The extra mile.

Chapter 1

"You want another beer Hutch?" Starsky had to shout to beheard over the noise in the bar where the former cadets were celebrating their successfully finished exams.

Hutch shook his head "Still have one Starsk." he yelled back lifting his glass to show he wasn't finished yet.

"Keep drinking buddy, you're way behind." Starsky laughed and got himself a new beer.

Hutch took his glass and started walking the brunet's way. When he reached him he said "I want to take it easy tonight, I have other plans and they don't need too much beer"

"Uh uh" Starsky grinned "what's her name?"

"No 'she' Starsky." Hutch grinned back at his new found friend.

"Huh?" Starsky stared at him his face a big question mark "What do ya mean?"

"I thought now we have a week off before we start the real thing, I'd take a vacation" Hutch explained "I'd like to go to the mountains and do some climbing and camping"

"Climbing and camping?"Starsky looked as if he'd just heard something particularly nasty "You're into the nature stuff you mean?"

"Well…yeah. I like to go back to nature once in a while: to relax and find my inner being, maybe find some inner peace you know?"

"Geez Hutch, you sound like some hippy, you know that?" Starsky didn't believe what he heard "I never saw you search for your inner being before."

Hutch chuckled "Maybe because I didn't have time during our training in the academy but now I have some time on my hands I'd like to commence to searching." he grinned and asked "You want to come with me?"

"Come with you? And do what?"

"A few days away from the city and ….."

"You want me to come with you searching for you inner being?" Starsky looked like he was watching water burning "do ya need help with that?" the brunet looked doubtful.

Hutch smiled and shook his head "No, not with that but it would be a great opportunity to get to know each other a bit better. What do you think, just you and me and the great outdoors?"

"I don't know Hutch, I mean I don't know you that well and two guys alone on a camping trip…I do have a reputation to keep up you know."

"And if I promise your virtue is safe with me?" Hutch deadpanned "And that brunettes are not my type"

"Well….."Starsky grinned "if you can promise me that you'll still respect me in the morning I'll think about it."

"Great" Hutch felt happy at the thought of spending some time with his new friend. They had started out on the wrong foot when they first met and Hutch still worried about that sometimes. After they had accepted each other something like friendship had slowly developed between them and Hutch was looking forward to get to know the New Yorker a bit better. He suspected that there was much more to David Starsky than met the eye.

Starsky looked at him and was thinking much the same thing. He still cringed when he thought about the first weeks in the academy and how he'd treated Hutch. 'Just because you made me think about some asshole from the past.' he thought 'How could I ever have seen someone so twisted in you? What were you thinking Davey?'

He shook his head and said "I know nothing about the outdoors Hutch and I sure as hell ain't gonna climb any mountain." He shrugged "If you have some other plans I'm willing to go, but no climbing."

"No climbing? But Starsk, that's just the icing on the cake."

"Well… no icing for me then." Starsky answered "the cake will be more than enough thanks."

"Okay, no climbing then. But you don't know what you're missing friend. It's so great to climb and look out over the world" Hutch's eyes were glistening just at the thought of climbing a mountain and he was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to share that fantastic experience with his new friend.

"I don't wanna know what I'm missing. I think that going camping is more than enough outdoors for me."

"Oh you're gonna love it buddy, I'm sure of that."

"Hmm. We'll see. When were you planning to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Hutch chuckled, and added, "at six o'clock"

Eyes wide with shock Starsky stared at him "Are you nuts? Six o'clock? Finally I can sleep in till I wake up by myself and you wanna start camping in the middle of the night. Are there really two six o'clocks in a day?"

"Of course! There's nothing as beautiful as the mountains in the early morning."

Starsky shook his head "I don't know Hutch, maybe this camping stuff ain't for me being a city guy and all! I think I'd better be stayin' in Bay City. In the city here where I belong."

Disappointed Hutch shrugged "It won't be half as much fun alone as it will be with you but if you really don't want to go…"

Feeling guilty for taking Hutch's fun away Starsky hesitated a moment and to his own surprise he heard himself say "If it means that much to you I'll go with you buddy, but don't expect me to know anything about camping."

He was rewarded with a blinding smile and a slap on the shoulder. Still feeling a bit uneasy about the expedition he smiled back. "Okay, okay, but if we want to get started early tomorrow we'd better hit the sack in time, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah, we shouldn't turn in too late. Let's go to my place and talk things over, it's always good to have a plan when you go camping in the wild."

Suppressing a shudder at those words Starsky nodded "Yeah, the wild. Right. Let's go and plan this thing. We wouldn't want to get into trouble, would we?"

It was very early in the morning when Hutch woke up with a feeling of anticipation. It took him a few seconds before he knew why he felt that way, but then he remembered. Camping trip with Starsky. It was still dark and he realized it wasn't time to get up yet but he didn't feel sleepy anymore and, content, he let his thoughts go back to the other night.

They had left the bar and their former fellow students shortly after they'd decided to go on a camping trip together. "Where do you live?" Starsky had asked and Hutch had told him pleased with the soft whistle Starsky gave when he heard the address.

"You live at the canal? That's a whole lot better than where I stay at the moment."

"I like it there" Hutch had answered "It's quiet and it doesn't give me the feeling I'm living in a city."

"Well, being a real city guy myself I can't understand what's not to like about it" Starsky had answered "but if you're happy there it's fine by me"

They had hailed a cab and soon they were standing in front of Hutch's small house with the white picket fence.

"Hey, this is a nice place" Starsky had admired the house "You should have a wife and two kids. Be Mr. Average American. That'd make it perfect."

"I have a wife but we're about to divorce" Hutch had muttered under his breath. He sounded embarrassed and the brunet was immediately uncomfortable.

"Aw, I'm sorry Hutch, I didn't know that" Starsky's face had turned red but it was too dark for Hutch to notice "You couldn't know Starsk, I never told you. Let's get in huh? I'm getting cold out here"

"Cold? And I thought you liked being outside? What kind of a camper are ya?"

"The kind that doesn't want to stand in front of his house in the middle of the night" Hutch had laughed, opening the door.

Entering the house Starsky had once again whistled through his teeth in appreciation. "It's really great Hutch. You have a lot of plants here. Looks like a forest."

"Yeah, well" he'd answered "I'm a country boy through and through I guess even though I like it in Bay City."

"Hmm, I guess you are" Starsky had shrugged and plopped down on the couch. Looking around the small room he had asked "How're we gonna do this? I mean, can I crash here and go to my place tomorrow to get my stuff or shall I go home now?"

A little surprised Hutch had answered "I guess you could stay here if you don't mind the couch."

"Oh, you're couch is fine. I've slept in worse places" Starsky flashed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

'There is so much more to you' Hutch thought, while he folded his arms under his head. 'I want to get to know you better.' He felt strangely at ease with the curly haired man even after they'd had a difficult start and he wondered how that could be.

Not being able to get any more sleep he decided to get up and make coffee. While he puttered around in his small kitchen area he softly hummed a vague tune and for a second he thought about picking up his guitar and trying to make a song out of the melody playing in his head but the sound of footsteps made him look around. He started laughing when he saw his friend's sleepy face, his hair sticking out like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.

"Hm?" Starsky mumbled still half asleep "wha's the matter?"

He plopped down in a chair and lay his head in his arms on the table "I wanna sleep some more"

Still laughing and feeling oddly happy Hutch answered "Ah buddy, you're up now. How about some coffee huh? That will wake you up I bet."

"What time is it?" Starsky looked up and almost choked when he saw the time "Half past five? Shit Hutch, it's still night!"

"No it's not Starsk, it's early in the morning, an' that's an entirely different thing. Here, have your coffee and wake up."

"How come you're so damn cheerful at this time?"Starsky wanted to know after he had taken a few sips of the hot coffee.

"Oh, I don't know. I think I'm a morning person. I like to get up in time to see the sunrise and a new day start I guess." Hutch had never thought about it before but being awake in the early morning had made him feel good for as long as he could remember.

'That's great', Starsky thought, 'he really is an early riser. I should have thought longer about that before I agreed to go with him. T'riffic Davey you know how to pick 'em don't 'cha?'

"You want something to eat?" he heard Hutch ask.

"Nah, not yet or maybe….. Yeah……What have you got?" His stomach rumbled at the thought of food an even in the early morning Starsky knew he wanted something to eat.

"I'm having a health shake but……"

"You're having a what?" Starsky stared at him totally flabbergasted by what he just heard his new friend say "What the hell is a health shake? Or wait, do I really want to know that?"

"Hey it's not poison." Hutch tried to defend his eating habits "It's goat's milk and……"

"Stop" Starsky almost yelled disgusted "I don't wanna know. Geez Hutch you are a strange one ain't ya?"

Hutch shrugged "What's wrong with health food and trying to stay healthy?"

"It's disgusting that's what it is. What's wrong with some left over pizza?"

"Left over pizza? And you call me weird?"He shook his head and went on with the preparations of his breakfast "I think I've got bread so if you want toast, I could make that for you" he offered.

"Well, toast is okay" Starsky agreed "as long as you stay away from me with the goat's milk I'll be fine"

Finally they sat together at the table and enjoyed their breakfast in companiable silence. Starsky was surprised that he felt so at ease with this guy he hadn't known for very long. He was happy, though, that Hutch had somehow found his way into his life already.

Nursing his second cup of coffee the curly haired guy asked "What are we gonna do now buddy?"

Hutch looked at his watch and thought for a moment before he answered "I think it's time to put my things in the car and then go to your place and collect your stuff. We should be on our way to the mountains in about an hour I'd say"

"We're taking your car?'Starsky wanted to know.

"That's okay with me."Hutch agreed "It's big enough to stash our things in"

"Good" Starsky nodded "'Cause I don't think mine will make it loaded up and in the mountains. I really need another car, ya know. I've seen a real beauty but can't afford it just yet. Ah, she's gorgeous!"

That statement made Hutch chuckle "Hey, a car is a car for me. As long as it takes me from A to B I'm happy."

"Well, let's get your heap on the road then" the brunet grinned "If I sit here any longer I'll fall asleep again."

TBC