Captain Mystery

by provencepuss

I don't write children's fiction in this fandom. This story is rated K to protect me from people who don't know when to stop reading.

Captain Mystery

"How can you know until you've tried?" Starsky looked up at Hutch from the elaborate model ship that he was making.

"I just know, that's all." Hutch sipped from his beer bottle and shrugged.

Starsky tied a tiny and intricate knot in the black thread and stood up to come over to join Hutch on the sofa.

"Are you telling me that when you were a kid you never played with model airplanes?"

"Sure I played with them; I had a great one that wound up and…"

"Bought stuff, I should've known." Starsky's contempt for bought models was plain on his face. "I'll bet you had all the latest stuff when it came out, didn't you. I'll bet that if you had a train set it came all neatly packaged and all you had to do was set it up."

Hutch sipped silently. Starsky looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Oops, did I hit a raw nerve there?

He nudged Hutch playfully. "Hey come back from Memoryville, buddy and tell me about it." He drained his bottle and went to the kitchen to get a fresh one, and one for Hutch. He noticed the look on Hutch's face. "Hey what's the matter?"

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about what you said when we first went out on the street together…you remember?"

"Yeah, I told you that Andy Hardy wasn't for real." Starsky laughed gently. That's not what's bothering him though.

"Did you have a train set, Starsk?"

"Did I have a train set? Oh boy, did I have one! Me and my best friend Mike we built our own. Uncle Joe bought us the tracks and we built this kind of long trestle track that ran around his backyard. We saved all our allowance to buy the model sets and we made our own locomotives and cars. Mike was the one who created all the stations and stuff and I made the trains and everything. We used to 'choo choo' round that yard for hours. I'll bet you had one that went all around the cellar – must have great to have a cellar to play in when the weather was bad."

"We had a cellar, but I didn't play down there." Hutch seemed troubled. "My train set was in the shed in the backyard…"

Starsky could see that there was a long story waiting to be told. Hutch said nothing for a while; he drank some more beer and sighed.

"I know it's maybe not easy for you, but would you say that on the whole you had a happy childhood Starsk?"

Starsky looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. I mean we might not have had all the things you had, but we were happy. I had great friends to play with and we used to make believe with anything we could get our hands on. You know what? Until I went to the shooting gallery at the amusements places I never even held a toy gun it was all fingers and yelling 'pow pow'. Yeah I was happy. Ok so there's nothing happy about seeing your dad gunned down and that made for a lot of misery; but yeah, I knew that he and mom loved me and even after…even in LA I had Al and Rosa and they were as close to being second parents as I'd let them be. Yeah, I guess I had a happy childhood." He narrowed his eyes slightly and it felt to Hutch that he was focusing on some spot inside him. "Why did you ask?"

"I'm not sure if my answer is the same."

"Huh? Put that by me again, I thought you had the perfect childhood."

"I was never sure that my dad really loved me. Oh he bought me all the goodies as you put it, but it was like that was what he did because that's what fathers did…if you see what I mean. I guess he did what he thought was his job of being a father. I never remember any affection from him. You told me how your dad took you to the movies and the circus and everything – my dad didn't even approve of the movies, let alone take me there.

My mom loved me I guess; I mean she was always there with kisses and comfort; and she made sure that everything was just right – well you saw her! I think she was happy for me to find my own way and decide to do what I wanted to do for a living. But dad…that was different. He wanted me to be lawyer like he was. Small town attorney, writing wills and maybe suing someone sometimes, maybe even going into the courtroom from time to time – but never like Perry Mason; with an office over the grocery store."

He flashed a warning look at Starsky. "I know, just like in an Andy Hardy movie. But Starsk I grew up in a small town in the mid-west – that's where Andy-Hardy Land was meant to be!"

"Yeah, I know. Go on."

"I could never do anything right for him. Never!"

Hutch's face clouded over and he pulled hard at the bottle as if seeking courage in the beer. Starsky made one of his almost imperceptible eye movements and Hutch went on.

"When he was angry he took me down to the cellar and put me over his knee. He used a wooden paddle; depending on how angry he was, I got to keep something between my bare ass and the wood; pants, underpants or bare ass…depending on how bad my marks were at school, or whatever other fault he found."

Starsky looked at him aghast. He'd hardly ever been spanked by his dad– and he could be more than a handful. One thing was for sure, he never got punished over his school reports and again his record wasn't exactly covered in glory. He got paddled at school a few times though and he remembered how much it smarted.

Shit, and that was through denim and all.

He was beginning to understand how Hutch had been so angry with a child-beating mother a few years back. Starsky had been horrified that anyone could do that to a child; he'd even had to leave the room in shock. But Hutch's reaction had been different. Subdued anger was what Starsky would call it.

"Then when he decided I was too big for his knee he put me over a chair and used a belt. I came to thinking I could never get it right for him. I got to hating him. I got to hating school too – but I worked hard, oh yes. Ken Hutchinson got good grades in High School when he could – because he wanted to be able to sit at the supper table comfortably. So then I guess I turned into the kind of kid you would have given a bad time to at school; the kid who was always trying to be the best. The one who knew the answers, held up his hand and got to clean the blackboard.

The one thing I enjoyed was baseball. I even got on the team. I was so proud of getting into the squad, but my dad didn't seem to care. He was more interested in the grades on the report card and they weren't good enough as usual. That was the last time he beat me. I can still hear him Starsk, he said that if I didn't get good enough grades I'd have trouble with some of the stuff for law. That's what mattered to him, I was supposed to follow him and that's all. If I didn't, then I'd failed. When I flunked a retake paper he just shrugged and said there was no point in trying to teach me anything. I figured I wanted to go to college just to get away from him.

I didn't have that many kids to play with either. We lived in a bigger house back then and it was in the kind of area where the successful people lived – my dad did well quickly because there was only one other lawyer in town…most of the other families had grown-up kids. I had an imaginary friend for a while; and then I had my imaginary hero who I knew would come one day and take me away and make everything better."

He looked at Starsky sadly. "Did you have an imaginary friend?"

"No,' Starsky replied gently, "I had plenty of real-life friends to play with. Most of the families in our block had three or four kids and they were all young waiting for life to give them the chance to move to a better apartment. I guess none of us kids thought in terms of escaping." He took another mouthful of beer and decided to move the conversation on a bit.

"You went to college to do pre-law. Was that to try to please him?"

"Yes, I guess I thought it was the right thing to do, but I took a lot of other stuff and he was always saying I'd never make the grade."

"How did he react when you dropped out?"

"He was angry; especially because it put my deferment in question. Dad served in the Pacific. Oh nothing heroic, he was in administration, an adjutant pushing papers that sent other guys to the battles. But he went to Japan after the bomb and that made him a pacifist. He didn't want me to have to go and fight. Sometimes I think it would have served him right if I had been called up and …." He caught Starsky's eye and realized how dumb that must sound to his friend who had been called up, and badly injured.

Starsky was silent for a moment. He leaned over and patted Hutch on the knee.

"You know what, now I understand something that's always bothered me; you don't really know how to have a good time. I mean you work hard at everything, even having fun. Do you really enjoy jogging in the mornings – or do you do it because it's good for you? Even now your old man's in a home and sick you're trying to please him aren't you? OK so he didn't approve of you being a cop – but that's why you get so uptight when something goes wrong and why you still think you've failed him in some way. It's like when you get all uptight if something happens to me 'Kenny didn't do the right thing and Dave got hurt'; that's what goes through your head isn't it?"

Hutch was silent; he pulled on the bottle and swallowed harder than was necessary.

Starsky chuckled. "Vell leesen to Dr Sigi Starsky!" He said in a heavy accent.

Hutch stared at him. He'd never thought about it like that. Now that Starsky said had it, Hutch came to realize that he had always been diligent in everything he did; at work and at play. He was the solid methodical cop to counter Starsky's mercurial instincts.

He wanted to be the protector (like his childhood imaginary hero) so that he'd win approval. He did what he thought people expected him to do. He hoped that the women in his life didn't see it that way; he'd never really had any complaints.

He thought about his answer. "I don't really know, I mean I've never thought about it."

Starsky leaned over and patted him on the knee again.

"You need to learn to have fun. We've got a few days leave and Dr. Starsky knows just the cure. But first we need to eat. Come on, there's this great Mexican restaurant opened down in West Hollywood."

Hutch followed him down the steps. He went over to the Torino's passenger door and saw Starsky walking round to the back of the house. Although he called it an apartment, the truth was Starsky had a house that was all garage and storage space on the first floor. Hutch had never really been in there; although they'd been partners for years. The Torino was always parked under the big eucalyptus tree out front. His eyes widened. He saw the familiar black Harley but the rest of the place looked like Aladdin's cave.

Starsky had a neatly arranged workbench that ran the length of one wall; there were cartons and a few bits of rejected furniture neatly stacked against another wall and in the middle, next to the bike, there was what looked like a car under a tarp. Starsky grinned at him.

"Welcome to my secret lair!"

He was pulling the bike off its stand and he motioned to Hutch to close the doors behind them as they left. Starsky sat astride the Harley and kicked it into life. He nodded to Hutch to get up behind him and eased the bike onto the road.

"Lesson number one; feel the wind in your hair – no helmet, take a risk. Lesson number two – let's play cowboys!" With that he launched the bike down the hill yelling "Yee Haw" as he did. Hutch let out what he hoped sounded like a rebel yell and collapsed giggling against Starsky's back. Starsky glanced quickly over his shoulder, time enough to say "You're getting the idea, buddy." They roared off down the canyon.

At first Hutch wanted to point out that he had used a motorbike without wearing a helmet – when he was trying to find Starsky after Simon's madmen had kidnapped him. But he had to admit it was only because the bike was convenient that he'd taken it – if there had been a helmet he would have put it on!

He did as Starsky told him and felt the wind ruffle his hair. He whooped again.

After one of the hottest chili-con-carnes Hutch had ever eaten, Starsky led him out into the clear night air. "Ready for the next bit?" Hutch had been drinking enough to make him feel ready for just about anything; he nodded.

Starsky led him back to the bike. They climbed up the canyon road until they reached the part where the house-line stopped and it was nothing more than a track through the hills. Starsky guided the bike skillfully along the dusty track; then he cut the light and it seemed to Hutch that his heart had stopped beating for a second. Starsky stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Were you scared?"

"No.

"Liar!"

He pushed the bike forward again, going slowly, using the light from the full moon to guide him. Hutch started to relax as he took in the beauty that he saw around him. The moon made the trees strange silvery shadows and he could see the lights of the city glittering in the distance. Starsky stopped again and cut the engine. They were at the edge of the hillside and LA spread out below them like some great illuminated ocean. "Look up." Starsky said quietly. "He followed his partner's gesture and saw the stars twinkling above him. "I love coming up here. You can't see things too well; too much light pollution – but I promise you'll see the stars like you've never seen them before. Right now I guess you need to boldly go where no Hutch has gone before."

He chuckled again.

Starsky sat still and upright on the bike. His back was ramrod straight but Hutch knew that he was relaxed. He tried to let himself go too; not to think about it, just let himself relax. Starsky spoke again.

"Listen."

Hutch listened. He could hear the distant roar of the city's traffic and the wind in the trees and silence. Once again, Starsky turned to him and smiled. "Now you're learning."

Hutch was trying to figure all this out when Starsky started the bike up again. He switched on the head lamp and drove them back down to his house.

"Go home and get some sleep, Blondie, I'll come and get you about nine, OK."

Hutch drove home still trying to figure out what on earth his partner was up to this time. He smiled to himself.

I'm going to get to play with Captain Mystery after all.

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

Hutch was pouring his health drink out of the liquidizer goblet and into a glass when Starsky arrived. Starsky walked over, put the brown sack he was holding on the table and took the glass away and looked him full in the eye. "Do you really like that stuff?"

Hutch looked at the gray-white mixture in the glass. "Well Starsk it's full of good things…"

"Yeah, yeah I know; desiccated newt's tales and dried puppy's livers and lots of vitamins and minerals and all things that are good for you, but what I want to know is, do you really like it."

Hutch considered the question. The truth was he tried to disguise the strange flavor of the mixture of healthy ingredients by adding a spoonful of molasses, but if he had to put his hand on the bible in a court room he'd have to admit that no, he didn't really like the stuff. He shook his head. "You're right Starsk, it tastes awful."

Starsky grinned and delved into the brown sack and itemized the contents as he plunked them down on the table.

"Item one: freshly squeezed orange juice for the vitamins. Item two: whole-wheat bread for fiber. Item three: honey for energy. Item four: good fresh-roasted coffee beans. Now I reckon that everything here will give you all the goodness that you get out of that glop of yours. Sit down; I'm going to make you breakfast!"

Hutch sat and waited while Starsky toasted the bread and fished butter out of Hutch's fridge. He brewed a pot of good strong coffee and set everything out on the table.

He grinned at Hutch over a slice of honey-covered toast. "You don't really think I start every day with cold pizza and Dr. Pepper, do you?"

Hutch shook his head.

"Too right I don't; that's my breakfast on the even days of the month; on the odd days I eat this, or maybe eggs. And when I go running it's because I want to not because I think I should."

Ten minutes later Hutch was sitting behind Starsky on the Harley's high-backed seat and they were roaring off to whatever it was Starsky had in mind.

Starsky turned onto the freeway and started heading east. Hutch had no idea where they could be going. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the way Starsky wove in and out of the traffic maneuvering the bike as skillfully as he did the Torino; he also tried to forget that again they weren't wearing helmets. He even started to enjoy feeling the rush or air as they passed or were passed by the other traffic. He felt the bike slow down and heard Starsky shout "you can open your eyes now Scaredy-cat" and chuckle. Hutch didn't ask how he knew. He opened his eyes and saw that they were at the gates to Disney Land. Starsky parked and they made their way to the buses waiting to ferry visitors to the theme park that every child dreams of.

"Starsky this place is for kids!"

"That's what you think. Today's study course is called 'find the child in yourself and have fun'!"

Hutch went to pick up a guide to the attractions but Starsky grinned at him and winked. "You don't need that I know this place off by heart. It hadn't been open long when I came out here and Harvey and I used to come whenever we heard they'd added a new ride. I've kept it up; when I got back from 'Nam I came to see what I'd missed. OK let's see, I think we'll start with something gentle and work up to the big thrills." He led Hutch along the Disney Main Street and nudged his arm gently; "bet this reminds you of home."

Hutch grinned at him. "No they forgot the dead munchkins in the gutter."

"Dead munchkins?"

"Gotcha!"

"I see you're making progress!"

They stopped at a candy apple stand Hutch looked doubtfully at the bright red sticky apple that Starsky was holding out to him.

"Lesson number one; eat what makes you feel good for a change. You can always console yourself with 'an apple a day' if you've got to have a reason. Which did you want to be when you were a kid, a Pirate or a Lost Boy?"

Hutch bit into the crispy candy covering of his apple and tried to reply.

"Wmmgsh?"

Starsky was licking the candy covering off the apple and he grinned wide-eyed at Hutch.

"I loved Peter Pan when I was a kid. My mom told us all those stories – about Peter Pan and Wendy and the Captain and the crocodile." He started singing "Never smile at a crocodile… I wanted to fly like they did, funny thing is I never wanted to be Superman though; I guess it was because I thought he was dumb to wear his underwear over his pants. Is it a bird?" He held a hand up to shield his eyes. "Is it a plane?" He scanned the sky. "No it's sss…ome asshole who doesn't know how to dress himself!"

Hutch tried not to choke on his sticky mouthful as he laughed at Starsky's clowning.

He swallowed and tried again.

"I don't know, I guess the Lost Boys had a certain charm for a kid like me."

"Ah but did you learn to fly?"

"Huh?"

"Nope; obviously you didn't even try. Ok, time to indulge a childhood fantasy."

He led Hutch to the Peter Pan ride and they waited in line finishing the candy apples.

Hutch felt a fool standing there in the company of an adult instead of a kid, but then Starsky could always turn on a boyish charm when he wanted to, so maybe he was properly chaperoned after all. Starsky sensed that Hutch was still asking himself the wrong questions. "Just let yourself go; leave those WASP inhibitions at the ticket booth, OK."

Hutch felt a real thrill as the ride soared up over the Disney version of London's skyline. Starsky whispered in his ear, "first star on the left and straight on 'til morning." Hutch let himself imagine that he was flying and it felt good.

"Ok now we go to my fantasy." Starsky started walking quickly towards another ride, turned and continued walking backwards. "Come on Hutch, we have a lot to fit in."

They took their places in the little boats that took them through the caves where the Pirates of the Caribbean lurked. Hutch found himself pulling back to avoid brandished swords and Starsky laughed. "You're getting the idea."

"Ahoy there, have at ya varmint!" Starsky was worse than the two kids in the boat in front of them who were brandishing big plastic Pirate swords at the automata as they passed.

Hutch grinned. "Sea Scouts in Duluth was never like this."

"I'll bet it wasn't; how many pirate ships did they have on the lake?"

"Only one and it got away."

"Yeah and pigs fly to the moon. Cops in Space…" He pinched his nose and did an imitation of one of the dispatchers. "Apollo three, Apollo three, see the four-headed person on Milky Way and Venus Street…" They collapsed laughing and Hutch nearly fell out of the boat. One of the ride attendants shouted out "no leaning out of the boats please Ladies and Gentlemen"

"Sssh behave or we might have to arrest ourselves!"

Starsky started to sing again and this time Hutch joined in. "…no you can't get friendly with a crocodile…"

They were still giggling as they made their way out of the Pirates Cove.

They stopped for lunch at a grill and barbecue joint and tucked into steaks and fries and big thick chocolate milkshakes. Starsky chewed thoughtfully.

"The Haunted House next I think…something not to rocky straight after we've eaten."

"Uh Starsk."

"Yeah; hey don't tell me you're scared."

"No, but I think it might be an idea to go to the restrooms first."

Starsky chuckled. "Sure – it's over there. Can't have you peeing your pants with fright can we?"

Hutch gave him one of his 'shut up' looks and Starsky just roared with laughter. "It's OK, I'm coming too! Not that I'll get scared – but the milkshake is beginning to work its way through."

They made their way through the Haunted House. Starsky treated the whole thing with great seriousness. He showed due respect to a spook who tried to bar their way and said "excuse me sir" as he stepped aside from the grip of a vampire. Hutch was watching this so carefully that he didn't see the skeleton against the wall; when its hand reached out and got tangled in his hair he shrieked like kid. Starsky turned back. "Ok skinny, let my partner go or I'll break every bone in your body," he snarled. Two little boys behind Hutch looked at these grown men behaving like kids and giggled. Starsky winked at one of them, then made his eyes wide and turned on a sinister version of the Starsky Special reserved for crooks who didn't want to confess. He dropped his voice to a mad hoarse whisper and said. "We're just visiting with family really. Have you met my Uncle Frank?" The kids stopped laughing and their eyes got big as they saw what was coming up. Hutch turned to see that "Uncle Frank" was only a few feet away – the biggest Frankenstein monster he'd ever seen and it was lurching towards them."

"Uh Starsk, that thing can't really get us can it. I mean it's coming straight at us?"

It did look like the thing was making its way blindly and would walk into them.

Starsky mugged him. "Don't panic Blondie, SuperStarsk is here to protect you; anyway they work on little guide-rails or something he'll turn just as we get level with him."

Sure enough just as it seemed to be at nose-to-nose with Hutch the monster turned away flailing its arms and roaring, just missing Hutch's shoulder.

After the ordeal of the Haunted House Starsky decided it was time for what he called "a little icky break." Hutch was sure he didn't mean that he was going to throw up.

"A what?"

"There's this new thing. It's the ickiest cutest thing of all. You have to see it to believe it. It is so candy sweet, but I guess if the message gets through it won't be a bad thing."

When they came out they were both singing in silly voices "It's a small, small world…" which led to another fit of helpless giggles.

"You're doing well; still maybe taking it a little too seriously, but you're getting there"

Hutch stopped to think what Starsky meant and he understood. He was still trying too hard. Starsky came out with madcap stuff naturally, and he was getting worried that the monster would get him. It was often like that. Starsky could come out with an off the wall quip that left Hutch wishing he could do it too. Like the time when something was going wrong and Dobey told them "these things work out in the end"; Starsky had come straight out with "why does that sound like something Nixon might say to Haldeman?"

"Coffee break?"

"Sounds like a good idea – hey this time I pay."

"No, this is my treat. I want little Kenny to have a good time."

Hutch grimaced – no-one but no-one could get away with that except Starsky!

And yet I wouldn't dare call him Davey

That's interesting too. I guess he's more ready to push to the limits

He thought about it as they were walking to the coffee shop. It was so often Starsky who went tearing into things (sure that Hutch would cover him) or who took some crazy risk. Come to think of it even the way they drove, and what they drove told you something about the difference in their attitudes. Hutch stuck with dull inoffensive boring cars that had standard engines…and Starsky drove the Torino with its far from standard issue V8 and all the trimmings.

Starsky tapped him on the arm.

"Come back from wherever you are and drink this." 'This' turned out to be a giant coffee with a float of whipped cream on the top. Starsky already had a thick white mustache.

"Lesson number two; don't always think of keeping up appearances!!"

Hutch took a sip and grinned a white-bordered smile.

Starsky smiled. "Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

"What was that?"

"I'll do it to you every time I think you're getting WASPY!"

Starsky looked at his watch. They were sitting on a seat drinking their coffee and watching the Mississippi river boat trawl by. Hutch smiled. "I sometimes wanted to be Tom Sawyer."

"You would, I wanted to be Huck Finn."

"But he didn't have a home, and…"

"Think about it Hutch, after what you said last night are you sure Tom was better off?"

Hutch said nothing and Starsky left him to his thoughts for a few minutes while they finished the coffee.

"Come on, the next line will be a long one and we've only got a couple more hours."

"What time does this place close?"

"Oh not for a long time, but there are things to see and places to be and little Kenny hasn't seen or been to all of them yet."

Starsky grabbed him by the hand and started running to the next installment of what Hutch was beginning to think of as Ken's Surprise Day Out. He didn't even feel embarrassed as Starsky dragged him along.

Starsky started singing again. "We're off to see the wizard…" And Hutch didn't point out that the Wizard of Oz had nothing to do with Disney. Right now if Starsky's blue sneakers had turned into ruby slippers Hutch wouldn't have been at all surprised.

Hutch decided to just accept his partner's better knowledge of the place and followed him to join a line that was snaking back and around the barriers leading to one of the newest attractions. He stared at it; and then looked at Starsky who was grinning from ear to ear and discussing the features with a young mom and her two little kids.

It was the biggest Roller Coaster that Hutch had ever seen in his life.

Starsky was telling the kids that when he first came here there wasn't a roller-coaster and how once they introduced one, over the years they'd made it bigger and better. "So now I'm here to try this one out…" was all Hutch heard.

"Starsky, are you seriously going to take me on that thing. I mean you get nervous up a ladder."

"Yeah well this is different. This is…this is the some of best fun a kid can have. They've changed it and made it bigger and faster over the years and I've come back every time to try the new version. Believe it or not I even keep my eyes open! So trust me Blondie, you're gonna love it." Hutch swallowed hard and hoped Starsky was right.

Just trust Captain Mystery, Ken, and everything will be all right.

They took their places in the wagon and fastened the safety harnesses. The wagon pulled by a steam-train engine started its slow ascent of the railroad track, climbing through fake pine trees and mountain rocks. As it slowed at the summit Starsky nudged Hutch with his elbow and grinned. "Hang on to your kishkas Blondie; this is worse than anything I've ever done to you in the car."

The wagons plummeted back down and both men yelled and screamed like kids. Hutch felt the force of gravity slam him back against the seat, he took a sidelong glance at Starsky who was grinning like a madman and whooping.

Each ascent was accompanied by raucous laughter and silly comments and on each steep drop they whooped and hollered. At one point Starsky started singing at the top of his voice "Casey Jones riding in the engine Casey Jones and the Canonball Express…." Hutch joined. "Keep it down you two." A father in the wagon behind them said. Starsky turned round with big wide blue eyes. "Oh I'm sorry sir, did we drown out your screams?" The other man laughed. "No it's just that you are both out of tune."

"Oops; Hutch how could you forget to bring your tuning fork?" That broke the ice and the other man joined in with their guffaws. By the time they reached the bottom they were all singing and trying to remember the words.

Steadying himself as he got out of the wagon, Starsky looked Hutch straight in the eye. "I think you've nearly passed today's course buddy."

Hutch was beginning to wonder what else Starsky had in store for him.

The answer was big stick of cotton candy!

"Starsk, we've had enough sh…"

"Shut up and eat it! Did you ever imagine what it would be like to eat a cloud? I figured that cotton candy was the nearest you could get". He winked and pitched his voice in a familiar falsetto, "come on Toto we have to reserve our places for the parade."

Hutch was about to ask if he didn't mean Pluto when Starsky pricked up his ears to listen to one of the announcements and pulled Hutch by the sleeve. "Come on, we need to get there before the crowds start."

Hutch didn't question, he just followed, picking lumps of fluffy spun sugar as he tried to keep up with his partner and tour-guide.

Starsky selected a perfect spot along Main Street USA and staked their claim by sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. Hutch sat beside him.

"OK, why are we sitting here, I mean we get to stare at empty streets most days."

"Hey what's the matter, do I need to go ask Tinkerbell for a handful of fairy dust? Just relax and wait."

It was getting dark and suddenly music started to echo through the park.

"When you wish upon a star…"

In the distance Hutch could see glittering lights. Starsky pulled him up to his feet and he realized that there was a crowd of people behind him. The parade took Hutch's breath away. He had always loved the floats at the carnival processions when he was a kid; the Homecoming Queen and all the rest of it, but this was something else.

Each of Disney's classic stories was represented. Snow White and her Dwarves; Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The floats were covered in tiny lights and the effect was magical.

Starsky was watching spell-bound and Hutch could just picture him over the years coming to see the parades. "Did you always do this too, Starsk?"

"No this is pretty new; I think they started it a year ago, something like that. I remember a candle parade though; that was pretty amazing, but this is…wow."

Cinderella was passing by and Starsky grabbed Hutch and started to spin him in a waltz. "Some day my prince will come…" Hutch pushed his away "Get serious Starsk."

"That is a bad word; I might have to wash your mouth out with Dr. Pepper after this is finished!" He wagged his finger at Hutch in mock anger.

Mickey Mouse came by and even Hutch was delighted to shake hands with the Mouse and with Pluto too.

Starsky cast a sidelong glance at his friend and smiled. I think it worked. The Disney magic worked. He started doing a Donald Duck imitation that set Hutch into the giggles again.

When the parade was over Starsky grabbed Hutch by the hand. "Come on, we have time for one more and I saved the best for last."

Hutch was figuring out which ride this could be. They'd been through the Haunted House and Thunder Mountain and Pirates' Lairs and flown with Peter Pan. They'd been in a flight to the moon (Starsky started his nonsense about cops in space again) and they'd done so many other things that Hutch was beginning to lose count…what more could Starsky have in mind?

The answer was so cute Hutch had to laugh out loud.

"This is your favorite?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe it Starsk. I mean you really prefer this to all the thrills and spills and whatever?"

"MmmHmm."

"Well Ok then." Hutch joined Starsky in a teacup and they went spinning through the Mad Hatter's Tea Party giggling like a couple of teenagers." Hutch looked at the other passengers, "Starsk, have you noticed that most of the people on this thing are adults?"

"Yeah, great isn't it. It's the oldest ride in the park and I guess we all come back to relive those fantasy moments from when we were young." He smiled and seemed to be pondering a serious question. "I wonder whether…" but Hutch wasn't going to find out what his friend was wondering.

Walking back to the Harley, Hutch patted Starsky on the shoulder. "Thanks Starsk. I think that was one of the best days I've ever had in my life."

Starsky looked at him, a smile playing on his lips. "It's never too late to have fun Hutch. You ain't seen nothing yet, kiddo, Wait until tomorrow. As he drove back to drop Hutch off at Venice Place he was singing

"When you wish upon a star; makes no difference who you are, when you wish upon a star and dreams come true…" He watched Hutch start up the stairs and smiled.

I wonder if he ever wished upon a star…and what his dreams were.

Hutch undressed and took a shower. He found himself singing "some day my Prince will come" and he waltzed his bathrobe around the bathroom for a moment before he thought about what he was doing.

"Don't stop to think about it, just let yourself have fun!" He could hear Starsky's voice in the back of his head. He waltzed the bathrobe out to his covered veranda and looked up at the night sky.

It probably wasn't the right star; it might even have been a plane making its way to LAX; but he made a wish anyway.

Take me on another adventure, please Captain Mystery

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

Starsky was up bright and early the next morning. He gulped down a glass of orange juice and set of for a run. He hadn't been kidding when he told Hutch he only did this if he wanted to – and right now he felt so good he needed to burn off some excess energy.

He did his long circuit and returned to shower and have a little more breakfast. He made himself a couple of scrambled eggs with chopped peppers and onion and brewed up some coffee. He was whistling "when you wish upon a star" as he gathered up his keys and wallet; he left the gun hanging on the coat stand just as he'd done the day before.

He stopped to call Hutch. "I'll be there in a half hour." He skipped down to the Harley.

They set off up the coast until they reached Santa Barbara. They took a lightening tour of the old Mission and set off again.

Starsky continued along the coast a way and then turned up into the canyons leading to the mountains. Hutch tapped him on the shoulder. "Where are we going?"

"Denmark."

Hutch shook his head, it must be the rush of air…I could have sworn he said Denmark.

They arrived in time for lunch. Starsky parked the bike in one of the lots where everyone was obliged to leave their cars and RVs. Hutch stopped in his tracks. Starsky wasn't going nuts after all. This place looked like a village straight of Hans Christian Anderson.

"What do you call today's lesson Starsk?"

"Advanced fantasy studies." Starsky said with mock seriousness.

"Welcome to Solvang; it's a blast isn't it?" Starsky was grinning from ear to ear and leading Hutch to a kind of bicycle buggy.

"Come on, I'm starved."

Hutch took his place alongside his buddy and the Starsky started pedaling like a man possessed. "I hate to think what you were like on a bicycle when you were a kid, Starsk." He hesitated, maybe Starsky never had a bicycle.

"I left a few street lamps feeling kind of sore!"

"I'll bet you did."

"What about you?"

"Oh I rode around the block and I rode my bike to school too."

"Only thing I did in the bike shelter at school was smoke and try to get laid." Starsky let out a dirty laugh.

They rode at a leisurely pace along the main street of the little town, and Hutch admired the red-painted buildings with their white roofs. Even if every 'house' was really a gift shop or a restaurant the place had so much charm that he felt as if they'd left the world behind when they came out of the parking lot.

They had lunch in a place that claimed to be a 'bit of Denmark' and feasted on the goodies that were available at the buffet table. Starsky piled his plate high with sausage, herring and potato, beetroot salad, coleslaw and anything else he could reach. Hutch followed suit. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw the food spread out in front of him. They found a table. Starsky looked approvingly at Hutch's plateful; "Good boy, look at that mixture, what would Abby say?"

Hutch looked at his plate and saw that just about everything he'd chosen went against his last girlfriend's weird dietary habits.

"Not a butterfly wing in sight, I'm proud of ya." Starsky chomped into a sausage as he spoke.

"I'm hungry."

"And that is the best reason for eating there is! So as my grandmother would say, 'eat and be happy'."

"Ok, I know I shouldn't ask, but how did you of all people know about this place?"

"There was this kid at school. He was a bit like you, blonde and Scandiwegian and…"

"Scandi what?

"That was our joke. See there was Bennie, he was the kid with Danish family and there was Lars – his family was Norwegian . Lars would get really mad if we said he was Scandinavian 'cos apparently Norway isn't in Scandinavia or something – I never did listen in geography. So anyway they got to be known as the Scandiwegians."

"So am I a Scandiwegian too?"

"Dunno, are you. I thought you were just a big blond wasp! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz" (he made a swatting motion with his napkin).

"So as I was explaining before naughty Kenny so rudely interrupted me," Starsky wagged his finger and grinned, "Bennie and his folks used to like to come up here, I guess now we'd say they were visiting their roots or something, and one year his parents brought a whole lot of us up here for his birthday party. And boy did we eat!"

Typical Starsky, Hutch thought – follow the food.

They had coffee and, of course, big sticky Danish pastries and then went out to see a few sights.

"Hey Starsk, look at that, I didn't know storks came to California."

Starsky let out a yelp of laughter. "Don't tell me you didn't know how babies happen!"

"Starsky!"

"Look again."

Hutch looked again and then he looked at other roofs and chimneys; on every one there was a big nest had a stork (or two) and none of them moved! He grinned sheepishly.

"Well they are pretty realistic."

"Yeah. Come on I want to buy Aunt Rosa a birthday gift." They spent about an hour touring the craft shops until Starsky found a gift for his beloved Aunt. Hutch laughed. Starsky had bought her a pretty necklace - and a Danish cookbook.

"Are you sure you want to take that risk?"

"It couldn't be worse than anything else she cooks."

Starsky led Hutch back to the parking lot. "Did you like this place?"

"Oh Starsk it was lovely. So unlike the hustle we live in. I was bit like my home town – well without the traffic, you know safe and everyone's friendly. Not like the city."

"Yeah; but I'd go nuts without a car and a good taco stand!"

Hutch started to take his place on the back of the seat but Starsky shook his head. He held out the key. "The road's pretty straightforward back to Santa Ynez; you wanna try her out?"

Hutch stood and stared at the bike. He remembered the first time Starsky had trusted him with the Torino. He sat behind the wheel wondering if it was possible to drive with his legs crossed to avoid shitting himself with nerves. The car was more powerful than anything he'd ever driven, and that included the rigs he'd hauled across the country before he'd finally come to roost in LA. And now Starsky was offering him the keys to the Harley.

Starsky smiled encouragingly. "Well do you think you can handle it?"

"Sure I can. It wouldn't be the first time I've used a motorbike you know."

But never anything quite like this

"Well come on then." Starsky took his place on the back of the seat and Hutch felt strong arms around his waist. "Don't get excited, as soon as I'm sure you can keep her balanced I'll let go."

Hutch pushed the bike off the kickstand and launched it onto the road. I took him a few miles to get the real feel of the big bike but finally he was able to overcome his nerves and let her out on full throttle and go racing down the road.

Starsky guided him to the road to Santa Ynez and off they went. Hutch felt Starsky release his arms and sensed that he was leaning back.

Just relax, Hutchinson, and enjoy the ride. Captain Mystery won't let anything bad happen.

On the road back down towards Santa Barbara Starsky tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll take her now Blondie…I know a nicer route home."

The bike climbed away from the coast road again and Starsky took Hutch through canyons and woodlands that took his breath away. He'd never realized how much beauty there was within a few miles drive from the ugly jungle that they lived and worked in.

It started to get dark and Starsky switched on the light. The beam picked up two glittering spots ahead on the road; Starsky slowed and as they drove past the spot he pointed into the trees, a deer disappeared into the undergrowth. Hutch was wondering how it was that Starsky knew all these roads – he always gave the impression that a city park was as near as he wanted to get to nature…and yet this was also the guy who spent a week photographing volcanoes in Hawaii. No doubt about it, coming so close to dying changed him.

They pulled up in front of Venice Place. Starsky cut the engine and put the bike up on the stand. "Get some sleep kiddo. I'll come by around eight, OK;"

Yes Captain Mystery.

"Sure, I'll have the coffee and toast ready."

I can't wait to find out what he's got in store for me tomorrow.

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

Hutch went to take the liquidizer out of the cupboard and shook his head. He rooted in the fridge for the remains of the pizza he'd eaten alone after Starsky dropped him off.

He was chewing pizza and reading a three-day-old paper when Starsky came in.

"Ha-ha; caught you in the act of behaving like a normal person!"

"I don't know if it's normal Starsk, but it's all I had in the fridge."

Starsky winked at him. "Depends what you mean by normal, doesn't it. Come on we have places to go and things to do."

Hutch stayed put. "Let me finish my breakfast in peace, OK?"

"OK." Starsky wandered over to the table and started scraping the last congealed traces of cheese and tomato and peppers off the pizza carton. He licked the end of his thumb and winked at Hutch. "Tastes better two days later, doesn't it?"

Hutch made a face and tossed the carton in the trash can. He followed Starsky down to the street.

"No bike today?"

"No; not enough room in the saddle bags. We're gonna need the trunk."

Hutch slipped into place and Starsky pulled away from the curb with a screech of tires.

He grinned at Hutch. "Couldn't resist it!"

That's the difference. If he feels like doing something crazy he does it…and I stop to think about it first.

Twenty minutes later they were getting out of the car in front of a store dedicated to modeling. It wasn't like the store they'd once had to go to for information about "The Angel" when a top model who was also one of Hutch's ex-girlfriends had put a contract out on herself.

Now he's bringing me to toy store – well I guess it's better than Uncle Elmo's change of product.

Starsky had once spent a half hour trying to find Uncle Elmo's, a store that he remembered from when he was a kid. Considering Starsky had been thirteen when he arrived in LA, Hutch had always found it a little weird that he got so excited about a toy store. When they finally found it they discovered that Elmo had moved on to 'adult toys'.

This store was much bigger than the other model shop and the guy behind the counter greeted Starsky like an old friend.

"Hi Dave, I was going to call you. I had a delivery that I thought you'd be interested in."

Starsky skipped over to the counter and Hutch watched him carefully. The two men talked for a minute and Starsky's face took on the expression of an excited kid who'd found Santa Claus' workshop. After a few more animated seconds the guy behind the counter (whose name Hutch had learned was Marvin) handed Starsky a small spool.

It just looks like more of that thread he uses.

Hutch walked up to join the two conspirators. He looked at the spool that his partner was holding up and staring at with admiration. He threw Starsky a questioning look.

"Oh sorry Marvin; this is Hutch, who thinks that model trains come straight out of boxes all wound up and ready to go." He turned to Hutch. "This is the best soldering wire there is; it makes joints so fine you can't see them."

"I see."

"No he doesn't; but never mind." Starsky grinned at Marvin.

Starsky and Marvin went back into conspiracy mode and Hutch started wandering around the store admiring the pictures on some of the boxes. He heard Starsky say something about 'keep it simple' and 'a bit of a klutz' but he still didn't really know what was going on.

Hutch wandered from shelf to shelf and from display to display and as he went along he started to reappraise his initial idea about the place. He picked up a box that appeared to contain a toy train and rattled it. Starsky and Marvin turned to give him dirty looks.

He went over to a train set and flipped a switch.

He was mesmerized. The train that came hurtling out of a tunnel was just like the ones he'd had when he was kid. The same color, everything. He stood and watched it as it made its way through a miniature America; there was a small town with a feed-store and a wagon in front of it; a city with a courthouse and a capitol dome; canyons and forests and lakes. Hutch followed the train with his eyes as it crossed a covered bridge slung over a wide river. He was so spell-bound that he didn't hear Starsky come up behind him.

"Great isn't it?"

"Yes…it…it reminds me a bit of the one I had; but the detail…"

"Dave sure has talent, doesn't he?" Marvin had come to join them. Hutch looked at Starsky. "Did you…"

Marvin went on. "He used to come here a lot when we were kids. We worked on it together. This was my dad's store. Dave here made all the scale models – yes even the buildings in the towns; and I painted them. I made the background scenery – the canyons and forests, that stuff. We must have worked on it for years before it was right. I guess we would still be working on it if…"

"If you hadn't grown up?" Hutch asked and immediately bit his tongue. He blushed.

"No, if I hadn't got called up." Starsky said flatly.

Starsky went over to a display case and selected a box. "This will do for a beginner won't it Marv?"

Marvin looked over his shoulder. "Yea I guess so."

"I'll take it. Oh and I'd better have another knife and some more blades while I'm here; and a couple of those big sheets of balsa." He had quite a list and by the time he'd finished there were two cartons piled high with stuff on the counter. Starsky paid and took one of the cartons; Hutch picked up the other. As they left Marvin called out. "Hey Hutch; the first time's always the hardest."

They packed the stuff in the trunk. Starsky started the engine and drove them back to Venice first so that Hutch could pick up his car.

They took the two cartons up to the apartment and before Hutch could start to look inside Starsky tapped him lightly on the wrist. "Not yet; lunch first." He pulled a pizza out of the freezer and shoved it in the oven. He chopped the ingredients of a salad and made a garlicky sauce that had Hutch sighing with relief that he didn't have a date that night. The smell of pizza soon filled the kitchen and Starsky left his partner to set the table while he went to the bathroom, "…and no peeking, or Santa won't come at Xmas."

They ate and talked about Baseball.

"Did you get a letter?" Starsky asked.

"Yes. I played a little at college too; but with the kids who were going to be pros, I didn't make much impact."

"What about the local team; I forget their name."

"The Dukes. Yeah, when I was a kid they were two teams, then they got together and they did OK. I went to Wade a lot to see them play. I guess you were more into football."

"Both. When I was a kid one of the big treats was to go to Ebets Field and see the Dodgers. When I came out here I thought it was going to be the end of the world. I mean I'd have to get used to a whole new team…then they came out here too. I went crazy; I dragged Harvey to every game! It was like a bit of home had followed me out here to keep me company after all. But yeah, I guess if I had to choose I preferred football. I could have gone to college on a football scholarship but I didn't want to study." He shook his head and smiled. "Maybe if I had I'd have ended up in the Rams wrecking my knees instead of the police trying not to get killed. You know I just thought of something; we never go to a ballgame together. Maybe we should take in the Rams and the Dodgers some time."

"What else did you play?"

"Me? Oh I was a runner. What about you?"

"I hated athletics; I was only interested in baseball and wrestling."

"So when did you start running?"

"I started a bit when we were at the Academy; remember how I couldn't keep up on the assault course? I decided I had to try to do something about it and I didn't want to be seen in the gym trying to get myself some muscles. I remember the first time I saw you, I felt like the weakling on the beach in those old Mr. Atlas ads."

They both laughed. Starsky gathered up the plates and started brewing coffee.

"Clear the table, Blondie; it's time for your next lesson."

Starsky opened one of the cartons, pulled out a box and handed it to Hutch. Hutch looked at it. It was a kit for making a scaled down Model T Ford. It was a simple enough looking thing but when Hutch opened the box the array of pieces made him set it down and look at Starsky.

"I thought you didn't approve of kits."

"I don't; but you have to learn the techniques first."

"I'm going to need a lot of help here."

"Sure you are, and I'm going to guide you all the way. We'll work alongside each other, OK?"

"OK"

"Step one; check that all the parts match the list and the plan." As he spoke Starsky put the paper plan on the table and started matching model parts to the plan. He handed Hutch a piece. "You do it now. I'm going to start on my plan."

Hutch continued carefully checking and matching. He cast a sidelong glance at what Starsky was doing – he was freehand copying an outline onto a sheet of balsa. Hutch drew his breath. If he thinks I will ever be able to do that….

Starsky looked up. "Got the pieces sorted out? Good, OK let's see here. You need to start with the basic structure. Here see how you get on with this." He gave Hutch the pieces to make the basic frame of the car. "Careful with the glue…it goes all over the place if you aren't gentle with it. You need to get just the right mix out of the two tubes otherwise it won't hold."

"I'm allowed to use glue?" Hutch knew that Starsky preferred to make perfectly fitting joints for his models.

"Sure; you can't make a dove-tail joint in plastic so you glue it; and you solder metal."

Hutch managed to get glue in his hair and up his nose. His fingers stuck together twice and Starsky had to take him into the bathroom and gently prise them apart under warm water.

When Hutch was finished he sat back.

Starsky looked up and reached out to take the framework to inspect it.

"Not bad… not bad for a beginner. But this bird ain't never going to fly."

Hutch looked at him. "Let me finish it before you make a judgment OK?"

"Hmmm. You may have a little trouble there, but OK if you think you're up to it."

Half an hour later Hutch put the thing down in disgust. Every time he put it down on the table at least one of the wheels didn't touch.

"I can't Starsk."

"Didn't your grandma ever tell you that there's no such word as can't?"

"Not my grandma, no" Hutch had that distant sound in his voice again.

Starsky shook his head and asked gently, "how well did you know her?"

"I didn't really. My mom's mom moved away not long after my parents got married – we visited them maybe once a year. I don't remember them coming at Thanksgiving or Christmas. My dad's parents…well my grandfather was even stricter than my dad. 'Children should be seen and not heard' – that kind of thing And I don't really remember Grandmother Hutchinson…I guess she was too busy playing Bridge and organizing the mothers' circle at the church. Sometimes when you talk about your grandmother – what is it you call her?"

"Bubba. It's Yiddish. She spoke Yiddish to me when I was little."

"You really loved her."

"Yeah. She died a few years back – I was in Hawaii. I cried myself to sleep for a few nights because I wasn't there to say the prayers for her. I somehow couldn't see Nick doing it. I guess Uncle Joe arranged it, just like he arranged everything."

"You miss him too, don't you?"

"Yeah." Starsky stared into the distance for a moment. "Hey this is not the right kind of conversation. Did you have a collection?"

"A collection of what?"

"I dunno, cards, dead flies, anything."

"Dead flies?"

"OK dead wasps!"

"You really like needling me with that don't you?"

"Only when you react!"

Hutch grinned. That was pure Starsky…tease and josh but full of love

Hutch tried to look serious. "Show me the next step with this model."

"No."

"No?"

"No. Because this isn't really the project I had in mind. I was just testing to see how well you got the idea."

Hutch didn't have a clue what his friend was up to here. He waited for Starsky to explain a little more. And he continued to work on the model. He was determined to finish it even if he had to work it out for himself.

"You see Hutch I figured that I had to get you ready for what I had in mind. I needed to make sure that you were ready to let yourself go."

"And you reckon I can now?"

"It's possible." Starsky rolled his eyes and smiled.

"There's still something bothering you though."

Starsky pretended to concentrate on the question. "Yeah. What worries me is how I'm going to teach a klutz like you to handle the tools and stuff you're going to need for the big project. I mean look at you; I just had to wash the glue off of you …made me think of the time Nicky got a hold of my modeling stuff." Starsky chuckled. "He was covered in glue; you should've seen him. Mom had to cut some of it out of his hair and she ended up sitting him in the bathtub to try and soak the stuff off. I was so made with him, I'd have stuck his ass to the tub if she'd let me. Dad didn't know whether to be mad at him for wrecking my model (he knocked it over when he was trying to get the glue pot off his hand) or to laugh. And as for the way you handle the knife to cut the pieces off the suppoty! Shit a moment back then I thought we were going to have to race to Memorial with everything flashing and screeching. OK, tomorrow, as my grandmother said, is another day. So off you go home to bed and tomorrow we'll start on the big project."

Hutch swallowed all that Starsky had said and tried to work out what in the hell the big project could be. Starsky's parting shot really confused him.

"Oh by the way Hutch, I hope you don't have a hang up about working in the cellar…well the garage anyway."

He walked down the steps under the eucalyptus and tried to figure it out. He got into his car and it coughed and spluttered before finally agreeing to start. As he drove away, Hutch glanced in the rear-view and saw Starsky in the doorway grinning and shaking his head.

I guess Captain Mystery will be there to protect me from bad memories.

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

The 'phone woke Hutch at eight the next morning.

"Hey, you want to join me on the beach for a run?" It was Starsky and something about his voice made Hutch think that he was calling from a payphone.

"Yea, OK. Where are you?"

"About a hundred yards from your place. I saw the shades were still drawn so I thought I'd call you…wouldn't want to bust in on a love nest!"

Hutch laughed – "and where would I have found the time for a date after all we've been doing the last few days?"

"It's a small, small world…hahhaha…I dunno, you might have dated Minnie Mouse when I wasn't looking the other day!"

"Give me five minutes."

"OK."

They ran for about three miles along the beach heading towards the pier in the distance. Hutch was getting breathless and Starsky slowed the pace enough to ask if his friend had had enough. "You want to turn back?"

"Yes; I'm not used to this…I run on the sidewalk."

"Sand's tougher, it's also better for my leg."

They ran back, Starsky kept his pace down to let Hutch stay alongside him."

"You never say much about it hurting."

"Yeah well not much I can do about it so I guess I just have to live with it."

"Well it doesn't slow you down." Except when he pulls up short limping and pretending to have a stitch in his side.

"No, it's age slowing us down buddy. Have you ever stopped to wonder how much longer our bodies are going to let us go on in this job?"

"No."

"Me neither. I don't want to, so I don't."

They continued back to Venice Place in silence.

"Take a shower and then come over to my place for breakfast." Starsky said as he started the Torino.

"Ok, is this an odd day or an even day?"

"Leap year!"

Hutch was still trying to figure that one out as Starsky disappeared round the corner.

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

Breakfast was an array deli food. Starsky had laid out bagels and lox and cream cheese, pickles, sweet herring and cold cuts. Hutch grinned – he had never even seen food like this until he met Starsky. He wasn't even sure if there was Jewish community in Duluth, and something told him that if there had been his parents would not have belonged to any organization that was open to 'others'. Even when he'd first come to LA he'd stuck to the familiar stores and shelves in the supermarket. Now he was at ease with all this stuff; he ate a hearty breakfast under his partner's approving gaze.

They dealt with the dishes and Starsky neatly arranged the remains in the fridge.

"Ok, time to roll up your sleeves and get down to some serious stuff." Starsky led him down to the garage.

Starsky want over to the car hidden under a tarp and pulled off the cover with a flourish.

"Ta daaaaaaa!"

Hutch stood and stared. It was a car…a rusty, tatty, two-seater that might once have been white. Three of the wheels were missing and the car balanced precariously on big bricks that Starsky had wedged under the axels. The leather interior was ripped and the steering wheel looked like it didn't belong.

Starsky walked around the car grinning. He flipped up the hood and Hutch looked over his shoulder; the engine looked like a lot of pieces were missing

"Starsk?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this our next project?"

"Yep! Beautiful isn't it?"

Hutch swallowed hard. He suddenly remembered Starsky pulling up outside a house somewhere out in the suburbs. He was so indignant that anyone could leave a '53 Corvette to rust that he wanted to go and buy it there and then. He didn't get the chance; they were called out on a case before he could press the bell. Starsky never mentioned it again and Hutch figured that he'd forgotten about it.

Obviously not!

Starsky started hauling a big crate out from under the work-bench. Hutch went over to give him a hand and they dragged it over to the side of the car.

"Starsk are you serious?"

Starsky replied by holding up a big book. "This," he said grinning, "is the shop manual; it tells us everything we need to know."

Hutch looked at it…as far as he was concerned it was written in Martian. The plans were pretty clear though and it slowly dawned on him why Starsky had given him the kit to work on.

"Just one question Starsk."

"Ok…one."

"What do we do with it when we've finished, I mean it's a two-seater and we do take passengers occasionally."

"Wait and see."

Yes Sir, Captain Mystery.

Hutch fished into the crate and pulled out a spark-plug. "Well at least I know what this is."

"Ah, but do you know where it goes?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. I can even fit it." And he proved it.

They worked on the car every spare moment they had over the next few weeks. They got held up by a murder and a couple of armed robberies; but after a month the car was looking good. They worked as a team as usual. Starsky assigned Hutch to put the engine together (and occasionally corrected a few errors) and then he showed his friend how to connect up the wiring and the fuel feed and the exhaust. Starsky worked on livingly restoring the interior.

Hutch hesitated when he saw a big cable that disappeared under the floor of the car.

"Starsky; what's that?"

"That is the clutch cable. It connects the clutch pedal to the gear box. This is a manual shift."

"I've never driven one…"

"No shit! I kinda like them actually. I had a blast driving an army jeep!"

Starsky slid under the car and started to connect the clutch cable. When he was satisfied with his work he slid in behind the wheel. He took the key out of his pocket and put it into the ignition. He hesitated then got out of the car.

"You start her up."

Hutch at in the car and turned the key. The engine spluttered and coughed and Starsky roared with laughter.

"Gas! I forgot to put gas in the tank!"

They were eating a Chinese take-away meal and still giggling at the thought of Hutch sitting in the car and the engine spluttering.

"Good thing there wasn't any gas in the tank any way Starsky" Hutch said as he scooped up a bunch of noodles."

"Yeah…" Starsky snorted. "I wish you could have seen your face when you tried to start the engine."

"I'll bet it was nothing to yours when you remembered the other detail."

"Ah yes; well on the whole cars do go better with wheels. That can be your next job."

"Mine?"

"Yeah; you know how to change a wheel don't you?"

"Sure but…"

"So you can put four on to a car; right?"

"Right."

"OK after we've eaten this we'll go get the wheels I ordered from Merle."

The next day the car had new wheels and gas in its tank and it was ready to roll. Hutch looked at the interior admiringly.

The only thing left to deal with was the paintwork. Starsky had used filler and rust-treatment to restore the body work to it's former glory; but the splotches and patches spoiled the overall effect.

"There's something I don't understand Starsk."

"Hmmm" Starsky's voice echoed from under the car where he was tinkering with something. "What's that?"

"If you can do these things yourself, why do you pay Merle so much to look after the Torino."

Starsky slid out from under the car and grinned. "Friendship."

Hutch swallowed. He knew only too well what a loyal friend Starsky was; he maybe took a while to let people in; but once they were taken aboard any friend of Starsky's could be sure that he would be there if they needed him. Hutch knew that he was especially honored because their 'Me and Thee' code went beyond the levels other friends enjoyed.

Starsky went on. "I've known Merle a long time; ever since he was working for one of Uncle Al's friends and saving to start his own body shop. He cleaned up my first car…my Mustang…and I promised him that I'd always take friends to him if they needed a car or a paint job or whatever. You are the only one who has never really shown appreciation of Merle's abilities by the way. I told him I was working on this car for a reason – so he's cool about it. And anyway he has the equipment for the paintwork, and you need to know what you're doing with that stuff. I couldn't let you loose with it that's for sure.

He knows I like to tinker away – but the Torino is his domain. He kind of created that car; took out the boring standard engine and put in the V8 and all the trimmings. He dreamed up the paint job too. So I let him look after it. He likes to see if he can't add something now and then – like the air-conditioning – and I let try him try things out; they don't always work. It took him four attempts to fit the right exhaust pipe – they kept buckling and falling off 'cos he wanted to use one of those big chrome things you see on custom pickups. They were too long and although he tried to adapt them he had to give up. Tomorrow we take it over to Merle to have the paint re-sprayed."

Hutch closed his eyes and tried to imagine what the decoration would be on this neat little car. The interior had been totally re-trimmed in black leather and Hutch's imagination was working overtime.

"What color scheme have you chosen?"

"Plain white. That's how the first models were; white with the red or black interior. So that's how it will be. You still haven't understood have you? Everything we've done on this car is in keeping with the day it rolled off the production line. I've been going around garages and places for months getting exactly the right parts and stuff. This is a perfect '53 Corvette – or it will be when Merle has sprayed it. It's worth a fortune!"

"Are you going to tell me the reason why we've been doing this?"

"Sure, when everything's finished.

Hutch thought for a second. "Is that how you are going to pay for what you spent on it? I mean sell it to a collector or something."

"Or something…..wait and see. Little Kenny's getting too nosey!" Starsky tapped Hutch on the nose with a grease-stained finger and grinned. In the corner of his eye Hutch could see just the black tip of his nose.

"I'll get you for that." He said and aimed a soggy rag at Starsky. By the time they'd finished they looked like a couple of apprentice grease-monkeys after the first day at work. Their clothes were covered in grime and both had black smudges on their faces.

"Last one to the shower gets the cold water!" Starsky yelped and started to run to the back of the garage. Hutch figured his friend was giving him a head start and he went out of the door and up the outside stairs and into the house. He stopped short. The shower was already running. He went into the bathroom.

Starsky was in the shower steaming under the hot water and covered in soapy lather.

"It's OK there's plenty of hot water; you'll get a shower too."

"How did you do that?"

"Laundry chute."

Hutch made a 'huh' face'.

Even Starsky couldn't fly up a laundry chute.

"My laundry chute is really an old stairway down to the garage. I don't use it because I my machine wouldn't fit in the space…but it makes a great secret passage!"

He was toweling himself dry and he nodded to Hutch; Get under that water buddy – you make look Pigpen look clean!"

As he undressed Hutch turned. "Pigpen?"

"Don't tell me you don't read Peanuts…oh my God and I thought you were cultured!"

Hutch flicked him with a towel and took refuge in the shower before Starsky could retaliate.

Starsky gathered up Hutch's clothes with a wicked grin.

"Starsk…you wouldn't…hey come on…"

Too late, he could hear the washing machine dial as Starsky set it.

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"What am I bid for this beautiful '53 Corvette? Come on ladies and gentlemen; this is a superb renovation. The car is in perfect condition and has a new engine….It is in fact as good as new."

Starsky grinned at the others. Merle, Dobey and Hutch were sitting quietly – too scared to move a hand in case they bid by mistake.

"Five thousand dollars." A woman's voice called out from the back of the room.

Huggy nodded and called out again.

"Five thousand dollars; do I hear more?"

A guy in the front row bid five and a half and slowly but surely the two bidders continued until Huggy banged his hammer three times. "Sold to the gentleman in the front row; for eight thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. Ladies and Gentlemen on behalf of the Marshall Centre for exceptional children, thank you very much."

Starsky smiled and nudged Hutch. Hutch was straining to see who had spent more than some people earned in a year, on a car. The lucky new owner stood up. "Harvey!" Hutch turned to Starsky. "Your cousin Harvey bought it."

"Yeah, I thought he would. I mean what would Aunt Rosa want with it?"

Hutch turned slowly to look at the back of the room. Rosa and Al were sitting in the back row grinning and waving.

Harvey handed over the money to Huggy in cash. Starsky immediately took the wad of bills and counted them rapidly. He peeled off a few notes and gave them to Huggy. "That's the auctioneer's commission." He stepped down and handed the remaining money to a distinguished man sitting in the center of the front row; Hutch recognized the Director of the Center, he had spoken at Terri's funeral.

Starsky went back up to stand between Huggy and Hutch. He clicked his fingers at Huggy who grimaced and then fished into his pocket to retrieve his 'commission'.

"Remember the deal Hug?"

"Sure Starsky, I remember."

"OK we'll see you there tomorrow."

Hutch was about to ask 'where'. No maybe I'd better let Captain Mystery keep his secret to the last.

The next morning Starsky arrived outside Venice Place and signaled his presence with a whoop of the siren. Hutch bounded down the stairs before the neighbors started screaming. With a screech of tires (and a big grin) Starsky set off and as they pulled away Hutch suddenly realized that his car wasn't in place. "Starsk stop!"

"What now?"

"My car's gone."

"No it hasn't."

"I'm telling you Starsky my car isn't there!"

Starsky made a second consecutive right turn and said "Oh yes it is."

As they continued up the one way street Hutch found himself involved in one of those endless children's arguments.

"It isn't!"

"It is!"

"Isn't!

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is so!"

"No it's NOT!"

The Torino was coming back down the street in front of Venice Place as they continued to argue.

Starsky pulled up behind a cream-colored '67 Fairlane with only a few dents on the bodywork.

Starsky grinned. "I told you it was a charity auction! Seventy Five per cent went to the Center and the rest went to the other good cause I know…finding you a decent car!"

He flipped the keys into Hutch's lap. "Off you go Kenny; bring your new toy to The Pits for show and tell."

"Ok Captain Mystery!"

Starsky drove away roaring with laughter.

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