Thanks to everyone who has stuck with the first two parts of the Legends Trilogy. I know we all prefer to read about the guys together, but I had a burning ambition to write this to explain my version of their backgrounds. But now here they are, together at last.

Written from an idea by Creedo, and co written with Brook. My thanks to all my wonderful friends out there - old and new. This one is dedicated to all of you!

Disclaimer - not for profit, don't own 'em, but I'd like a small piece of the curly one please!!

The Legends Trilogy - Part 3 - Partners

Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed.

Chapter 1

The curly haired man ducked out from behind the trash can, Smith and Wesson drawn, cocked and ready. He executed a forward roll, springing from his right shoulder to his knees as he came to a stop behind the next piece of cover. He'd been expected a covering round of fire while he got into his new position, but there had been no shots and no protection. Now he looked around, over his shoulder, panting slightly with exertion and the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Where the hell was his partner, and why wasn't he watching his back?

Coming up the alleyway at a lumbering trot, the blond man paused to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow before wedging himself in between the gap formed by the wall and the metal fire escape. Dumb ass brunet! Couldn't he see it'd be easier to keep a watch on the two crack heads from the safety of the car, rather than charging down the secluded back alley to confront them? At least then they'd have back up on the way when they called it in. Maybe then the uniforms could taken over and he could have gotten himself something to eat. He bent over slightly to regain his breath. He hated this! He was too old for all this charging around the city with a young whippersnapper of a detective freshly promoted and out to prove himself. Syd snickered to himself. Well the kid got himself into the mess, the kid could get himself out of it!

Ahead he could see his partner of twelve days hunkered down behind a stack of beer crates, gun in hand and alert. In the distance he could just make out the five guys they'd been chasing.

Syd had never wanted a new partner. When Rob, his old partner had taken retirement, Syd would have been quite happy to have gotten himself a nice nine to five desk job. But deskbound pay wasn't great and he needed the extra that front line policing gave him. So when the young cop had pissed off yet another of the older detectives in the squad, Dobey had asked that Syd take him on. Well, more like insisted than asked, and Syd had reluctantly agreed, launching himself into twelve days of hell. Sure, during that time the old cop's arrest figures had shot up to the rate they had been ten years ago, but the cost had been the assault on his nerves…..and his waistline. Syd wanted out. Now.

He sneaked another look around the fire escape and saw Starsky signalling him to come up front and join him. At the same time, he saw three of the five men they'd been chasing coming towards the curly haired cop. Shit! When they spied them, the group had been in the process of beating up on a guy and his girl, probably for money for more dope. They were dangerous and there was just the two of them against five. Not exactly evens.

Mumbling curses under his breath, Syd came out from his hiding place, his Springfield semi-automatic drawn as he yelled

'Starsky down. Police freeze'.

As was more than usual, the command to the felons brought about exactly the opposite reaction and the three ran forwards, yelling, towards the brunet's hideout.

Starsky ducked up and caught sight of the three men bearing down on him. He brought up his weapon, echoing the "police freeze" routine, then carefully aimed at the nearest guy, felling him with a shot to the upper leg. He went down with a scream, clutching his thigh as another tripped over his fallen friend and fell headlong in the dirt.

The young detective leapt out of his hiding place, gun in front of him as he confronted the third guy. Standing just short of 6', Starsky was no midget, but the other man seemed to tower above him. The guy seemed unconscious of the weapon levelled at him and in the close proximity, the brunet had no chance to fire before the big man was upon him.

Syd cursed as he watched his partner and the seeming madman rolling over in the trash on the ground, the two remaining members of the group hoving into view. He fired one warning shot into the air and was rewarded with a bullet impacting into the brickwork close to his head, sending mortar and brick dust cascading around him. He swore and loosed off two more shots, thankful that one target went down immediately while the other stopped, assessed the situation, turned and ran.

Now Syd was left with the sight of the big guy kneeling over Starsky, grinding his clenched fist into the younger man's face with a solid right hook. Starsky's head snapped sideways, but with an almost feline grace, he wriggled his lithe body out from under his assailant and managed to get the man's arm behind his back, knocking him forwards onto his face and kneeling on his back.

Looking up, panting and sweating with the exertion of the fight, Starsky saw Syd ambling towards him.

'Where the hell were you man? I needed backup an' you weren't there' the hot headed detective yelled.

'You don't need backup, you need your head examined' Syd bit back, looking around at the bodies, the injured man and Starsky's still struggling arrest. 'What the fuck were you thinking? There were five of 'em an' two of us. Don't "outnumbered" mean nothing to ya? Or does the Academy teach rank insubordination these days?'

Starsky stood and hauled his captive to his feet, heading for the car. He passed Syd without a look, but as he walked on, he glared over his shoulder. 'I aint your subordinate, an' you'd better remember that, or we ain't gonna get along. I got the job done, which is more 'n' I saw you doin'. Or was it more comfortable in your little hidey hole?'

'You stupid little prick. Nearly got yourself killed is what you did! And don't worry about getting' along. We aren't gonna be together for too much longer'.

They'd reached the car and Syd took the mic. and called in the arrest, asking for an ambulance and a coroners wagon too. The two detectives waited in stony silence until the requisite vehicles had arrived and instructions had been given, before Syd set his car in motion with a screech of tyres and turned back to the Metro.

Thirty minutes later, both men were back in the squad room, Starsky with an ice bag over the black eye which was slowly swelling shut, and Syd, with a face like thunder heading for Dobey's office.

The small room was fairly full at that time of day, some of the older guys finishing their paperwork and getting ready for the end of the shift, and some others arriving for the swap over. In one corner a blond man and a young woman were deep in conversation and Ken Hutchinson looked up and smiled at the brunet he'd been to the academy with.

'Wow, bet that smarts Starsk'.

'Uh huh' the curly haired man grunted, flinging himself down into his chair. The door to Dobey's office was still open and he could hear Syd yelling at the black Captain.

'He's a liability. There is no way on God's green earth that I'm going out anywhere with that hellion again. He's irresponsible, an accident waiting to happen. Captain, I'm 52. I'm getting to the end of my career an' I'd like to end my police life with all my faculties, an' the way he's goin' on, he's gonna kill every partner he comes into contact with'.

There was a general ripple of amusement around the squad room, mostly from the more seasoned detectives who'd either been out with Starsky, or had heard the tales from their colleagues. Hutch looked across at the young brunet and saw the discomfort the laughing caused him. He alone knew how much the brunet could offer and just how loyal and brave he was to his friends. They'd been to the Academy together, had been split up while in uniform and Starsky had made detective four months before Hutch. Now, assigned to the same precinct, Hutch was waiting for a permanent partner and Starsky looked like he was working his way through the list. He so wanted to go give his old friend some words of comfort, but didn't think Starsky would want any camaraderie just then.

Dobey's gruff voice sounded, trying to calm his man down. 'Now wait a minute Syd. You've only been with him 12 days. An' during that time, you've had more arrests than throughout the last three months'.

'Yeah, an' have you seen the extra grey hairs? I go home at night and Doris pours me whisky's like there's no tomorrow, just to calm me down. I'm telling you Harold. I ain't doin' it again. Bust me down to traffic of ya like, but no more Starsky, please'.

A moment later, a white faced Syd emerged from the inner office, walked stiffly past his bruised ex partner, got his jacket and walked out, leaving a stunned, silent office.

Starsky didn't know where to look. He knew he could be hot headed. He also knew that his passion for his job could be his ally. It kept him on edge. It gave his reflexes an edge. It made him a damned good cop and it had saved his life on more than one occasion. It also made him tough to deal with, but that was their problem, not his. But the metro was fast running out of candidates to be his next partner and he didn't want to think of doing anything other than being a detective. He closed his eyes beneath his ice pack and shut out the world, wishing the others in the office would just go away and leave him alone. So, with his eyes closed and his mind on other things, he didn't see the big young blond get up and walk determinedly into Dobey's office, closing the door softly behind him.

'Um…C captain' Hutch started, his stammer a reflection of the anxiety he felt. He'd hated seeing the looks some of the older guys gave Starsky. They didn't know him, and with the reputation he was cultivating, not many of them wanted to get to know him. But if only they took the time to drill away the fly exterior, they'd see just what David Starsky was really all about.

Dobey looked up. 'Uh huh?'

'I, um….I, well….I couldn't help overhearing Officer Woodruff. He um…..s seemed unhappy with his current assignment'.

The Captain smiled at Syd's outburst being couched in just such a fashion. 'Yeah, he was a little forceful. But that's his problem. And mine' he finished quietly. Since Starsky had been assigned to his department, he'd taken an instant liking to the affable, capable, but ultimately unseasoned young man, seeing in Starsky something of the young Harold Dobey. But getting the curly haired cop settled into the precinct was a problem and a half and he was rapidly tiring of it.

'Well that's what I came to talk to you about' the blond detective went on, warming to his task. 'I um….I was at the Academy with Starsky. We get on quite well….we were friends there, but we lost touch for a while. I was wondering if….um…..well. What about if I p partnered him?'

Dobey's head snapped up. 'You?'

'I know it isn't usual. Two newbies together. But he's been here longer'n I have. He can show me the ropes an' I know how to handle him'.

The black man looked dubious. 'You're right. It isn't usual. Its tough out there. You need some experience with you, not two wet behind the ears guys out together'.

'He's done wonders for your arrest rate, right?' Hutch pushed.

'Uh huh'.

'Well he has more experience than me. An' this way, with me offering to partner him, that's one less problem for you'.

'I can solve my own problems Hutchinson' Dobey said, not unkindly.

'I didn't mean that' the blond said uncertainly. He hadn't really got the handle on his new Captain yet and didn't want to blow any chances he might have. But the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of working with his old Academy buddy. he put his best winning smile on his face. 'I just mean one volunteer is worth ten pressed men huh?'

Dobey picked up his pen, twiddled with it and put it down again. The idea was enticing. And maybe having a young team out there might be good for the department. Why not blow tradition? He made his decision.

'OK. A trial period. Two months. At the end of that, we review the situation. How's that?'

'Good enough Captain. And I promise you haven't made a mistake. We'll prove that!'

'Hmm, well get out there and meet your new partner, Hutchinson'.

'Thanks Cap'n. Yeah right'. He headed for the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. 'And Cap? Its Hutch. Hutchinson's too….long'.