from the trunk of the car.

"I think you can thank me enough – and you have." Tony laughed and stuck out his right hand. "Good luck, Partner."

"Thanks – yeah, I said it again. I'm sorry to leave you alone. If we are lucky, we can spend Friday on the streets. And hey, you can always ride along with Hutch and me on Monday. A three-way, ya know?"

Tony laughed loudly and slapped Starsky on the shoulder. "I'll go for it as long as you come up with another name for that." He checked his watch. "Okay, gotta run. I want to get back well before noon and you have a lot of ground to cover. Don't forget, I wrote out how to set up that tent. I have a feeling you haven't put one up before."

"You are correct on that," Starsky looked sheepish.

Tony got into his car and headed out of the parking lot with a wave. Starsky tucked his note under the wiper of Hutch's car. He then turned toward the path stretch out in front of him, took a deep breath and hit the trail.

By the time the sun was starting to set, he was exhausted but felt he had not only followed the marked trail on the map correctly, he had made more than enough headway. At one point, he came across a couple hiking toward him and anxiously asked if they had seen Hutch. They told him they only saw a few other people on their trip and nobody matched Hutch's description.

Starsky quickly took out the notes on how to set up the tent and stood proudly in front of it only thirty minutes later. His hands on his hips, he said "Not bad for a city boy." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he looked around for some firewood. Grabbing the flashlight from the side of the pack, he started picking up logs and kindling.

As he sat in front of the small fire he managed to start, he picked at the freeze dried food Tony had given him. "Tastes like styrofoam." He finished his 'meal' and snacked on some trail mix. Drinking down some water, he dreamt of a cold frosty root beer. "Hutch, you are gonna owe me a steak after this. No, lobster. No, both!"

He poked at the dying embers then scooped up some dirt to smother them. Climbing into the tent, he was asleep within minutes.

~ S&H ~

Anya opened her eyes and was instantly aware of her surroundings. She scanned the lake quickly then turned her eyes to Hutch. His color was a bit pale. She checked the bandage on his head and was happy to see no fresh blood. She tucked the throw around him and ran her hand down the side of his face hoping for a response but there was none. Her hopes dashed, she took hold of his hand and squeezed it gently. She bit her lip as she pinched his upper arm until she got a slight groan from Hutch. She then rubbed the spot gently and put his hand back under the blanket.

Getting up, she grabbed her waterskin and brought it to his mouth. This time she lifted his head and poured a good mouthful in. Hutch sputtered briefly but swallowed most of it. She tried again. This time he kept most of it in. She took a drink herself then wiped the corner of Hutch's mouth. He moved his head slightly and she leaned in to watch. His eyelids fluttered but did not open.

Anya opened her pack and ate a breakfast of berries and dried meat. She then slid the travois over next to Hutch, tipped him onto his side, moving the stretcher beneath him. Within a few minutes, he was settled and secured. Anya moved to the head of the travois, took a deep breath and bent to pick up the logs. She had wrapped her hands with animal skins to protect them. After feeling she had a good grip, she took a few steps, grunting as she pulled Hutch behind her.

After over an hour, Anya reached her camp. She was drenched with sweat but carefully laid Hutch down on a soft area of dirt and pine needles. She checked his wound and his breathing. She started a fire in the fire pit to keep him warm until the sun got higher in the sky. She helped him take in some water then went to crush up some berries. Once that was done, she mixed them with some water and poured that into Hutch's mouth. His eyelids again fluttered. She smoothed his hair and waited for him to return to consciousness. After a while, she began to worry if bringing him to her camp was a mistake. Maybe keeping him by the lake was a better idea. Maybe other hikers would come to fish and they would find him and take him back with them. Anya pulled her legs up, wrapped her arms around them and rested her forehead on her knees. She began to softly cry.

Anya finally dried her tears and checked on Hutch before making the run down to the lake to retrieve Hutch's drying clothes.

~ S&H ~

Starsky felt he had polluted the air with his cursing as he struggled to get the tent back into its sack and attached to the back pack. Sorry, Mother Nature, he thought to himself. But I'm new at this. When he lifted the pack he realized it did not look anything like it did when Tony had given it to him but everything was secure so he shrugged into it. He checked the map one last time then hit the trail. His legs were stiff and sore from the hike the previous day but he pushed through it and soon they loosened up. He hiked most of the day until he came to a lake.

"This is it," he said to himself. "I recognize this from the picture in the book. I made it."

Starsky scanned the lakeshore hoping to spot Hutch. He dropped his pack beside him and went to sit down on a large rock. "Ew, what is that. Fish guts? I'll sit over here instead." He took out his canteen and drank it down quickly. "Huh, that does taste pretty good after all that hiking." Starsky slipped off his boots and socks and walked into the water up to his ankles. The cool water felt good on his hot aching feet.

Starsky tried to calm his jangled nerves as he took in the scenery but he had hoped to come across Hutch long before this. He walked out on the log that jutted into the water and continued to search for any sign of Hutch. He turned to head back to shore but lost his footing on the waterlogged piece of wood. His left foot slipped and he felt sideways into the lake. Putting out his hand to catch himself, he felt a sharp pain in his fingers. He stumbled for a moment then got his feet under him. As he stood, he looked at his hand. It was covered in blood. Oh, shit, he thought. Now you've done it. He sloshed up to the shore and went to the pack. With his right hand, he struggled to unzip one of the compartments and pull out a small first aid kit. By the time he had the gauze and tape, his hand was too soaked with blood to wrap so he rinsed it with the rest of the water from his first canteen, dried it on his shirt then wrapped it. He ripped off a few pieces of tape and secured the gauze. A line of blood showed through the gauze almost immediately but did not spread too much. Good, I think the bleeding is slowing down. Man what the hell did I cut it on?

"Hey, at least it wasn't your foot." Starsky fumbled to put his socks and boots back on, cursing aloud at his stupidity. "Sorry, again Mother Nature." Without much of a plan now that he was here, Starsky decided to circle the lake until the sun set and he had to set up camp. He headed to his left and carefully climbed a hill that skirted one side of the lake. He slipped a few times on the other side but finally reached flat ground again. He spotted something on the rocks up ahead and walked over to look at what it was. He leaned down and picked up a long-sleeved t-shirt that was spread on a rock. His eyes scanned the water, assuming someone had left their clothes to take a bath in the lake but he didn't see anyone. He flipped the shirt over and moved to lay it back on the rock. His good hand clenched onto the material when he read the lettering on the other side, 'Minnesota.'

This belongs to Hutch! Starsky looked back at the water as he picked up the jeans that lay on another rock. He whirled around, his eyes wildly trying to find a sign of his best friend. "Huuutch?"

Anya had almost reached the lake when she heard Starsky's call. She stopped in her tracks. Someone had called Hutch's name, she was sure of it. Despite her fear of revealing herself to someone, she still pushed herself on. She needed to find help.

Starsky dropped the backpack from his shoulders and ran to the edge of the water. He couldn't understand why Hutch's clothes were here but not Hutch himself or his pack. He willed himself to calm down and turned back around. He jumped at the sight of the woman standing nearby.

"Jane!" Starsky said but remained where he was, afraid he would frighten her off. He was surprised when instead the young woman ran toward him, almost knocking him back when she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. "Hey, it is you. Sweetie, are you okay?"

Anya, pulled away and shook her head fervently. She pointed back the way she came. She went to reach for Starsky's left hand but saw the bandages. She looked up at him worriedly.

"Don't worry about that. I need to find Hutch. Have you seen him?"

Anya spotted Starsky's pack and ran to pick it up. She held it up so he could get his arms into it. She then took hold of his un-bandaged hand and headed into the woods.

They ran until Starsky couldn't keep up. "Wait," he said breathlessly. He pulled off the backpack and dropped it beside the trail. "I'll come back for this." Starsky hurried after Anya. Something was definitely wrong and although Anya had not said anything or indicated she was upset about Hutch, Starsky knew it deep down. They ran a few hundred yards more until they finally reached the clearing where Anya had made camp. Starsky saw the figure near the fire and dropped down onto his knees.

"Hutch? Buddy?" Starsky said softly, afraid to touch the motionless figure laying before him. Anya came closer and brushed Hutch's hair from his damp forehead. She stopped and rested her palm on his forehead and looked at Starsky with worry in her eyes.

"What is it?" Starsky asked. Anya took his hand and placed it on Hutch's cheek. "Fever." Anya nodded. She then pointed at the wound on Hutch's head. Starsky tried to figure out what happened. "I thought maybe he fell in the water." Anya nodded. "He did? And he hit his head?" Starsky pointed at his own temple. Anya nodded again. "Has he woken up at all?" Anya shook her head 'no.'

Starsky leaned closer to Hutch's face. "Wake up Hutch. It's me, Starsk. Can you open your eyes?" He waited but then turned his ear to listen to Hutch's breathing. He looked up at Anya.

"Anya, Sweetie. Did Hutch go under the water?" When he received a nod, he continued. "Did he stop breathing at all?" Starsky's gut clenched when he asked the question and it jumped into his throat when Anya's eyes teared up and she nodded. "I've got to get him out of here. I think he's really sick."

Anya went to the side of the clearing and pulled out the travois she had used to bring Hutch to her camp. Starsky's eyes widened. "That's how you got him here?" Anya nodded proudly. "You are amazing, you know that? It must have taken you a long time." Starsky didn't wait for an answer but instead got up to pull the stretcher closer to Hutch. "Help me get him on to this."

Anya reached out and pointed up into the darkened sky. "I know it's late but we can't wait. I have a flashlight on my…oh, my pack is on the trail." He rose to go get it but Anya grabbed his wrist, gestured for him to stay and ran down the path. She returned a few minutes later and handed the pack to Starsky. He pulled out the flashlight. I could use this to see. Anya shook her head just as Starsky realized that he'd need both hands to pull Hutch. He was getting frustrated. Anya took his left hand and turned it over so the blood gauze showed. "I don't care about that. I can pull him just fine.

Hutch started to cough. Both Starsky and Anya were at his side instantly but didn't know how to help him. His breathing was getting worse. Anya pulled the travois closer and put Starsky's right hand on it. She then put her left hand on it and picked up the flashlight with her right and pointed it ahead of her.

Starsky realized what she was trying to say. "We can pull him together. Is that what you are saying?" Anya nodded strongly. Starsky looked at the travois and tried to picture how they would manage. "It will be difficult. You are shorter than me and you are only wearing those sandals.

Anya smiled and went into her hut. She came back out with two things in her hands: a pair of women's sneakers and a length of leather strap.

Starsky's eyes lit up. "Those sneakers – I remember them. I left them for you in those boxes. So, you did find them." Anya smirked and nodded. "But what is with the strap?"

Anya went to the handle of the travois that Starsky would be holding with his right hand. She wrapped the strap around the handle, leaving a good length of it hanging down.

"Oh, I see, the strap will make the handle lower so it matches your side." Anya nodded proudly. "You should have been an engineer, you know that? You are brilliant." Starsky leaned over and placed a kiss on Anya's cheek. She blushed and he laughed.

"This is going to be rough going. Can you handle it? What am I saying? Can I handle it? You I have no doubts about." Starsky smiled warmly at the young woman before they began to carefully uncover Hutch to move him to the stretcher. Starsky gently dressed Hutch while Anya went about gathering what they would need which included water, food, extra dressings for Hutch's and Starsky's wounds and some herbs she thought might help them both. She pulled her pack onto her shoulder after securing Hutch to the travois and making sure he was warm enough. She lovingly draped a fur around his head to keep him warm.

Starsky watched her. "Déjà vu." Anya looked up and cocked her head in confusion. Starsky smiled thinking she looked like a puppy when she did that. "It means that it seems you were just doing the same thing for me." Anya nodded sadly.

"Okay, let's get going." Starsky kicked dirt over the fire and looked up into the clear sky, thankful it was almost a full moon to give them more light. He wrapped the strap around his right hand and adjusted it until it was comfortable. Anya took hold of her handle and they slowly rose up. Without another word, they began the trek back down to the lake.

After reaching the lake, Anya pointed the way around it on a path that avoided the steep cliff. They hiked for hours but Starsky felt they weren't making enough headway.

"Wait, Anya. Wait." Together they carefully lowered Hutch back to the ground. He began to cough. "I think we should stop here. We've covered some good ground but maybe we should wait for the sun to rise. We will be able to see better and walk a lot faster." He went to Hutch's side and felt his forehead. "Oh man, he's burning up." The coughing worsened.

Anya removed her pack and motioned for Starsky to do the same. She put each on the ground at Hutch's head and lifted one handle then the other and slide the packs under so that Hutch was laying more at an angle as when they were pulling them. His coughing attack subsided and he settled back down.

Starsky shook his head in amazement. "I never would have thought of that." He reached out and took Anya's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you."

Starsky decided against using the tent since all three of them couldn't use it and it was a beautiful night. He gave the sleeping bag to Anya but she refused to use it. "Look, I'm going to lie right here next to Hutch. You go ahead and use the bag. Anya studied the bag, unzipped it and spread it on the ground. She gestured for Starsky to take the spot closest to Hutch. She then laid down beside Starsky and curled up under his arm like she did with Hutch the night before. Starsky leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

~ S&H ~

Starsky felt a small hand shaking his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes. Anya was already at Hutch's side giving him a drink of water. Hutch's eyes were open. Starsky bolted up onto his knees.

"Hutch, you're awake!"

Hutch cleared his throat. "What's going on?" He tried to reach a hand to his aching head but couldn't. "Why am I strapped down?" He went into a fit of coughing again. Anya began to unstrap him. She and Starsky laid the travois flat before helping Hutch into a sitting position.

Hutch shut his eyes. "Oh my head. Everything is spinning."

"You whacked your head when you fell into the lake," Starsky explained.

Hutch slowly opened his eyes. "The lake. I remember now. I saw Anya from up there and then lost my footing."

"Oh man, Hutch, no wonder you've been out cold for so long."

Hutch looked over at his friend. "What are you doing here, Starsky?" He coughed a few times and swallowed hard. "How did you get here?" Hutch slowly looked around, expecting to see rescuers.

"I hiked in," Starsky replied.

"Hiked? Alone?" Starsky nodded in reply. "How?"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is I'm here and we are going to get you out of here today, right Anya?" Starsky smiled as she nodded back to him.

"Oh, Anya. It is you. I…I…" Hutch erupted into another coughing fit. Anya offered him some water but he pushed it away. "Not yet. I need to…I need to." Hutch's blush could be seen even through the flush of his fever.

Anya blushed too and walked away. Starsky helped Hutch relieve himself then called Anya back. She gave him some water and some berries. "Come on, Hutch, lay back down so we can get going again." Hutch did as he was told and was soon asleep on the travois.

Anya handed the berries to Starsky who reached with his left hand then winced. Anya pouted in sympathy. She reached into Starsky's pack and pulled out the first aid kit. In a few minutes, they had it redressed with an application of antibiotic ointment.

"That feels better. Let's go."

Now that the sun was up, they were making good time. Starsky felt they would reach the parking lot by night fall as long as they didn't have to stop much but he wanted to keep an eye on Hutch, his breathing and his fever. Anya gave Hutch some water and some herbs whenever he woke up and it seemed to help him a bit.

Starsky re-adjusted the strap on his right hand once again as it kept making his fingers go numb. He heard a far off rumble and looked behind them. Dark clouds were forming. "Aw, nuts, a storm. Anya, I should stop and check my map to be sure we are going the right way." Anya shook her head and pointed ahead. "Okay, if you say so." Starsky smiled over at her.

They continued to try to outrun the storm but it was gaining on them. "Hang on, put him down for a minute," Starsky said breathlessly. He pulled off his pack and took out an item in a yellow pouch. He pulled it out and unfolded it. It was a rain poncho. He took his knife and slit the sides of the poncho and draped it over Hutch as much as it would go. He tucked it into the straps to hold it down. "He shouldn't get wet. I just hope he doesn't wake up and think he is in a body bag." He saw Anya's confusion. "Never mind, let's just keep going."

Starsky picked up his travois handle and wait for Anya to do the same. The rain started to come down thirty minutes later. Starsky looked back at Hutch who was still safely under the poncho but his lower legs and feet were getting wet. Anya turned on the flashlight as the last of the natural light faded due to the storm.

"Anya, if you can't keep going, we can pitch the tent and squeeze in it somehow." Anya shook her head and continued to hike. She stumbled on a tree root but kept going. "You're a trooper, kid," Starsky said over the sound of the rain.

Starsky continued on although he was afraid they might go off track in the rain and cause more of a delay. Anya seemed sure of herself, though, and he put all his faith in her abilities. Hutch slept on despite the poncho and rain and that made Starsky worry all the more. The occasional bout of coughing actually gave him peace to know that to cough, you still had to be breathing. Amazingly the storm moved off and they never got into a downpour. Starsky thanked all the deities for that. The ground was almost completely level and the path was well worn. He realized they were almost out to the parking lot and prayed there was someone there to help with Hutch.

"Anya, I see lights. We made it!" Starsky could just make out Anya's nod and smile in the dim light. He realized his right hand was completely numb from the strap but didn't care. They pressed on. When they reached the parking lot, Starsky's heart dropped. Hutch's car was the only one there and the ranger station was deserted and dark. "Hutch, please still have your car keys."

They gently laid the travois on the ground. Starsky pulled the poncho away and patted Hutch's pockets. A moan came from his friend as he reached in and pulled the car keys from his pocket. "Oh man, he usually packs them in his backpack." Starsky looked up and saw a sheepish look on Anya's face. "He did, didn't he? You put them in his pocket." Anya nodded and Starsky blinked back tears of thankful joy. "Stay with him."

Starsky ran to the Ford and unlocked it. He dropped Tony's pack into the trunk then moved to open the back door but realized it would be best for Hutch to remain propped up to help with the coughing. He opened the passenger side door and laid the seat back slightly. Starsky then ran back to Hutch. Anya kissed Hutch on the forehead and stood to head back into the woods. Starsky reached and took hold of her wrist.

"Anya, you can't go back all that way tonight. Please, don't go."

Anya shook her head at Starsky and began to look fearful. Starsky sadly let go of her wrist.

"Anya," Hutch said weakly, his voice raspy from coughing. As Starsky untethered Hutch's arms, he reached for Anya who took hold of Hutch's hand. She removed her waterskin and offered him a drink. After catching his breath, Hutch squeezed her hand and looked up at her. The light from the parking lot lights showed his damp hair matted to his forehead and his face flushed with fever. "Anya, I have to tell you something." Hutch was overcome with another bout of coughing.

"Help me get him into the car," Starsky said and reached to lift Hutch up. He staggered between Starsky and Anya, his feet dragging. Once in the car seat, his hands reached until Anya put hers into them.

"Anya, I spoke to your parents," Hutch said. Anya looked down sadly. "Your mother. She misses you very much." Anya shook her head and pulled away. "No wait. She wanted me to tell you. She is sick." Anya turned back, her eyes wide with concern. "She's afraid she won't see you again." Hutch reached to stroke Anya's hair as she began to cry.

Starsky stooped down to see Anya more clearly by the car light. "Will you come back with us?"

After a moment, Anya wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "Yes."

Starsky looked at Hutch who was now smiling. "Okay then," Starsky opened the back door. "Hop in. Next stop, the nearest hospital." Starsky shut the door once Anya was in the car and went to get in the driver's seat.

"Let me drive, Starsky." Hutch said with a cough. "You've had a rough day."

"Shaddup, Blondie." Starsky started the car and turned to back out of the spot. He saw Anya smiling slightly at him. He winked at her then turned back to head out of the parking lot.

Once they were on the main road, he grabbed the bubble light and warned Anya that the siren was going to be loud. She covered her ears. They reached the nearest hospital. Starsky pulled the car right up to the ambulance entrance. A nurse called out to him that he couldn't park there.

"Get me a gurney, right now!" Starsky shouted back. Two orderlies were called and Hutch was placed on a stretcher and whisked into the ER. Starsky went to follow but realized Anya was still in the car. He stuck his head in to open door. "Come on, Sweetie." Anya, shook her head fervently. She pushed herself into the far corner of the back seat. "Okay, okay. You stay right here and I'll come back and check on you." Starsky waited for her nod then ran through the ER doors.

Starsky came back to the car thirty minutes later and didn't see Anya. He ran up and opened the driver's door to look for her. She was crouched down on the back seat floor. "Hey," he said quietly, "what are you doing down there?" Someone yelled at Starsky to move his car immediately. "Oh, now I see. You didn't want people yelling at you." Anya nodded. "Sorry about that." He started the car and moved it to a parking spot.

"Hutch?" he heard Anya whisper from the back seat.

"They are taking care of him. We just have to wait. Come inside with me and we will get something to eat, okay?"

Eventually, Starsky managed to coax Anya out of the car. He pulled a jacket of Hutch's from the trunk and draped it over Anya's clothing. "There you go. With this and those great sneakers, you look like you belong here."

Anya looked down at herself then smiled up at Starsky. She took his hand and they walked into the ER. As the noises and smells of the strange hospital assaulted Anya, Starsky winced as her grip tightened on his right hand. He reached to push the elevator button but thought better of it. Not only had she lived in the wild for years, she lived on a farm before that. He didn't want to overwhelm her even more so he brought her to the staircase to go down to the cafeteria. He reached for the door with his left hand and grimaced in pain.

"No," Anya said and pulled him back toward the ER. He allowed himself be led. Anya looked around and spotted an intake nurse. She brought Starsky to her and showed the woman his hand. "Hurt," she said simply.

"I can see that. Let me get you looked at. Go sit down and I'll call you soon." She handed Starsky a clipboard of papers and a pen. "Fill these out, please."

Anya led Starsky to the waiting room and sat down next to him. Starsky struggled with writing with his injured hand. "Let me," Anya said. "Starsky. S…t…a?"

"Yes, that's right." Starsky's mouth hung open in amazement. "How do you? How can you?"

Anya looked indignant. "I go to school. I read."

"Oh, of course, Honey. I know that. But it has been so long." Starsky once again shook his head in amazement then finished spelling his name for her. They moved on to his address and the other needed information. When they were done, Anya returned the paperwork at the desk. Her curiosity now overcame her nervousness and she stared at the water fountain against the wall.

Starsky walked over and showed her how to push the button. She laughed when the water squirted up at her. "Try it," he said with a smile. Anya leaned down and took a sip. She made a face and wiped the water from her lips. "Yeah, I bet that does taste bad after drinking mountain streams. Sorry."

They went back to wait. Anya picked up a 'Life' magazine and thumbed through the pictures. She ignored any that were of celebrities or politicians but stopped at all of the pictures of cities or animals. "Jaguar," she said pointing at a sleek cat.

"Yep. There is also a really cool car called that too." Starsky saw the blank stare Anya gave him, then said, "Uh, never mind." He fished in his pocket for some change and bought a Milky Way candy bar. He unwrapped it and handed it to Anya. She nibbled a corner and her eyes lit up. She took a big bite. "Ah, there you go. We do have something in common." She finished the candy bar in less than a minute. "You are going to have the biggest sugar rush now." Starsky chuckled.

A nurse came to take Starsky into an exam room. "My partner, Ken Hutchinson; he is here too."

"I'll make sure they know where to find you. Is your…is she coming along too?"

"Oh yes, if she may," Starsky gave one of his winning smiles to the nurse despite being dead tired.

"Of course, this way."

Starsky's fingers were cleaned and stitched up. Anya watched with fascination as she darted around the small exam cubicle touching everything and occasionally knocking things over. Starsky apologized saying that she had had too much sugar. The resident just nodded and smiled.

Finally Hutch's doctor came into the area as Starsky's hand was wrapped. "Mr. Starsky?"

"Sergeant…yes that's me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Sergeant Starsky, your partner is resting comfortably. We will be bringing him up to a room soon."

"He's okay?" Starsky asked. Anya stopped fidgeting and paid close attention to the doctor.

"Yes, he will be. He has a concussion and has developed pneumonia but we are treating that with antibiotics. He'll be laid up for a few weeks but he will be just fine." The doctor left the room and the intern followed him.

Starsky's grin was beaming. "Ya hear, that Anya. You did it again. You saved him."

"We saved him," Anya pointed at herself and Starsky as she grinned.

Starsky slid of the table with a yawn. "Come on, let's get some real food then we'll go see Hutch." Starsky led the way to the stairs and down to the cafeteria.

~ S&H ~

Hutch opened his eyes and squinted at the sun streaming in from the window across the room. He blinked a few times then looked around him. Starsky was asleep on a hard plastic chair nearby, his feet propped on the windowsill, his head lolling back and his mouth open, snoring lightly. He was dressed in clean scrubs. Hutch smiled then realized Anya was on the other side of him, also on a plastic chair, her head resting against the mattress. She was also in a scrub top and pants. Hutch reached and ran a hand down her cheek.

Opening her eyes, Anya looked up at him and smiled sweetly. She stood up and leaned over to kiss Hutch on the cheek. "You are okay?"

Hutch was shocked to hear her speak as he couldn't remember much about the previous night. "Yes, Honey. I'm okay." He looked over at his partner. "What happened to his hand?"

Anya held up her hand and made a slicing motion across her own hand, then said, "Stitches." She imitated the stitching of her fingers.

Hutch smiled and took Anya's hand. "I'm so glad you came back with me."

"Momma is sick. She needs me."

"She does. Listen, I'm going to be here for a while. You can go see your parents with Starsky."

Anya shook her head and held tightly to Hutch's hand. "No. You and Starsky."

Hutch patted the back of hand reassuringly. "Okay, okay. We will talk about this later." Hutch's laid his head back onto the pillow. "I'm just going to…" He dozed off before finishing his sentence.

Later that day, Starsky and Anya came in to Hutch's room to find him scowling at a plate of food in front of him. "Oh look, Anya. Hutch feels the same way you do about the food here."

"Not good." Anya said and Hutch nodded as he tasted the potatoes and gravy.

"Aw, that is just awful. I can't eat that."

"Can I?" Starsky asked eagerly.

"Leave me the jello and the juice," Hutch answered.

Starsky picked up the fork and dug into the food. Anya screwed up her face. "He eats a lot."

"Ah, so you have noticed."

"Yeah and she liked the same green and white worm food you like."

"Sprouts," Anya said, her eyes sparkling.

"Good girl," Hutch said with a grin.

"All is not lost," Starsky said through a mouthful of food, "she loves candy bars."

"What? Tell me you did not give her candy already," Hutch said with a grimace.

"Of course, what else were we supposed to eat out there in that waiting room? She loved it. Takes after me that way."

"Uh, Stasrk, she isn't our love child or something."

"What the hell – oh, sorry. What the heck are you talking about?"

"She doesn't 'take after' you or me."

"Oh, yeah, well. She's my little sister now so she can take after me." Anya grinned at being called a sister.

Hutch shrugged. "Okay, but she is my little sister too."

"Papa always wanted me to have brothers," Anya said and her smile faded.

Hutch reached and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know he did, Anya. But it doesn't mean he didn't love you." Tears spilled onto Anya's cheeks.

"Aw, you went and made her cry."

"I did not. You were the one that brought up brothers and sisters."

The argument was interrupted by a nurse clearing her throat. "What is going on in here?"

Hutch looked nervously over at Starsky who still had his lunch plate in his hand. "Uh, nothing, ma'am. Just having a visit with my family." He winked over at Anya who smiled through her tears.

Starsky dropped the plate onto the tray with a clatter. "Hey, I'm going to take off for a while, you two. I'll be back later." He passed the nurse. "See, it will be much quieter without me here."

"You can say that again," Hutch answered. Anya giggled. Hutch laughed and began to cough but winked at Anya again to let her know he was okay.

Hours later, Starsky slipped into Hutch's room. He now wore new jeans and a t-shirt. Hutch was sleeping and Anya was reading another 'Life' magazine. She looked up as Starsky came in carrying a bag.

"Hiya, Sweetie."

"Hiya," Anya replied.

"Hey, I bought you something." Starsky reached in and pulled out a brightly colored dress and a pair of saddle shoes. "I hope they fit."

"For me?"

"Of course, they sure ain't gonna fit Hutch."

Anya carefully took the dress from Starsky and held it up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Why don't you go try it on?" Starsky motioned toward the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Anya nervously stepped back into the room. Hutch was awake and he smiled at the sight of her in the dress. "You look beautiful."

"Yes?"

"Yes," both Starsky and Hutch said in unison.

"I have another surprise for you," Starsky said. He opened the door and Reza Zvonecek stepped warily in.

"Momma?"

"Oh, Anya." Reza held out her arms and Anya ran to her. "Oh look how you've grown. Reza wrapped her arms around her daughter. They cried and laughed together. Starsky wiped a tear from his own eye and Hutch smiled at him.

Finally, Anya pulled away from her mother. "Please don't die, Momma."

"People get sick, little girl. People die. It is the circle of life." She pulled her daughter close as she cried.

"Reza, I don't mean to pry," Hutch said, "but is there nothing else they can do for you?"

"What do you mean, nothing else?"

"Well, there are many treatments you could try, I'm sure."

"I have had no treatments. The doctor told me I will get sicker and die."

"Wait a minute," Starsky said, "you mean, you didn't go to a hospital?"

"No. We have no money for such things. Enough talk of this. Tell me all about your life in the beautiful mountains, Anya."

Anya looked over at Hutch and saw that he was falling asleep. Starsky had left the room quietly. Anya took her mother's hand and led her out of the room to talk.

When they returned, Hutch was attempting to eat the dinner that was given to him. He was having a little more luck with this meal. He greeted Anya and Reza warmly.

"Thank you for finding my Anya."

"My pleasure. Well, you know what I mean," Hutch shrugged as he coughed.

The door opened and Hutch's doctor came in. "Sergeant Hutchinson, I've looked over your chart and you are doing quite well. I think you should be able to be discharged home in a few days."

"That's great, Dr. Walker. Thank you. Doctor, this is Reza Zvonecek, Anya's mother."

"Ah yes, Sergeant Starsky spoke of you," Dr. Walker said as he shook Reza's hand. "May I speak to you for a few moments alone?"

Reza looked around confused but nodded and followed Dr. Walker out of the room. The door re-opened and Anya looked for her mother but instead found her father standing before her. She froze.

"Anya. Is that you?"

"Yes, Papa. I am Anya."

Hutch glanced over at Starsky who was now beaming with pride at having gotten Mr. Zvonecek to come to the hospital.

"You…you are a grown woman."

"Yes, I am." Anya's lower lip trembled. She took a step toward her father who opened his arms to her. She ran to him and they hugged each other tightly.

"I have missed you so."

"I…I've missed you too, Papa." Anya led her father from the room.

Hutch looked back over to Starsky who was again wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I have to hand it to you Starsky. I couldn't talk any sense into him."

Starsky came over and leaned a hip on Hutch's bed. "Well, you just have to have 'the touch.'"

"The touch?"

"Yeah."

"Oh you're 'touched' all right," Hutch said with a grin. Starsky raised a hand as if to backhand him and Hutch forced a cough. "Sick man here. Be careful."

"Pft, yeah, I'll get you later then."

Anya and her father returned an hour later, followed shortly after by Reza and Dr. Walker. Starsky introduced Dr. Walker to Mr. Zvonecek.

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Zvonecek. I've been speaking with your wife about her illness. I think I can do something to help her."

"Oh Momma!" Anya ran to hug her mother.

"I cannot pay you and we do not take charity."

"Oh, I don't offer charity, sir. I do, however, have a deal I'd like to strike with you."

"What kind of deal?" Mr. Zvonecek asked with a hint of mistrust in his voice.

"I have a son who is sixteen. He has shown no interest in following in my footsteps. He does not care for school and has threatened to quit now that he is of age. He has always shown an interest in agriculture…farming."

"Go on."

"I would like to have him work with you, as an apprentice of sorts. In exchange, I will treat Mrs. Zvonecek."

Everyone watched Mr. Zvonecek. They watched him carefully consider what Dr. Walker had offered. He would not accept the deal if it meant losing his pride and his family's honor – even at the expense of his wife's health.

"I will accept this deal."

Starsky and Hutch each let out a cheer. Anya hugged her mother and cried tears of joy. Tomas Zvonecek awkwardly moved to embrace his small family. As the room quieted down, Reza looked into her husband's eyes.

"Thank you, Tomas."

"Yes, thank you Papa," Anya echoed.

Tomas' cheeks pinked, his chest swelled with love and pride. "I love my family," he said. Knowing how difficult it was for a proud, old-fashioned man to say that, there was not a dry eye left in the room.

Epilogue

"Turn right up here, Starsky." Hutch pointed up ahead. "The house is up on the left."

"I can't believe it has been four months since we've seen them," Starsk said.

"I know but by her letters, things sound like they are going well for Anya and her family."

"You sure they won't mind me tagging along?" Huggy asked from the back seat of the Torino.

Starsky looked back at his friend in the rearview mirror. "They will love you, Hug." Huggy continued to be skeptical.

"There it is," Hutch pointed at the Zvonecek home.

Starsky had barely put the car in park when the front screen door flew open and Anya came racing out to greet them.

"Starsky! Hutch!" She reached Hutch first and flung herself into his arms. Hutch picked her up off the ground and swung her around.

"Oh, Anya, it is so good to see you." Hutch put her down and the pair beamed at each other before Anya let him go to jump into Starsky's arms.

"Hiya, beautiful!" Starsky placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hiya, Starsk," Anya replied and giggled.

"Wow, look at you." Starsky reached for Anya's neatly trimmed hair. She wore the dress he had given her with a matching headband.

Reza and Tomas had come out onto the front porch. Both smiled as they watched their daughter greet her friends.

Hutch had pushed the seat up so that Huggy could get out of the car. "Anya, I'd like to introduce you to a very good friend of ours. This is Huggy Bear."

Anya had moved to greet the stranger but stopped when she heard his name. She looked at Hutch and grinned. "That is not a name."

Huggy laughed. "That's my name."

Anya looked up at him. "Really?"

"Really. Just call me Huggy." Huggy put out his hand to shake Anya's but she instead wrapped her arms around him.

"Your name is Huggy, so I must hug you too."

Huggy returned the embrace with a smile at Hutch and Starsky.

Anya took Starsky's hand then Hutch's. She looked behind her to make sure her new friend was following. "Come." She led them up onto the porch.

Hutch reached and shook Tomas' hand then turned to Reza. She worse a kerchief and her face had a gray pallor but her smile was bright. "Hello, Reza. How are you?"

"I am doing well. Come, come inside, please."

The group followed them into the house. Reza and Tomas were introduced to Huggy. They all settled down in the living room to catch up. Reza explained the treatments she had gone through and that doctors felt she would make a full recovery. Anya knelt on the floor near her mother and held her hand as she spoke, her eyes gleaming.

The back door creaked and a young man came into the house. Anya jumped up to introduce him. "Oh, you must meet Jack. Jack Walker, these are my friends, Dave Starsky, Ken Hutchinson and Huggy Bear." She giggled, "Isn't that a funny name?"

Jack removed his dusty hat and shook everyone's hands. "It's nice to meet you all. Anya has told me so much about you. She calls you 'Starsky and Hutch,' though."

"That's what our friends call us so you can call us that too," Starsky said with his trademark smile.

"Jack has been a Godsend. He works the fields as well as any boy here. It is as if he has always worked a farm." Tomas looked at Jack proudly.

"And tell them about your daughter, Tomas," Reza said, giving her husband a poke with her elbow.

"Yes, Anya has been working just as hard as Jack then she works to help my Reza when she does not feel well. I am very proud of them both."

"That's great to hear. It sounds like everything really is working out." Starsky winked down at Anya who blushed. "I have to ask, though; what is that heavenly smell coming from the kitchen?"

Hutch rolled his eyes. "Starsky, can't you think of anything besides food?"

Starsky rubbed his stomach. "It was a long ride from the city. You can't tell me that doesn't smell t'rrific, Hutch."

Anya giggled, then said, "I made the dinner."

"You did?" Starsky asked. "I can't wait to taste it."

Jack put his hat back on and turned to leave. "I am going to finish stacking the wood, Uncle. I'll come back in when dinner is ready." Jack leaned down and kissed Reza on the cheek then left through the kitchen.

"He calls Momma and Papa 'uncle' and 'aunt' now."

"He is part of our family," Reza added.

After dinner, Huggy helped Anya with the dishes. Starsky sat down heavily, patting his full stomach. "That was wonderful, Anya," he called back to the kitchen but only heard giggling in reply. "I think Anya and Huggy are having fun in there.

Reza carried a tray in and served everyone tea. When the dishes were done, Hutch went out to the car and brought in his guitar. He played 'Kristofer David.' Starsky giggled along with Anya who thoroughly enjoyed the song.

"Here's one I think you'll like. This song is by someone named John Denver."

Hutch sang 'Sunshine on My Shoulders.' When he finished, the room was quiet for a moment before Anya whispered, "That song was written for me."

Hutch smiled warmly at the girl and reached to run a hand down her cheek. "Actually that song was written about the time you went to live in the mountains."

Anya looked behind her at her parents then back at Hutch. "It was meant for me." Hutch nodded at her.

Starsky cleared his throat. "Well, if you like that song, we brought you more." Anya looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. He reached into a bag that Hutch had brought in when he went to get his guitar. He pulled out a brightly wrapped present. He handed it to Anya.

"For me?"

"Of course. Go ahead and open it," Hutch said sweetly.

Anya carefully removed the ribbon, setting it aside. She then pulled open the paper without ripping it. She picked up the box and studied it. "What is it?"

Starsky opened the box as he spoke. "It is called a 'Walkman.' You can listen to music on it. Hutch and I also have a few John Denver tapes for you. He reached into the bag for a tape, popped it into the player than attached the headphones. He placed them on Anya's ears then turned on the tape player.

Anya's eyes widened in amazement then looked down at the player. Starsky hit the stop button then the play button again. Anya jumped up and brought it to her mother to listen. "Isn't it amazing, Momma?"

"It truly is," Reza replied after listening.

Anya threw her arms around Hutch's neck and kissed his cheek. She did the same to Starsky. "It is the most wonderful gift." She looked back at her parents again. "The second most wonderful gift."

"That sounds about right," Huggy said.

Starsky reached into the bag again and took out another gift. "This is for your parents." Anya's eyes lit up. She looked over at Hutch who grinned and winked at her.

Anya brought the gift and laid it on her parents' laps as they sat together on the sofa. Reza opened this gift as carefully as Anya had opened hers. She picked up the beautiful frame and stared at the photo held within it. It was a picture of her, her husband and Anya when Anya was about five years old. Reza looked over at Starsky and Hutch and shook her head. "But how?"

"Reza, I hope you don't mind but Anya found some negatives and sent them to us. We had that one blown up. We also have a small album of the others for you." Hutch tipped his head toward Starsky who handed over the brown leather album.

Reza wiped a tear from her eye. She handed the framed photo to Tomas and pushed herself up from her seat. Tomas reached to steady her. She took the photo from him then and walked to the mantle. She moved a few items and placed the frame on the mantle proudly. She stood back to admire it for a moment then crossed the room to place a kiss on the top of Starsky's and Hutch's heads. She patted each of them on the cheek. Not leaving Huggy out, she took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Starsky took one more item from the bag. "I brought my camera and I thought we could get a new photo with the four of you."

Anya smiled widely. "Oh, Starsky, I would like that. Come, Jack."

Jack joined them in front of the mantle and Starsky took some nice pictures. "We'll send these to you."

"Or better yet, we'll bring them with us when we come back. How's that sound?" Hutch asked.

"Yes. I would like that," Tomas said before his daughter or wife could answer.

The End