DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY PART OF STARSKY AND HUTCH FRANCHISE. THE FOLLOWING IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is set around the episode GILLIAN. I started out intending to do just one missing scene. But two things happened. I wondered if Hutch would have ever found out that Starsky knew about Gillian, when he knew it and if there would have been any hard feelings or arguments when Hutch became aware of it. And I wanted to explore when Starsky got the chance, exactly how much of what he knew he would share with Hutch.
I also became obsessed with the image that Gillian mentioned about the red balloons and expecting them to break but not wanting their idyllic life to change. The images of the red balloons are carried out throughout the story. This is my interpretation of how all that affected the story. Hutch's POV.
TYDB
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Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly we can fly Up, up and away My beautiful,
my beautiful balloon The world's a nicer place
in my beautiful balloon
WORDS AND MUSIC -UP UP AND AWAY- BY THE FIFTH DIMENSION
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I knew she was the girl for me. Or rather she was the woman for me. She wasn't like the bubble headed bodies I had been dating.
They were for entertainment only.
Gillian was a woman. She was beautiful, intelligent and had a wonderful sense of humor. We were meant for each other. Yeah she was sexy too. A head full of blond hair that was so silky. She had everything I ever wanted in a companion, in a soul mate. In bed it was only the two of us. The rest of the world didn't matter. She cared about me. She cared about pleasing me. But I wanted to please her as well. This wasn't just a one night stand. When we made love, it had meaning and purpose. I could say with the touch of my hand, with the weight of my body, what I couldn't find the words to say.
I never thought she'd really want to go bowling. But she said she'd meet Starsky and me at the alley. I had a weird pleasure in getting her shoes for her. It felt so intimate to know her shoe size. I felt myself blushing when I asked for an 11 for me and when I said I'd also need a 7 1/2, I had to fight with my body's reaction. I felt betrayed, like everyone knew I was in love. But I still couldn't say the word. Not out loud but in every sense, I knew I loved Gillian.
There, my world is in color again. Gillian is here. The perfect picture of the most complete lover I've ever had. She mentions the dream she had about a white room full of balloons. I knew they'd be red. But she was scared that what we had wouldn't last, that the balloons would break. All of the sudden, I saw such sadness in her eyes but I knew those balloons wouldn't dare to break or even lose the air that kept them afloat. I felt like a teenager in love for the first time. Maybe that's the truth. I'd had relationships before but always felt them lacking in one area or another. But not with Gillian. I took her face in my hands and we were alone. Never mind Starsky trying to teach Nancy to bowl. Never mind the crash and connection of the balls to the pins. Never mind the other people whooping and hollering over a silly game. My world, my prize was in my arms.
In the midst of my new love affair, Starsky and I were involved in crimes down in porno row. Our friend Lonely was killed for a few dollars while he did nothing but do his job. He had a little job but it gave him big satisfaction to clean and to make money. But thugs dropped him without caring about who he was or that he was no threat to them. It was done just to make a point.
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I could hardly contain myself. Gillian and I had spent the night together and now all I could do was smile a wide, satisfied grin. The afterglow stayed with me even as I was sitting in Starsky's car, eating my toast and milk. Another day to investigate the problems down in the porno shops.
It seemed wrong to be with Starsky headed to investigate another complaint in Porno row and be so damn happy. But I felt like singing. Instead, as we raced toward our destination, I greeted Starsky with a silly salute to wish him a great morning. When he told me that he thought Gillian was quite a lady, I couldn't help but take credit for that statement. I felt proud that Starsky liked her.
Once at our destination, we stopped by the ambulance and noticed Mickey on the stretcher.
"He's got a concusion but we don't know how bad it is." The ambulance guy gives us a brief report. We'd seen these guys way too often down in this part of town lately.
Huggy wants us to know that his friends need help. They need help before everyone ends up like Mickey and Lonely.
"Hey guys! This is all because of a dude named Grossman and his mother." Huggy continues his conversation while we process this information about an unhealthy sounding mother and son team.
"A guy involved in this stuff with his mother?" Starsky is totally freaked out at that thought. It's more than either one of us wish we had to deal with.
"Where can we find this lovely pair" I ask because it's our job to follow up and stop all of this before anyone else gets hurt. But truth be told, I'm as disgusted by it all as Starsky. We've seen so much during our time on the streets that it takes a lot to surprise either one of us. But a mother and her son selling porno, involved in murder with intent to overthrow the smaller businesses? Too much to think about.
So we make our way to Grossman's massage parlor. Starsky's complaining about his shoulder.
"It hurts every 8 or 9 years, whenever I bowl!" Starsky grumbles his answer to my question. He was rubbing his shoulder and flexing the arm. Maybe it was more than bowling. Maybe it was the lingering remnants of an old injury a few years ago. But he'd never tell me exactly what was going on. If he could blame it on something like bowling, then that's all the information I'd get. But I let it go as we entered the musky smelling room. A young girl with great legs, came on to Starsky, promising him that she could fix his aches and pains. Starsky stood and stared. Taken in by her healthy body and soft aproach, I saw him hesitate. I let him know we had work to do, so reluctantly, he followed. But I could tell he was still considering her offer. She still had eyes for Starsky as she pointed us in the direction down the hall when we asked to speak to Grossman.
We walked into the office and were greeted by a little old lady and a slimy looking man. Mother and son.
'don't think too much about that Hutcinson.' I willed myself to think of these two as any other business owners and Starsky and I were there only for information. I just didn't want too much information.
"We have a nice little business here. Toys is all we sell. I do the books myself.", said the little blue haired lady. She went on to reassure us that it was all legitamate. Even the massage parlor was harmless fun.
Meanwhile, Al, her son, kept his eyes glued to us. He wanted to strike out when we questioned his mother's morals. But sonny was a good boy and listened to his mother as she reprimanded him and told him to back off.
I really wanted out of there and go take a shower. I felt it was just wrong what we had just witnessed.
As we moved back through the reception area, Starsky winced again as he stretched his shoulder out.
"Hey, Hutch, maybe that girl really can do something to help my shoulder." Starsky looked to me for approval. Hey, if it would help him be more comfortable, I was all for getting him what he needed.
"I'll wait in the car Starsk. Go see if she can help."
I walked back out to the car and stood just watching the world go by. The weather seemed particularly nice. No smog, just clear bright sunlight. It wasn't even too hot. I guess I really had it bad. I was bitten. I was in love.
Starsk came back out pretty quick. He made a dash to the driver's side and jumped in behind the wheel. It wasn't until I got in and he'd started the engine that he finally spoke.
"I couldn't find her. I'll just use a heating pad tonight." He seemed so distracted. Either his shoulder hurt more than he wanted me to know or he was really disappointed that the curvy blond wasn't available.
In that white room, filled with red balloons , one red balloon just broke.
But if no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Does it deflate or lessen it's meaning?