I don't own the guys

Just playing with them.

A Country Song

By Pegbronco

The sun beamed down on the roof of the red car. The desert out in front of them had the afternoon heatwaves rising and dancing in front of them.

"Hutch?"

"Hmm?"

"If we had a country song, what would it be?"

"Starsk…listen, it's too hot to think."

"Come on. What would be our song?"

"Fine. If you'll just sit quietly and let me roast in peace, I'll tell you."

Starsky sat up a little bit and waited with anticipation. It had been thirty minutes since there was any kind of conversation between them. He turned and looked over at his blond headed partner. The sweat had plastered his shirt to his chest and the silky blond hair was wet and clinging to his forehead.

"Well?"

Hutch glanced over at his fidgety partner. Even in the heat Starsky was still a bundle of perpetual motion. Though the heat had dulled it down some, Starsky was still in motion.

Hutch slowly turned and looked out the window. He was someplace other then sitting there in the heat, in a red steel tomato. A small smile touched the edges of his mouth.

" 'My Heroes have always been cowboys.' By Willie Nelson." Hutch's mind visited his past. "I remember when I was growing up and spent my summers out at Granddad's farm. I would go out and ride the horses. I would ride out and just think about what it would have been like to ride for days and to be free of all responsibilities. To just go and be one with the world around me. It was a quiet time to just ride and reflect on my life." He turned, his blue eyes found his partner's matching set.

Starsky looked at him for a moment. "I think it needs to be 'Mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys', also by Willie Nelson. I kind of think of us as modern day cowboys. Still out riding the range. Fighting the bad guys. Guns drawn. You ever thought that maybe you should have stayed in Med. School?" Starsky reached over and placed a hand on his sidekicks shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"Starsk…I have never regretted it. I would never had found you to spend my life with. I wouldn't have it any other way. You add the excitement to my life that I was missing. And if you ever decide to change profession and want to ride this red pony down to Bolivia and rob banks, well buddy I'm with you to the end." Hutch looked deep into those blue eyes that held the world for him. "If we go down in a hail of gun fire down there, then the song would be 'Seven Spanish Angels' by Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. 'Cause I would go with you. To the end Starsk. Together." He hand found it's way to Starsky's thigh and gave it a soft squeeze.

Starsky smiled back, reached up and grabbed a hand full of wet golden strands and gave a tug. A soft sigh of contentment past between the two souls.

The heat waves danced as the soft swirls of dust devils played alongside. Together.

END