A/N

Thank you to Meixel for beta reading my work for me. It is deeply appreciated.

Thank you to Tanith2011 for title and summary suggestions.

Disclaimer: I make no profit off of anything related to "Streets of San Francisco" or the characters. I am not the creator of the series.

THE ONE

Steve:

I had heard about him ever since I joined the force. His was a big name to anyone who cared to listen. What I heard would scare a person who didn't know him and

I was one who didn't know him.

I had been working Vice for about two weeks, making busts and connections. One day I walked in and was told to report to Captain Olsen's office. I could not think of what I had done wrong but knew something was up as name plate was off the desk I was using.

Starting to sweat and feeling like my tie was choking me, I knocked on the Captain's door. I heard the gruff voice call me in. I went in closing the door and there HE was: the man I had heard about all this time. As Captain Olsen introduced us, I could feel his eyes watching me. As if I wasn't nervous enough, being studied so intensely made me on pins and needles.

I heard the words through a fog that I was now this man's partner in Homicide. As I was standing there trying to sort out the many thoughts in my mind, I heard a voice even gruffer than Captain Olsen's grouse: "Well are you coming or aren't you?"

I came back to earth and saw Lieutenant Stone leaving and hurriedly followed him out the door. He took me back to Homicide and introduced me to the others. He had me come in and close his door and told me how things were going to be done. Listening, I could see how he earned part of his reputation, the rest I would see later.

I stood there listening when apparently his lecture was over and he shoved a huge pile of reports at me. I looked at them like I was not sure what to do with them. He said, "Type them is part of your job."

I was working on them trying to get as many done as possible when the phone rang in his office. He came out pulling on his coat and told me to hurry up.

We got a call.

We hurried to the car and I see he is getting in the passenger's side, so I take the driver's seat. He slapped the light on the roof and snapped, "All right, hotshot, show me how you drive!"

Speeding to the scene, I tore around the corner hitting the crest of a hill sending us airborne. When we came down, we hit hard. We got to the scene and the lieutenant ripped into me for driving like a stunt driver. He was so vocal, I honestly thought my first day in Homicide was going to be my last day!

Mike:

I had tried to tell Rudy I didn't need a partner, especially a young whippersnapper who was still wet behind the ears. I had to admit, though, looking over this young man's record, he impressed me. He was a real go getter and not afraid of hard work.

I grudgingly gave in, thinking maybe this kid might have something worthwhile after all. I had to see if there was anybody as good as I am, so I agreed to take him on.

I could tell he was really nervous when he came into Rudy's office and almost felt bad for him. My new partner didn't even look as if he was shaving yet. And the Vice hotshot can't even listen when he is told to come with me.

Yes, I am a hard nose, and maybe I came down too hard on the boy. But if he is going to be as good a cop as I think, he has to learn to deal with me. But the more I see of him in action, the more I like him. More than that, he is earning my respect. I will make a real cop out of Steve Keller one day.