Love Hurts

Disclaimer: This is done strictly for fun and not for profit, although tips are greatly appreciated.

Author's Note: Thanks to my friends in the fandom, especially my muse Brook, and my writing sisters Janet, and Shawne, it is only a matter of time before our family begins to grow. Love you guys! This one is for you, and by the way, special thanks to Janet for letting me write this one and naming it for me.

Guess what? Brook has been co-writing this one with me, we are working so well together and I NEED to thank her for her help. I love you girl!!!

Chapter Ten

Hutch used his own key and unlocked the door to Starsky's apartment. Entering cautiously, he scanned the living room, nothing was out of place. The brunet was a neat freak and rarely had Hutch ever seen one item askew in his abode.

"Starsk, you here?" Hutch shouted out as he entered and closed the door behind him.

There was no answer.

He continued to make his way to his friend's bedroom, seeing his unmade bed, and kwne immediately that his partner left in a hurry, for one reason or another, he left is such a hurry that he didn't even take the time to pull up his covers, which was out character for him.

He checked the bathroom, finding nothing, turned on his heels and headed back to the living room, meeting up with Simonetti's partner, Detective Anderson and two uniformed officers entering the residence..

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hutch snapped angrily.

"Where's your partner?" Anderson retorted sharply

"Answer my question, what the hell are you doing here?" Hutch repeated.

"Look Hutchinson, I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but I don't have to answer to you. I have a warrant to bring Detective Starsky in for questioning, and I intend to do just that."

"Questioning for what?"

"The attack of an IA officer." Anderson answered, shoving a piece of paper in the tall blonde's hands.

"You mean Simonetti? You gotta be kidding me!" Hutch quipped, his face flushing in anger.

"That's exactly what I mean! Now if you have any idea where your partner is, I suggest you start talking." Anderson growled.

"Even if I did know where he was, I sure in the hell wouldn't tell you guys! This is just ridiculous!" Hutch spouted as he pushed his way towards the door. He looked back over his shoulder right before exiting the premises, "You guys want him, you're gonna have to find him yourselves." He stated curtly as he swung around and raced outside, down the steps and to his car.

Anderson watched Hutch as his vehicle peeled away from the curb, an unmarked vehicle promptly following him.

00000

Starsky's head throbbed, pulsing in time with his heartbeat, the pain making him nauseous. He opened his eyes, closing them quickly as the room swam in and out of focus causing him to nearly lose any stomach contents he had left over from lunch the day before.

He pulled desperately at his arms, they would only move so far before feeling resistance. He tugged harder, just to feel pain around both wrists. He tried the same thing with his legs, meeting the same fate.

His heart began to race faster, just increasing the pain in his head; he felt a slight panic setting in as he tugged again on his legs and arms. The foundation beneath him was soft and comfortable, he heard the clanking of metal when he tugged against his arms, and felt the familiar feeling of cuffs encircling his wrists as both arms were drawn up together at a point above his head. His legs were fastened in the same way, only not by cuffs, he could tell that ropes bound his ankles as he struggled and fought against his restraints.

He attempted to open his eyes again, blinking rapidly, then opening wide, trying to stop the movement of his surroundings, all while fighting the urge to vomit. The bright lights that flooded the room nearly blinded him as he fought to shield his eyes the only way he could, tilting his head awkwardly.

Starsky closed his eyes again, thinking back, trying to retrieve the last thing he remembered, it finally hit him, he remembered Ellen's frantic call, and then entering her apartment. Instantly, his fear for his own safety subsided and he was now worried about Ellen instead. Was she okay? Where was she? What was so important that she had to see him immediately?

He looked around the room, pulling against his restraints, trying to loosen them but feeling the cuffs tighten around his wrists instead, the metal cutting into his flesh uncomfortably.

A strange crackling noise floated through the room, muffled noises, something that he could make out as being replayed on tape. The sounds of struggling, whimpering, sobbing, slapping and more crying filled the room. A distorted voice, an intentionally distorted voice wafted through the air. Starsky struggled to lift his head; he saw the tape recorder sitting on a night stand near the door.

"Please…why are you d…doing this…t…too me…?"

Starsky's heart leapt into his throat, he immediately recognized Alex's voice on the recording. A deep robotic voice, that was obviously being spoken through a some type of modify was a little difficult to make out as he strained to listen, a part of him, wanting to tape to stop.

"You little bitch, you never cared about Dave, you were never good enough for him, and now…m'gonna make you pay for hurting him."

The attacker threatened.

The sounds of struggle and more hitting and flesh on flesh contact resonated through the room as Starsky swallowed hard, he heard Alex scream, gasping to catch her breath as she was being battered.

There was a silence that made Starsky uneasy, he heard steps on the tape, he heard Alex sobbing although the sound was somewhat muffled.

"I want you to tell Dave you're sorry…" The warbled voice demanded.

"What am….I sorry….for? Please just tell me, I'll do what ever you say!"

Another squeal as a hand contacted with some part of Alex's body.

"You never should have been with him, you hurt him, and tried to hurt his best friend, and I for one am going to make you pay for that.'

"Please…please…don't hurt me anymore…I am sorry…I am sorry I hurt him, and I hurt Ken…" Alex gasped.

"You fucking bitch, you almost cost him his job, you almost cost him his friendship. You deserve to die for what you have done to him."

"No….no….no…oh my God no…I would never have done what I threatened to do, I loved Dave, I just wanted him to love me as much as I loved him, that's all, I swear…please let me go."

"Like you were willing to let Dave go? Now tell him you're sorry. He's listening, I want him to hear you beg for your life."

"Dave…p…please forgive me…m'so sorry. Y…you didn't deserve what I d…did to you, I was wrong, and…I wish I could make things right." Alex's trembling voice stuttered.

"You may not be able to make things right, but I can…"

The voice stated as Starsky heard a blood curdling scream, followed by the sound of Alex struggling, a gurgling sound, Starsky knew that her throat had been slit and she was now choking on her own blood.

"Oh God…Oh God…Oh God…." Starsky chanted, his stomach cramping in knots as he realized he had just heard his ex-girlfriend, a woman he cared a great deal about at one time, just take her last breaths, listened as her heart stopped beating. He knew he was dealing with someone so sick to actually tape the murder and play it for him, for what, revenge?

Immediately his mind wandered to Big Red, thinking that he and his men would have everything they needed to carry this out, opportunity and motive. His anger grew as he pulled harder against his restraints, screaming out at no one he could see. The room was empty, but he knew that he was being watched.

"You son of a bitch! Come out and face me like a man you sick fuck!" He shouted, his body writhing and twisting on the mattress. "You're real brave against a woman, lets see what kind of balls you really have, untie me and lets go."

Silence, not a sound, he paused briefly before releasing his ire again.

"COME ON!!!!! I fucking dare you, take me on, I'll even let you take the first shot you mother fucker!"

Still silence.

"Show yourself!!!" Starsky screamed, exerting the last of his energy, his face red with anger and raw emotion.

He knew that whoever had kidnapped him had just played a tape, a tape of his recent girlfriend's death. He heard Alex plead for her life, all of her pleas falling on deaf ears as the person responsible for her demise, cruelly killed her, actually recording every moment of the end of her life.

The curly haired brunet knew that he was dealing with an extremely sick individual who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, someone that had a definite grudge against him, and even possibly Hutch. His mind raced as several people crossed entered his thoughts. He attempted to recall all present and past people that he and Hutch had caused to have a personal vendetta against them. The list was endless.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the knob of the door being turned and the door slowly creak open.

Craning his head around, straining to try and see who was entering the room; his heart started beating faster as he tried to prepare himself for the unexpected. The pain in his head made it nearly impossible to focus. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as he saw the back of his captor's frame. They were wearing blue jeans and a large oversized jacket complete with a hood that was pulled up and over their head.

"Why'd you haveta kill her?" He growled, "she di'nt do nuttin to ya'."

His question was answered with silence as the small framed person made their way into the adjacent bathroom. Starsky could hear as the anonymous person ran the water in the sink.

"Whata ya' want with me?" the brunet continued to try and get answers. "Answer me dammit!" His anger was beginning to take over, his fear subsiding as he allowed himself to try his hardest to get any type of reaction from his visitor.

The running water stopped as Starsky's eyes widened as he heard the person's footsteps coming closer. His heart nearly stopped as he saw the woman appear in the doorway.

Ellen's silhouette appeared, the light from the bathroom malevolently illuminating behind her.

"What the…" Starsky's words were cut off as she started walking towards him, a damp white terry cloth wash rag in her hand.

"What's the matter, aren't you happy to see me sweetie?" She hissed as she neared the restrained detective.

"Ellen…I…I don't understand…" he stammered.

The thin woman sat beside him on the bed, lifting the was rag and wiping his forehead gently.

"Shhhhh, its okay Dave, m'here now. No one's gonna hurt you ever again…" The waitress from The Pit's spoke quietly and melodically.

"But…but…" He protested.

"No buts Dave, m' here for you," she continued to gently wipe his face with the cool rag, soothing his headache, "and the best part is, I took care of anyone that was getting in our way…all of them, except of course, that partner of yours."

"Hutch?" Starsky gasped.

"Yes Hutch….but don't you worry lover, he's next." She vowed.

"L…Listen Ellen, I don't know what's goin' on here, but I swear, if you hurt Hutch, m' gonna."

Ellen cocked her hand back and let it fly forward, connecting with the brunet's cheek, snapping his head to the side, the slap stinging and leaving an instant handprint.

Immediately, she laid her head on his chest, one hand stroking his taught stomach muscles, "I'm sorry honey, I didn't want to hurt you. You just need to learn…I don't wanna hurt you, please don't make me, you know I love you. I just want to be with you, and I don't want anyone to come between us anymore."

She sat up looking into Starsky's indigo eyes, "Guess what I did honey!!" She stated with all the enthusiasm of a five year old on Christmas morning. "I took care of that cop that was asking everyone questions about you."

Simonetti?" Starsky snapped, the shocked look washing across his face. "What'd you do to him Ellen?"

"I just taught him a lesson, that's all, I don't think he'll be bothering you again," she stated smiling.

"Ellen, did you kill Simonetti?" He asked, swallowing hard.

"Well, I guess that's possible, but I don't think I hit him that hard…but who knows, if I hit him just right, I guess he could be dead…wouldn't that be great?" She squealed.

"Look honey…untie me." Starsky requested, "Just untie me and we can talk about this."

Ellen burst out laughing, building into near hysteria as Starsky's brow furrowed, realizing just how unstable and dangerous she was. At any second she could snap and decide to kill him too. He needed to try and gain her trust, talk her into believing that he loved her, making her want to release him.

"Dave, do you really think I'm that stupid, I finally have you, and I'm never gonna let you go….ever…" She hissed, laying her head in his lap as her fingers played with the hair on his chest, moving up, caressing his neck.

To Be Continued….