Disclaimer: I don't own Starsky and Hutch. They belong to their creators, producers, and writers. I'm just sharing my love for both of them.
Courage
By Amberle-chan
Aggressive
Brash
Confident
Determined
Impudent
Reckless
Stubborn
Tenacious
Courageous…
Every one of these words, with all of their positive and negative connotations, apply to him. Nobody knows that better than I do.
No one else is more aware of what the events of the past few days have done to him. I can still see the growing horror in his eyes when he realized the still body lying at his feet was a 16-year old kid, a teenager, a child. Then, later, those same eyes filled with a quiet, but kind of sad, resolution to go through with a public Coroner's Inquest, and also, at the same moment, bringing me down from my angry tirade about what they, the system, were about to do to him.
There should have been relief later, when the Coroner announced he'd only acted in self defense and in the best interest of the people, but I could see in the slump of his shoulders and agonized expression, that his heart felt none.
He will always feel the pain.
He will never forget.
After the inquest, we both went back to our respective apartments to change out of our suits. As soon as I changed, I jumped back into my car to drive over to his place. I knew he would need me.
As I reached the bottom of his staircase, his door opened and closed.
"There's something I gotta do, Hutch," he announced quietly, his car keys hanging from his fingertips as he came down the stairs toward me. The usual bounce in his steps was gone.
"I'll go with you."
And now, as I sit on the hood of his car, I'm once again awestruck by the courage of David Michael Starsky.
I know of no other man who could do this.
He is the man who killed Lonny. He is the man who took their friend, nephew, and son away.
Yet, there he is, calmly walking across the street, his feet unfaltering, as he approaches a house full of sorrow and pain.
I can't hear what he's saying, but I know what he's asking.
Then I find myself smiling as all of those people are drawn in by him, as I've always been drawn in, giving him what he needs, even though he's taken from them.
Several minutes pass before he crosses back toward me, and I approach him, placing my arm around him with a smile. He returns my embrace.
"Good people, huh?" I ask.
"Yup," he replies.
Just like you, Starsk. You are the very best.
Author's Note: If you look at my profile, you'll see that this is the first fan fiction I've ever written for Starsky and Hutch. After I watched them as a kid, I'm falling in love with them again thirty years later. I hope you like it.