AUTHOR'S NOTE: what would have happened if Starsky and Hutch had never met as police detectives? Would it be destiny that brought them together? A challenge courtesy of The Me and Thee YAHOO Group.
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The meaning of life is to give life meaning-- Ken Hudgins
BECOMING HUTCH
chapter 1
Ken Hutchinson steadied his nerves before entering his home. He'd known that his wife Vanessa, was working up to another argument over their lifestyle. Things were fine enough for Ken but Vanessa wanted better. Not necessarily interested in her husband's advancement in the educational community, but if a move forward, out of this stifling, small town could improve her situation, then she'd fight like hell to make sure Ken took advantage of any position that would offer a better living status.
At the time, he and Van lived in a cozy, stucco style bungalow in a small town in Minnesota. Ken taught Journalism and Criminology at the community college which was located in an area surrounded by bigger cities. But you'd never know it by the sleepy, country feel to the place. The main source of employment was the community college. Ken enjoyed the small town and easy existence. However, it was a constant irritant to his soon to be ex-wife.
His sharp tongued, social climbing, beautiful, sexy, bitch of a wife wasn't satisfied with her husband's choice of a career. She wanted him to apply for the Journalism Department Head position at the University in the next town so they could bump up their salary, move into one of the historic three story homes and party with all the right people. Ken just wanted to be near the kids who really wanted to learn, not deal with the administrative bureaucrats he'd have to contend with just to get his curriculum approved every semester.
One evening he was alone in the house. He didn't want to know where Van was. Ken found himself in another reflective mood. He got out his guitar and started picking at a tune that he had no memory of hearing before. It provided the backdrop for his latest round of dissecting his life. He acknowledged his own penchant for such an activity but he really longed to find who the real Ken Hutchinson was.
He felt the need for something more fulfilling. He loved what he did; he just didn't see it taking him on the journey that he craved. He occasionally wrote free lance articles for newspapers and magazines but none of them had provided the opportunity that he felt was calling him. His criminology background taunted him and he wanted to combine his writing skills with his natural curiosity to investigate and write the all American true crime drama.
The front door opened and Van wooshed through it with an air of importance and annoyance. She couldn't wait to drag him into a discussion which led to the same oldargument. The blond man wondered why she'd waited so long to finally fling the 'D' word at him. She seemed to take pleasure in pointing out his faults, his weaknesses and according to her,
"Why are you so content to sit here, play that stupid music and be so boring?"
Ken put the instrument down with more tenderness than he'd shown his wife lately. He stood up and began to walk out of the room. This only resulted in igniting Van's temper further. The next words were nothing new but it was the beginning of the end. She immediately spit out the word 'divorce' which resulted in another humdinger of a fight.
"Just go ahead! It might be the kindest thing you've done in your whole life!" Ken ran his hands through his blond hair. He was getting frustrated with the same old arguments. Maybe divorce would be the only thing that would save his sanity.
"Well, it would certainly be an improvement in my life, that's for sure. I've got contacts, you know, who have already promised to set me up with a modeling career. That way I'd meet really interesting people, not your socially conscience, boring, egg head friends!"
Ken stared at her. Mesmerized by the highlights in her auburn hair, he briefly thought about running his hands through the silky thickness and kiss that full pouty mouth. But another look at the angry, venomous passion in her eyes squashed that desire.
At that point, Vanessa stalked off to the bedroom and slammed the door. Ken heard her a few minutes later on the phone. He made out the words, 'finished' and 'Monte Carlo.' He suspected she had a lover but he just didn't care. He'd tried to keep her satisfied and interested but lately, nothing was good enough for her. He wouldn't fight the divorce.
A few weeks later, she'd greeted him at the door when he returned from a late afternoon class. He had reached above the door frame to retrieve his key from the ledge. His hand hovered near the lock but the door jerked open revealing a very smug look on his wife's face and a heavy appearing suitcase in her hands. She opened the door wide enough to slide the suitcase out to him followed by his guitar case complete with his prize possession.
He'd gone to live in one of the rooming houses near the campus and found it to be quite adequate. He'd never needed a lot of space or things in his life so the sparsely furnished room seemed like heaven. One morning as he opened the door of his LTD, a young man walked up to him, verified that he was Ken Hutchinson and then handed the blond a large manila envelope. He knew what it was so he just threw it on the front seat of the car as he got in behind the wheel. He'd hold off the reality till he returned that evening from his last class.
Later that afternoon, he let himself into his 3 room, furnished efficiency apartment, dropped his briefcase on the bed and pulled out the envelope he'd received earlier that day and dropped it on top of the briefcase. He plopped down on the sagging bed and thought about what he'd done earlier in response to that envelope. After being served the papers earlier, he'd gone to the head of his department and put in for a sabbatical. One year to go off and find his calling. One year to travel and find the perfect story that would bring him the satisfaction that he knew in his heart he'd find.
Now as he stared at the legal document, he was strangely relieved. They'd been married for five years but in that entire time, Ken had only been happy for the first year. He had fallen in love with Vanessa Phillips at first glance. He should've known it was his hormones that proposed marriage six months later instead of his head. Shaking his head to clear away the bitter memories, he undressed as he made his way to the bathroom to change clothes. A long run around the campus relaxed his tense muscles and cleared his thinking to start planning his future.
Still, the need for a quick, cold shower erased further memories and desires from his body.
A month later, Ken had his bags packed and as he sat in his car, he felt giddy. Restlessness was replaced with a sense of purpose.
The specific destination didn't matter to Ken. He just got in his car and started driving. He figured he'd find the story he was meant to write about along the road. So,armed with maps and a road atlas, he headed west out of the college town without even a glance through the rear view mirror.
TBC
