This story is for Karen B, Gaillardia and Xtexan who all loved a curly wolf and encouraged me to write a sequel. Thank you so much ladies. And to my wonderful friend down under - Angie.

Written once again with ideas from Brook, without whome I doubt I could write and with encouragement from Shawne and Creedo, my Sissys in the basement.

Disclaimer - you know the score - don't own 'em, don't make money from 'em, but love to play with them some.

Chapter 1

Hutch sprinted back to his car as Starsky started to run after the perp. They'd had a call to say there was a robbery going down at West Ocean Boulevard, on a row of expensive jeweler's shops. Shots had been fired and they should approach with caution. With Hutch driving, they'd just rounded the corner onto the Boulevard when two guys came running out of the jewelers' shop, a bag carried between them.

'Mines the ginger haired flake' Starsky said, springing out of the car even though it was still moving.

'Starsk!' Hutch shouted to the fleeing brunet. He paused, looking over his shoulder.

'They're too far off for me. Which is the one with ginger hair?'

Sparkling intense indigo blue eyes met his with something like humour. 'The one on the left. He's mine. You take the little guy on the right ok?' and with that the curly haired cop was off running full tilt along the road, gun in hand, with Hutch being hard pressed to drive the car, grab his gun and keep up with his fleeing partner. The blond cursed under his breath, screeched the vehicle to a halt and got out, his own gun aimed unerringly at the shorter of the two men who seemed to have forgotten what he'd been about and was standing looking on in awe.

As was the rest of the crowd. Starsky was running hell for leather up the hill past the shops and was closing fast on the second robber – the one with ginger hair. Despite the fact that the guy had had at least a quarter mile start on the cop, Starsky was fast closing the gap and still had breath enough left to yell 'Police, freeze.'

The perp looked over his shoulder at his fast approaching nemesis. Was the cop on some kind of speed? How the hell had he closed the gap between them so quickly? The ginger haired robber took another few steps, stumbled and fell onto his knees in the dirt on the ramp up to the freeway. In a second, Starsky was on him, flipping him over onto his stomach and pulling his hands behind his back to cuff him.

In the distance, Hutch saw his partner bring the robber down. He cuffed his own man with his hands around a lamp post, making sure the guy wasn't going anywhere, then got back in his car and drove up the ramp to squeal to a halt besides his partner.

Starsky was hardly even breathless from his mile long sprint, but Hutch could see that the brunet's eyes were closed and he seemed to be struggling with some inner demon. The blond got out of the car and came round to kneel in the dirt by his friend.

'Starsk? You ok buddy? Are ya hurt?'

The brunet shook his head, his teeth clamped down on his bottom lip.

'Then what?'

'Hutch, just get him away from me huh? NOW' Starsky said with a pent up intensity in his voice.

'Sure thing. Why?...oh!' Hutch watched as Starsky got up from the body he'd been straddling. When the robber had tripped and fallen into the dirt, he'd torn his knees and his hands and now blood flowed from some of the cuts. Starsky's throat was bobbing, his jaw muscles working as he tried hard to control himself.

'Just get him outa here. Take him back in the car and I'll walk' the brunet growled, his eyes suddenly an even brighter, almost luminous blue.

Hutch knew better than to argue and pulled the ginger haired man to his feet. The perp backed away from the curly haired cop and snickered. 'That is one sick guy ya know. He needs help. He….he sniffed at me an' growled. He's a fuckin' animal!'

The blond grinned. 'He sure is, an' if you don't shudup, I'm gonna make sure he gets another go at you. Now get in the car an' keep quiet.' Hutch put his hand on top of the man's head, loaded him into the vehicle and clicked the handcuff onto the door handle to make sure he didn't go anywhere. He turned to his partner.

'You gonna be ok buddy?'

Starsky's hands were clenched into fists and he was concentrating on his breathing. 'Just get them dealt with an' hurry back. Sun's goin' down.'

'Not for another hour. We've got time' Hutch said gently.

'I can smell it, Hutch. I need to get home, soon. Hurry huh?'

The blond nodded and as he drove back down to the small crowd gathered round the jewelry sore, he was already radioing for black and white assistance. Ten minutes later, the uniformed officers appeared and took over and Hutch drove back along the road to find the solitary figure looking out at the ocean.

The sea breeze ruffled Starsky's curls that seemed to have grown longer of late and as Hutch approached, the brunet turned impossibly bright blue eyes to him.

'Ready?' Hutch asked.

'Yeah. Hurry huh? I can feel it.'

'We'll get you home. Not a problem. Just get in the car.'

The curly haired cop got into the passenger seat and Hutch made no comment as Starsky took out his own handcuffs and cuffed himself through the door handle, snicking the bracelets into place. He sat back.

'We both know you can break 'em like they were made of butter. Why bother?' Hutch asked smoothly as he put the mars light on top of the car and started the sirens blazing. He gunned the engine and drove off quickly in the direction of their new house.

'Humour me. It makes me feel better' Starsky smiled grimly. 'It's worse tonight Blondie. The middle night of the full moon. I can feel it already and it aint even dark yet.'

'We'll get ya home in time.'

'I know. I'm just antsy. She was there again last night.'

'Who? Talicia?'

'Yeah. She was outside the window. I could hear her. They need me to be there with them. Next month for sure.'

'Well Perry says by next month you should have more control, it'll be your sixth moon.'

'Uh huh. If I make it that long.'

Hutch cast a look sideways. 'Don't talk like that, the hunters haven't been around for a while.'

'I know, but we have to be realistic.'

The blond snickered. 'Hmm, yeah, realistic right! My partner is a werewolf. Oh, and wait. Not just any werewolf. He's the guy who's meant to be leading the local pack of werewolves except he won't meet with 'em. How's that for being realistic?' The car pulled to a halt outside the house they'd bought together. It stood alone, on a quite stretch of road way out between Bay City and San Diego. The house was quiet, unassuming and stood looking out at the ocean. It was nothing fancy, but it did have the one prerequisite that they'd searched for and now, Starsky waited till his partner unlocked the cuffs from round his wrists and the two men hurried down to its basement.

Starsky chuckled. 'Not bad for starters.' He pushed open the door to the cellar and walked in, going straight to the large square cage set into the middle of the room. The guys had had a funny look from the delivery man when they'd bought the cage from the zoo suppliers. Its usual inhabitants should have been chimps, or gorillas, or one of the other large primates, but now Starsky walked into the cage and clanged the door closed behind him, turning and testing the lock to check. Hutch stood outside and sighed.

'I know I ask you this every time, but are you sure it's necessary?'

Starsky had fallen to his knees inside the locked cage and his hands were up to his head as though in pain. As the blond watched in the gathering gloom of the twilight, Starsky's hair seemed to grow marginally longer and he moaned slightly, swaying n the ground. Hutch took a step closer to the bars.

'Starsk, I asked if this was really necessary. You're hurtin' buddy. Let me in huh?'

In answer, the wolf that had been Dave Starsky threw itself against the bars, snarling and the brunet's hand shot out to catch Hutch just as he drew himself back. With a sigh, the blond backed up.

'Ok buddy. I'll leave ya to it. Try not to hurt yourself huh? Try to be Starsky.'

In reply, the brunet grabbed hold of the bars, the fight with his alter ego apparent on his handsome features.

'Tryin' 'Utch…damn….tough. Just go huh?'

Hutch backed out of the room, walked slowly up the stairs and poured himself a glass of whiskey while he waited for his girlfriend Perry to come around. He rested his head back, closed his eyes and remembered how this had first started. In his mind he was back in the cool, dark cave, Starsky and Perry with him. They'd found the brunet protecting the body of his dead lover, a hunter's silver bullet in his side – the same bullet that had killed the woman. They'd been told there was no cure for lycanthropy and yet Perry had still searched, asking her friends to help and finally they'd come up with one idea.

'Starsk, Perry thinks she has a cure'.

'Huh? I thought….'

'Yeah, me too buddy. But she thinks she can cure ya. Will you let her try?'

Perry knelt by the side of the two men. 'I don't know if it'll work love. It's only been done once before and it's um…. Well it'll be painful, and it's dangerous. You may not survive' she explained as gently as she could.

Starsky snickered softly and then bent double as a bout of coughing took him unawares. Hutch soothed him until he was quiet again and the brunet fixed Perry with pain filled eyes.

'I don't wanna ….live like this. Do what…. ya have to'.

'You understand it could kill you?' she persisted.

'What choice do I have?'

'We can work somethin' out' Hutch said desperately. 'You don't have to do this Starsk. We can find another way'.

'No love, we can't' the woman murmured. 'If we're right, it's either now or never. We have to do it before the first moon, and that's' tomorrow night. And even then, this may not work. Are you sure Dave? Do you want me to do this?'

Starsk nodded. He could already feel the power surges coming back and he fought them with all his strength, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

'Just do it huh?'

'OK, I need a few minutes to prepare, and honey…. It's gonna hurt, but I'll make it as quick as I can'.

'What're you gonna do?' Hutch asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice.

'I have an ointment here. It's made of much the same stuff as the tea I gave him to drink. Wolfsbane and Caraway with some Thistle and a smattering of Digitalis. Its very concentrated and I need to apply it at the right time'.

'Which is?' the blond asked.

Perry stopped her preparations and looked at the two men. 'I'm not going to kid you. When I said this was dangerous, I meant it. Dave, I need to make seven ritual cuts on your body; smallish ones, but deep so that you bleed. It's the bleeding that's the secret. If we can time it till you're at the point of death before I put on the ointment to stop you bleeding further, then it may, and I stress may, be a cure'.

'You mean you're gonna try to kill him?' Hutch asked angrily.

'No, never! But he has to be close to death for the ointment to work love. There's no easy way to do this'.

'No, ya can't. I won't let ya. Find another way! We don't have any transfusion equipment. I'm the same blood type, but hell Perry! I could never give him enough to save him' Hutch yelled, his eyes wide with despair. He knew he'd prefer to have Starsky alive and wolf-like rather than dead and cured.

'Hutch… Ken, love. I know this is hard for you, but he's a lycanthrop and he'll be able to heal himself, even if he's cured he..…'

'Blintz?' the word was no more than a whisper, but it stopped the blond in his tracks and he looked fondly down at his partner. 'Ya have to let her try. It's my life an' I can't live it like this. I've tried to kill ya twice an' I won't do it a third time. It's my life an' my choice, an' I say she should do it' Starsky's face creased with pain and he clutched at his side, the chains on the manacles rattling together as though to remind him of his predicament.

'Starsk, I don't want ya to… to die' Hutch whispered 'there's gotta be another way.'

'Don't wanna die either buddy, but ya heard the lady. Now stand by an' let her do her stuff huh? Hutch…. for me?'

The flaxen haired cop heaved a breath and shuffled over until Perry had room to move.

'Ok Dave. I can't pretend this won't hurt. The knife is silver, so that your body won't heal the cuts too quickly. Once I've cut you, you're gonna start to feel tired. I want you to stay with me as long as you can. Got that? I need to calculate when to stop the bleeding. Can you do that for me?' she smiled nervously.

Starsky took hold of Hutch's hand and squeezed it. 'Yeah, stay awake. Not my strong point huh Blondie?'

'I'm here. Right here Starsk' Hutch said past the lump in his throat.

Starsky looked back at the woman and grinned. 'Do your worst' he murmured and fixed his eyes on Hutch's.

Perry took an eight inch long blade from her bag. The silver glinted dully in the candlelight as she examined it. With the pot of ointment already opened, she leaned forward and started to chant some ancient words under her breath as she weaved magical symbols above the brunet's body. Her face was relaxed. Totally composed now that she was back in the world of black magic and dark arts, Perry concentrated on weaving her spell. For long moments she muttered the archaic, unknown words softly, her hand signs at once beautiful and mystical - a ballet born of need. Finally she looked down at her patient.

'Ready?'

'As I'll ever be' the brunet replied calmly.

'Seven cuts, remember?' Perry brought the knife up and carefully she made two cuts one on either side of the cop's neck over his jugular. Starsky hissed in pain and squeezed Hutch's hand harder, but refused to cry out as next the woman made two more incisions down the length of his forearms from the inside of his elbow to his wrists. The blood started to well out to drip onto the sandy floor of the cave. Next came two more cuts at his ankles on the inside and finally she poised the blade over the brunet's heart. The silver flashed as she cut deeply into the olive toned flesh and Starsky could no longer contain the scream. His body writhed under the onslaught as Hutch soothed his forehead and tried to keep him still.

The blood flowed freely now from all seven cuts to mingle with the grains of sand on the ground. The brunet was loosing his ruby red life force fast; far faster than either Hutch or Perry had imagined and slowly the indigo eyes started to close.

'Starsk, stay with us buddy' Hutch warned urgently.

With an effort the brunet forced his eyes open. 'Tired' he panted, feeling short of breath as though he'd run a marathon.

'I know, but just stay with me Starsk, keep your eyes open for me'.

'Ya like…. my eyes?'

'Yeah, I love your eyes Pal. They're your best bit. Keep 'em open for me buddy, stay with me here' Hutch continued to urge his partner.

'Like… yours….too' Starsky breathed, words becoming almost too much of an effort. But as his blood continued to flow, the heat of the blood lust flowed from him too leaving him feel calm and at peace with himself more than he'd ever felt in his life.

'You never said that before. You really like my eyes?' Hutch said, tears pricking at the corners of them.

'Hmmm….. Love ya 'Utssshhhh' the smaller man murmured as his head fell sideways and his eyes closed.

'Starsk? Starsky, stay with me buddy…. Starsky!!' Hutch looked up in desperation, but Perry was already administering the powerful magical potion to the cuts. It was black and had the consistency of molasses but it stemmed the bleeding immediately. As she finished and the blood ceased to flow she sat back on her heels as Hutch felt for the weak and thready pulse that fluttered and stuttered inside the brunet's body. Starsky looked peaceful for the first time in a month, his eyes closed, his face pain free but his skin cold, clammy and pale. Gently Hutch stroked down his buddy's cheek softly. 'Stay with me Starsk. Don't go...don't go anywhere, don't leave me, ya hear me Gordo.'

There was no answer, the brunet lost in the sleep that would either lead to death, or a new lease of life.

Hutch looked up, his eyes full of questions. 'Is that it? Will he be ok? What do we do now?' he asked.

Perry held his hand in hers, feeling the trembling of the tall blond she'd come to love. 'Honestly? I have no idea. He's alive, and he seems to be fighting. I don't think he'll die. But as to what state he'll be in when he wakes? I have no idea - no one does. All we can do now love, is wait'.

And wait they did. For three days they waited until the cuts had healed and the new moon had passed and Perry deemed it safe to bring the brunet out of his sleep. Hutch's heart had been in his mouth as Starsky woke that first time. The brunet had been sleepy, and weak, but at the same time, he knew that he still felt the pull of the moon and the yearning to run and hunt with the pack. Starsky was still werewolf and so the two men set about rebuilding their life, selling up two apartments and buying the remote beach house with the cellar to which Starsky could retreat and harm no one, least of all his partner.