{"id":100,"date":"2018-12-20T05:10:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-20T05:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/?p=100"},"modified":"2020-11-11T18:53:23","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T18:53:23","slug":"december-20th-pixieland-part-2-by-dawnwind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/?p=100","title":{"rendered":"December 20th- Pixieland Part 2 by Dawnwind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click here to read Part 1<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

The church had the hardscrabble look of all the buildings in the area. The paint was peeling and one of the front windows was cracked. There was a hand-painted golden cross on \u00a0the front door, and tacked up beside the doorframe was a sign reading: \u201cYou believe there is one God, Even the demons believe that and shudder.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCharming,\u201d Hutch muttered, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust be the place, Ollie.\u201d Starsky shook his head, a shiver going down his spine. He suddenly felt\u2014ill, although he couldn\u2019t explain why. And his palm hurt, again. He held up his left hand, the pentagram glowing eerily in the early morning sun.<\/p>\n

Hutch fit his palm into Starsky\u2019s for half a moment, pushing the large wooden door.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe door was ajar,\u201d Starsky murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Hutch looked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNuthin\u2019.\u201d Starsky pretended innocence, but for him, that was a definite sign. Sure, many churches kept their doors open to admit parishioners whenever they wanted to pray. And someone familiar with old world practices might do as he\u2019d been taught to give the spirits access. Even so, his sensation of wrongness prevailed.
\n<\/p>\n

The interior of the church was dim and chilly despite the temperate winter weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cReverend Allbright?\u201d Hutch called out.<\/p>\n

Starsky stood beside Hutch, reaching out with supernaturally acute senses. Very unsettling, like something dark and malevolent dwelt here. His belly churned, nausea swamping him. This was bad.<\/p>\n

He and Hutch walked the length of the middle aisle to the altar. It looked much like any other church Starsky had ever been inside as a cop. A large wooden crucifix, with Jesus\u2019 face contorted in agony and his wounds dripping bright red painted blood, hung over a plain wooden table. No fancy carvings or elegant fixtures, only two brass candlesticks flanking a Bible lying open on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d an angry voice called from a side door.<\/p>\n

At his approach, Starsky took a step back. Not in fright; simply to protect his own soul. This man was a demon incarnate. Dark forces swirled inside him, blackening his aura.<\/p>\n

Always attentive to Starsky\u2019s nuances, Hutch glanced at him and took a step forward, holding up his badge. \u201cDetective Ken Hutchinson,\u201d he announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cDave Starsky,\u201d Starsky added as the minister came into the low-lit sanctuary.<\/p>\n

He was tall, probably had two inches on Hutch, and wide as two normal beings. He looked like a linebacker with all his protective shoulder pads and football gear, except he was only wearing a black shirt with a white collar and black slacks. As would any other minister. He had a pasty complexion and a crude comb-over that highlighted his bald spot and sparse hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d Allbright scowled, hands on his hips. He might dress like a man of the cloth, but there was nothing peaceful or priestly about him. \u201cI don\u2019t encourage people just wanderin\u2019 in. Get out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour door was open,\u201d Starsky reminded, pushing his tingling hand against his left thigh. Just because every one of his magical senses was telling him that this man was the devil didn\u2019t actually mean he\u2019d murdered three women.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been some deaths in the area,\u201d Hutch broached calmly. \u201cWe wondered if you\u2019d seen or heard\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver in Pixieland?\u201d he growled. \u201cFornicators and adulteresses, livin\u2019 in sin with each other, not a one of them a servant of the Lord. I heard the commotion last week when they found that hooker Lilith.\u201d He flicked a hand toward the vacant lot next to the church. \u201cShe\u2019d spurned my invitation to join my flock. They all did\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew this Lilith and Renalen,\u201d Starsky asked. He should have asked Ginny the names of the two previously murdered women. Felt like he was dishonoring the dead not to know who they were.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Persephone? I knew her, and that other little pink haired one, in the Biblical sense.\u201d He made a dismissive gesture. \u201cLilith only wanted money. I lay with her, cause she was offering, but I don\u2019t pay coin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess that made her angry?\u201d Hutch commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cI offer salvation.\u201d He raised both arms to Jesus like a benevolent savior.<\/p>\n

Starsky nearly vomited. \u201cSo you killed her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Allbright frowned at the accusation. \u201cIs that what you think? I offered my services to those heathen halfings and they acted as if they were better than I. Especially that Renalen, telling me to leave the property as if she owned the place.\u201d His voice deepened, angry and hard. \u201cWhen I saw Lilith still plying her trade right next to a church, what could I do…\u201d He began to laugh, roughly shoving Hutch aside to face Starsky. \u201cWhat have we here?\u201d Allbright looked him up and down. \u201cA mage, come to battle his betters.\u201d He cupped his hand as if filling it with air.<\/p>\n

Hutch staggered back. \u201cReverend,\u201d he warned, going for his Magnum.<\/p>\n

Starsky swallowed tightly, seeing <\/em>weird red light emanating from Allbright\u2019s flesh. His own palm burned like fire, so painful he almost cried out. \u201cWhat did you do to those girls?\u201d he asked through clenched teeth. He\u2019d never encountered an actual demon before. Allbright must be one of the fallen angels, masquerading as a man of the Lord. What forces could Starsky bring against such a being from hell?<\/p>\n

Allbright twisted his hand around, fingers pinching inward like Darth Vader about to choke the life from his victim without touching him. Hutch gasped, the gun falling from lax fingers, his knees buckling under him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHutch!\u201d Starsky drew his weapon in one smooth movement, leveling it at Allbright. \u201cStep away from him. You are under arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as quickly, Allbright abandoned Hutch, flipping his hand insolently. \u201cYou\u2019re pitiful, mage. You have no strength against me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starsky\u2019s gun went orange red, superheating in an instant, searing his skin. He screamed, the pistol dropping to the floor next to Hutch\u2019s limp figure. Terrified for his lover, Starsky tried channeling his power through his damaged hand. Agonizing pain radiated up his arm. Had he lost everything?<\/p>\n

Laughing in a hollow, booming voice that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth, Allbright began to chant in a strange language that threatened to separate Starsky\u2019s body from his mind.<\/p>\n

He closed his eyes, going inward, trying to find the root of his magic. He\u2019d never been a strong mage\u2014more a conduit than anything else. He\u2019d only been able to do very simple spells and incantations. Never levitated. His Gift was mostly an ability to sense magic. How could he retaliate against this demon\u2019s phenomenally strong power?<\/p>\n

He felt his mother\u2019s love, encouraging him despite her complete lack of magic. Remembered his father, who\u2019d come from a long line of female practitioners, so proud of his son\u2019s rare Gift. And lastly, but not least, knew Hutch\u2019s love. Hutch might be stunned, but Starsky could feel his sustaining devotion shoring him up, giving him strength.<\/p>\n

Allbright raised his arms, drawing a malignancy from hell, filling the church with rank vapors. Fearful noises bombarded the room, deafening wails that reverberated against the pipes of the organ.<\/p>\n

The cacophony sent raw pain through Starsky\u2019s soul. He wrapped himself in that love Hutch had given so freely.<\/p>\n

Hutch raised his head blearily, clearly terrified. He stretched out for the pistol lying just beyond his reach.<\/p>\n

Determined, Starsky flattened his injured palm as if pushing against a solid wall. Pure powerful magic flowed out and a vivid, blinding light slammed into Allbright like a pile driver. He shrieked, strange winged creatures fluttering around him for an instant before the white brightness incinerated him, releasing a thin, black smoke that blew out the open door. Immediately, sunlight streamed through the previously darkened stain glass window, dappling the interior of the church with a brilliant rainbow.<\/p>\n

\u201cW-what happened?\u201d Hutch gasped, easing himself up to sit on the step up to the chancel. \u00a0He gaped at the beautiful place, so different than moments earlier. \u201cWas he\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he\u2019d kill you.\u201d Shaking from the flood of adrenaline, Starsky threw his arms around his partner, grateful they\u2019d both survived. \u201cHe\u2026\u2019\u2019 He couldn\u2019t wrap his mind around what had occurred. When he\u2019d sensed something out of joint in the enchanted realm this morning, how could he have ever imagined he\u2019d come up against– \u201cA demon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe devil himself.\u201d Hutch groaned, rubbing his throat. He leaned into Starsky\u2019s embrace. \u201cYou sent him back to the underworld.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how.\u201d <\/em>Starsky sat next to him, staring at his hands. The left was reddened and raw, as if he\u2019d boiled his skin. Yet the pentagram stood out in bas relief, a shining star. He was weary beyond belief and there was still so much to do. \u201cHow\u2014I didn\u2019t say a spell or know what the hell\u2014\u201c He laughed uncomfortably at the unconscious use of the word. \u201cWhat I did. Something shot through me into him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodness and love,\u201d Hutch said with a nod, holding Starsky close. \u201cThere\u2019s a verse in Corinthians. I don\u2019t remember it word for word.\u201d He frowned, obviously summoning up the quotation. \u201cThese three: faith, hope and love. But the greatest is love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starsky nodded, looking into the face he adored. He kissed Hutch there in front of the altar, and vaguely thought this was the only time that was ever going to happen.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Starsky left Hutch guarding the church. He suspected Hutch might indulge in a quiet prayer before calling Metro on the church office phone. He wanted to retrieve the Torino from the warehouse, and managed his own personal best\u2014a mile in just about ten minutes. As he was crossing the parking lot for a second time that day, he saw a line of people coming toward him. Carmen was in the lead, a parade of Mohawk haired, pierced residents of Pixieland trailing behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe heard music!\u201d Carmen said breathlessly. \u201cFirst awful, banging noise\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngels.\u201d Lily pushed to the front. She pointed to the blue sky. \u201cAngels were singing.\u201d Her mom grabbed her hand, nodding in amazement. All the motley crew wore the same incredulous expressions.<\/p>\n

Starsky hadn\u2019t heard a heavenly chorus, but when Allbright disappeared, he\u2019d been filled with such happiness he\u2019d been light-headed. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me there\u2019d been other murdered girls?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t ask,\u201d Carmen said flatly. \u201cPolice didn\u2019t take much notice when Lilith and Persephone were found. They\u2019d been on the streets most of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starsky nodded, angry but resigned. Some of his fellow cops looked the other way when a prostitute was murdered. He hated the practice but was well aware of it. When the first girl had died\u2014he was willing to bet she was the one found in the lot beside the church, her death had probably not even been investigated. Yet, each one had come closer, and finally, into to Pixieland.<\/p>\n

\u201cRenalen wasn\u2019t like the other two.\u201d Carmen looked back at a slender man hovering behind her. He had to be Renalen\u2019s brother. The resemblance was uncanny: same fragility, thin skin stretched over bird bones, tilted green eyes, and delicate hair that floated around his head in an azure cloud. \u201cRendell had been seeing Lilith, although no one approved of the match.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHalfling with halfling?\u201d Starsky guessed, recalling his own mother\u2019s cautions about such couples.<\/p>\n

\u201cLilith told me,\u201d Rendell said in a tight voice. \u201cWhat Allbright done. He was evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others in the group murmured agreement. Allbright had apparently approached many of them\u2014pitting their otherness against the mundane population.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Persephone told me,\u201d Carmen put in. \u201cNeither of them had anyone to protect them. Renalen went crusader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Allbright came calling, she told him to leave the building\u2014that if he returned, she was going to call the police,\u201d Dolia said sadly. \u201cHe must\u2019ve come back in the night.\u201d Tears slid silently down her cheeks, and she tucked Lily up onto her hip for a cuddle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gone now,\u201d Starsky said. \u201cDead, evaporated, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Lily nodded with a wisdom far older than her years. \u201cWe gotta make the church holy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat we can do,\u201d Carmen said decisively, looking around at the others for support. \u201cThat place used to be called Redeemer. It can be again. We can make it a gathering place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow is Winter Solstice,\u201d a man said. He had the heavy brow and large ears of a troll\u2014or possibly just came from a human family with thick foreheads. \u201cWe could open the doors to all. Burn sage to purify.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDecorate with evergreen,\u201d woman called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake glogg.\u201d A teenaged boy giggled with his friends, clearly relishing drinking alcohol.<\/p>\n

\u201cPray for the souls of our friends,\u201d Carmen finished, crossing herself.<\/p>\n

Starsky hadn\u2019t noticed earlier that one of the strings of beads she wore around her neck was a rosary. \u201cJust check that the cops are finished investigating there,\u201d Starsky cautioned. He\u2019d make sure the cops were finished before tomorrow night.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure this Allbright murdered three girls and then disappeared?\u201d Dobey groused, scrubbing at the back of his head. \u201cDid you put out an APB?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery sure.\u201d Hutch widened his eyes, as innocent as a schoolboy.<\/p>\n

In truth, they had put out a bulletin for one James Allbright: Caucasian, six foot four, with sparse light brown hair, last seen wearing minister\u2019s garb. Starsky strongly suspected that there was no chance of ever finding him. The murders of Lilith Martinez, Persephone Blackwell, and Renalen Bosh would be filed as unsolved. But her family and friends knew the truth. He\u2019d taken their souls and crushed the life right out of them without laying a hand on their bodies. This had not been in their report. Even though Dobey was a believer in the enchanted world, the brass expected rational explanations for murders and other crimes. In this case, there was none.<\/p>\n

It was sickening. But with horror came change and growth. The people of Pixieland were taking destiny into their own hands and forging ahead. Becoming known, becoming a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re clocking out, Cap,\u201d Starsky reminded. They had things to do, places to go on December 21st<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas shopping this late in the season?\u201d Dobey shook his head, still holding the file on the Allbright case. \u201cI had to buy the Shaun Cassidy phonograph with sing-a-long mic that Rosie begged for three weeks ago before the toy store went out of stock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood thing you found one,\u201d Hutch said. \u201cWe did get her the Shaun Cassidy album you mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d Dobey exhaled noisily as if all this was really more than he wanted to deal with. \u201cGo before some department store Santa riffles through the cash drawer like last year and you\u2019re all called back in to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is Shaun Cassidy?\u201d Starsky asked when they were safely headed out the door to the Torino parked directly in front of Metro.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trivia king doesn\u2019t know that one?\u201d Hutch joked. \u201cOr are you asking it in the form of a question like on Jeopardy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Starsky glared at him for a moment. \u201cWhen did you have time to buy Rosie a record? Shaun Cassidy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDavid Cassidy?\u201d Hutch prompted as if on the Match Game. \u201cEven I know that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cButch Cassidy?\u201d Starsky guessed. Hutch up on the latest celebrity? It blew his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWrong century,\u201d Hutch said smugly, sliding into the car. \u201cThink again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t got time for that!\u201d Starsky snapped, then felt bad for doing so. Hutch was being his usual self, slightly superior but always loving and good. \u201cI\u2019ve gotta pick up the tree for Redeemer, for the celebration.\u201d He started up the engine, maneuvering out of the parallel space.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bought three kinds of cheese, cranberry sauce, and hard cider,\u201d Hutch said. \u201cRan to the organic grocery when you were reaming out Cranston and Borhees for not investigating Lilith and Persephone\u2019s murders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAssholes.\u201d Starsky bared his teeth. \u201cAs if being a hooker makes them less than human.\u201d He glanced at Hutch with a shrug, well aware that both women had been half human. \u201cDoesn\u2019t make their murders any easier to bear for their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmen, brother,\u201d Hutch said in the manner of a gospel preacher. \u201cAt least we came through for the people in Pixieland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starsky grinned at his partner, love for Hutch swelling his chest. \u201cGrinch, I think my heart just grew three sizes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it supposed to be the other way around?\u201d Hutch asked as if he were a connoisseur of the Seuss oeuvre.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour heart was already that big, it\u2019s your holiday attitude that could use adjusting some years.\u201d Starsky drove toward the old church.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot this one,\u201d Hutch promised. \u201cI\u2019ve got a lot to be thankful for.\u201d He covered Starsky\u2019s hand on the gear shift with his slightly larger one.<\/p>\n

Starsky had arranged with one of Huggy\u2019s cousins working at a Christmas tree lot to have a tree waiting for him. It was the work of minutes to shove it into the Torino\u2019s spacious trunk and tie down the lid with a bungee cord.<\/p>\n

At 4:45 in the afternoon, the sun had already sunk below the level of the San Gabriel mountains, creating long shadows of the surrounding buildings. But the huge bonfire in the vacant lot beside Redeemer lit up the whole street, drawing neighbors from all over the district. There were far more people dancing and laughing around the crackling fire than just the inhabitants of Pixieland. Probably folks who might have shunned the halflings on any other day.<\/p>\n

Tonight was different. On the shortest day of the year, folk came together to celebrate life, community, and nature. How else could they get through the long winter\u2014even one as mild as in Bay City without friends, warm food, and shelter?<\/p>\n

\u201cLook what they\u2019ve done!\u201d Hutch exclaimed in awe. \u201cA Yule log, or a bonfire in this case, is traditional for the Winter solstice. We should have brought mead as well as cider.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore trivia?\u201d Starsky chuckled. \u201cWho are you and what have you done with my Hutch?\u201d<\/p>\n

The same boys who\u2019d admired the Torino the day before\u2014at least Starsky thought they were the same boys\u2014ran over when he pulled up to Redeemer to unload the tree. It wasn\u2019t a huge evergreen, nor was it a fragile Charlie Brown special. When the tallest of the lads hauled it up against the side of the church to wait for his friend to close the trunk, it brushed the top of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your names?\u201d Hutch asked, wiping sap from his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiam, and that\u2019s Gwilam,\u201d the red haired boy proclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood Yule,\u201d Hutch handed each a dollar.<\/p>\n

The boys glowed with pride, dragging the tree into the nave.<\/p>\n

Starsky drove around the corner and parked along the curb about a block from the bonfire. He could feel the intense heat standing this far away. Hutch bumped hips and shoulders with him as they ambled toward the gathering. Already, a busy chef had set up a barbecue to roast meat and popcorn. The cider Hutch had brought was poured into a communal pot warming beside the roast chicken.<\/p>\n

Inside the church, just as in Pixieland, there were areas cordoned for each particular celebration, with the new tree positioned directly in the middle of the aisle between the pews. A gaggle of children were decorating the branches with construction paper chains, pinecones, red ribbons, and colorful God\u2019s Eyes made of yarn.<\/p>\n

In the eastern corner opposite the tree, eight candles in a mishmash of candle holders formed a makeshift menorah. Several people, one wearing a yarmulke, were playing with a dreidel. Starsky hummed along to the familiar song they were singing.<\/p>\n

To the west of the tree, an old woman wrapped in a bright red shawl wore a crown of evergreen complete with antlers on her gray hair. She had a rapt audience listening to her play an Irish harp. Somehow, the harp\u2019s delicate notes enhanced the dreidel song instead of clashing with the different tune.<\/p>\n

South of the tree, there was a statue of Mary in her traditional blue gown. Three women and a man were chanting an ancient prayer while placing the figures of a small wooden nativity at her feet.<\/p>\n

The altar was spread with food for all. Tamales, green bean casserole, challah, and cucumber yogurt salad, to name a few. Starsky laughed out loud when Hutch placed his cheeses on the table and immediately scooped cucumber salad onto a plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarsky! Hutch!\u201d Carmen emerged from behind the table where she\u2019d been organizing myriad baked goods. She wore a burgundy dress and a wreath of holly on her head. \u201cThank you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor what, Carmen?\u201d Starsky asked, selecting a spicy tamale.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor bringing back the light,\u201d she said sincerely. \u201cSending Allbright back to where he came from. After you told us what happened, we started toward the church\u2014and there were people from all over coming to see what had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t go in because of the police investigation so we all began talking,\u201d Dolia said, bringing in a large platter of spiced, baked apples with Lily and Rendell in tow. \u201cTurns out, he didn\u2019t just go after our halflings.\u201d She looked over into the north of the tree where several inhabitants of Pixieland were tending a small shrine for the three dead women. There were photos of each surrounded by bouquets of lilies and roses.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful,\u201d Hutch murmured sadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe preached demons and sin to those without faith, or family to support them,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Rendell looked over, too, his green eyes distant and sad. \u201cHe was spreading his filth around the neighborhood. We talked to people who\u2019d never come near Pixieland before. They\u2019d rejected him, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMama!\u201d Lily pointed to the tree, dashing over to her friends with a string of popcorn and berries trailing behind her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just didn\u2019t kill them,\u201d Dolia said softly, tears on her cheeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t\u2014human either,\u201d Hutch said carefully. \u00a0\u201cIn retrospect, the word demon was apt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected as much.\u201d Carmen nodded. \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell.\u201d She smiled gently when two children ran up, both wearing face paint. One had a rainbow across her forehead, and gold stars accentuated the dark skin of the other girl. Carmen handed out gingerbread cookies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could feel his tainted magic. It\u2019s my\u2026\u201d Starsky held out his left palm. The silver pentagram was just visible, a pale ghost of the intensity from the day before. \u201cAbility.\u201d Still felt like he\u2019d sunburned his hand, but it was healing remarkably fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have the Gift.\u201d Dolia smiled, wiping her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not a halfling?\u201d Rendell asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. Well, half Jewish, half pagan,\u201d Starsky admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf goofball,\u201d Hutch commented, scooping a spoonful of Dolia\u2019s baked apples onto his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see even more newcomers,\u201d Carmen said. \u201cStarsky, Hutch, please stay and celebrate with us. We want to begin a new chapter, have a community that looks out for one another, and you would be part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, I can feel my Nordic ancestors stirring on the longest night.\u201d Hutch looked fondly at Starsky.<\/p>\n

Hungry revelers began lining up at the table for food just as two men, one clearly some relation to a brownie, the other a tall Asian man with the grace of a Ninja warrior, brought in a huge platter of roast meat.<\/p>\n

Carmen gathered the children in a ring around the tree, holding up a red candle. \u201cWelcome to all who brave the long darkness on this special night,\u201d she called out. \u201cA tragedy brought us together\u2014we lost friends and family, one right outside these walls.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were muffled comments and a few tears from the crowd filling the church. Rendell looked out the open door, biting his bottom lip. Starsky followed his gaze, the dead girls fresh in his thoughts. The bonfire wasn\u2019t visible from this angle, but fiery sparks rose in the night sky like earthbound stars rising to the heavens.<\/p>\n

\u201cTragedy will not define us.\u201d Carmen raised her candle. Many followed suit with mugs of steaming cider and glogg. \u201cWe come together on this Yule night to celebrate life\u2014grateful to survive the winter, nurturing one another in the spirit of friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStrange the way murder united the neighborhood.\u201d Starsky tucked his hand into Hutch\u2019s. Here in this place, they would not be censored or judged.<\/p>\n

Hutch brushed fingers calloused from gripping a pistol and playing guitar against the outline of the pentagram. Starsky glanced around surreptitiously, hoping there was a sprig of mistletoe where he could kiss his partner in public.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorship in whatever way you can,\u201d Carmen continued. \u201cPray, dance, paint, make music.\u201d<\/p>\n

A cheer rose up from all sides, the children skipping with glee around their decorated tree. The harpist picked out a lively tune that had her audience clapping in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlintz, you should sing,\u201d Starsky encouraged, scrounging two cookies before they were all eaten.<\/p>\n

Hutch blushed, shaking his head. \u201cNot here. I don\u2019t have anything prepared, or a guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have one.\u201d Rendell reached over the back of a pew and retrieved a battered six string. \u201cI can play anything I hear. It\u2019s my Gift.\u201d Sitting in a pew, he fingered the instrument, the strains of an ancient melody intertwining with the vibrations from the harp.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u201d Starsky nodded in approval. \u201cIt\u2019s settled. Siddown, get comfortable.\u201d He took the half finished plate of cucumbers and apples out of Hutch\u2019s grasp, stashing it on another bench.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Hutch hesitated, one hand on his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll sing with you,\u201d Lily pronounced, patting his thigh. \u201cIf you\u2019re shy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d He sat down beside Rendell, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to bring the words of a song to mind. \u201cGod rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing ye dismay\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The pure tones of the guitar matched his tenor, Lily\u2019s sweet soprano keeping pace. Then more and more voices joined in, the church welcoming the hymn back into the sacred space like an old friend.<\/p>\n

Joyous, Starsky took up the chorus. He didn\u2019t have to be skilled at magic to feel it all around, he only had to watch his love shine.<\/p>\n

Fin<\/p>\n

All you within this place,
\nAnd with true love and brotherhood
\nEach other now embrace.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click here to read Part 1 The church had the hardscrabble look of all the buildings in the area. The paint was peeling and one of the front windows was cracked. There was a hand-painted golden cross on \u00a0the front … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fic","category-sfw","category-slash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":663,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions\/663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2018\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}