{"id":385,"date":"2019-12-18T05:09:56","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T05:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/?p=385"},"modified":"2019-12-22T22:08:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-22T22:08:40","slug":"december-18th-a-hallmark-christmas-for-starsky-and-hutch-part-1-by-m-vernet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/?p=385","title":{"rendered":"December 18th- A Hallmark Christmas for Starsky and Hutch Part 1 by M Vernet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author\u2019s Note:<\/span> <\/strong>Come on. Admit it. You\u2019ve all watched those Hallmark Channel Christmas Romance movies. Whether they make you sigh, or make you laugh, or make you chuck popcorn at your romance deficient partner, we all wish to see Starsky and Hutch up there on the screen with the happy snowflakes melting on their lashes and the holiday kisses on the ice rink, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

This is an AU romantic fantasy, where Starsky and Hutch meet in a different way than canon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Captain Nolan, you can\u2019t be serious!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m quite serious, Starsky and you are definitely the man for the job. Besides, it\u2019s your turn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Detective Second Class, Dave Starsky of Bay City Vice Squad slumped in the chair opposite his captain\u2019s desk. He knew he didn\u2019t stand a chance of getting out of this assignment, but he had to give it the old Starsky try.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s my turn. I\u2019m all for holiday charity and what not. But Cap. This\u2026 this event. It\u2019s not me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense! What could be more exciting than a charity ice show?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Nolan stood and came out from behind his desk. His eyes were wide with anticipation and he waved his hand at an imaginary marquee. \u201cCops on Ice!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky cringed as his Captain effused. \u201cSurely, you\u2019re jokin\u2019!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat could be more exciting than Bay City\u2019s finest dressed in holiday tights and sequins, skating their hearts out to a sold out crowd! And don\u2019t call me Shirley.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJeez, Cap. Tone it down a little. I think you\u2019ve been in Vice too long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStarsky, I can see it now. The arena lights dim and a cop blue spotlight appears on center, where a gold shield glimmers beneath the ice. Our star skater floats in, his arms in arabesque, fluttery sleeves catching the air, head held high. The music starts and he circles the ice and performs a perfect camel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe does what <\/em>with a camel?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen he is joined by his brothers in blue\u2026 tights\u2026 in a slam bang finale to an extravaganza on ice!\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky jumped to his feet and grabbed his captain\u2019s arms before he twirled himself around the office.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cListen to me, Cap. I\u2019m Brooklyn born, but California bred. I know nothing about skatin\u2019 on ice. Give me a skateboard and I\u2019ll skate my ass off. I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I\u2019m really not the man for this job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense, you always do excellent work. You\u2019ll be great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCap, you want a Christmas show, right? I\u2019m Jewish!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The captain clapped his hands. \u201cFantastic! We\u2019ll do a tribute to Hanukkah too! Maybe a few tunes from Fiddler on the Roof! Sunriiiise. Suuunset. Sunriiiise\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain! Control yourself! I tell ya, you can\u2019t make me do it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Nolan placed his hands on Starsky\u2019s shoulders. \u201cStarsky, you are a good cop. I appreciate that you care more about bringing criminals to justice than getting ahead by playing politics. But if you do this, I can see to it that you get your Detective First Class. The commissioner likes his detectives to show some community spirit, volunteer work and such. A successful charity show will win you that upgrade for sure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky sat back down and cradled his head in his hands. He took a moment to compose himself. He knew he could probably organize a show. Since he started working Vice, he often helped out at the shelters during the holidays organizing dinners and a little entertainment for the patrons. And once a month he emceed an open mic talent show at his friend\u2019s Huggy\u2019s bar. He could use that promotion, and although he liked his captain and the team at Vice, he was really interested in moving upstairs to Homicide. He sighed. The captain had him by the short hairs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky leaned back in the office chair and slowly nodded his head. \u201cOkay, Cap. I\u2019ll give it a shot. My friend, Huggy Brown, knows all about entertainment in this town. I\u2019ll ask him some advice to get me headed in the right direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, wonderful, my boy! You won\u2019t regret it. It will be so much fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The captain went back to his desk and took out a folder. \u201cI have a list of possible skaters here. These guys all hail from northern climes. But there is one Homicide detective that could be our star. Kenneth Hutchinson, Detective First Class. He\u2019s from Duluth, Minnesota. He transferred to Bay City\u2019s finest about a year ago. Says in his file he was part of the elite Duluth ice skating rescue squad working Lake Superior. This guy\u2019s record is exemplary. He has more commendations for bravery than our whole squad. College boy, cerebral, real Sherlock Holmes type. Plus, he\u2019s simply gorgeous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Nolan placed a newspaper clipping on his desk facing Starsky, who stood and took it in his hand to examine it. It was a picture of two men on skates on the shore of a snow-covered lake, beaming at each other. The shorter Asian man had an arm placed firmly on a tall blond\u2019s shoulder. The blond was holding a little girl bundled in a pink snowsuit. The caption read, Duluth\u2019s own skating detectives, Hutchinson, (right) and Kim, (left) save the life of little Amy Finn.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky looked over Hutchinson, the tall blond, and he had to admit his captain was right. He whistled. \u201cWowser, what a looker. He married?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The captain checked his file. \u201cHuh, doesn\u2019t say.\u201d The captain added sotto voce<\/em>, \u201cGuess he\u2019s available then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky stared at the captivating image of Detective Hutchinson. Even in black and white, his beautiful, handsome face lit up the page. He looked like an angel fallen from heaven to give joy to the earthbound. Starsky imagined him under a spotlight, his long legs covered in spandex and maybe wearing a golden tunic. He began to sweat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes his file say why he transferred?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, maybe he got tired of being cold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky smiled wistfully. \u201cI think this guy could thaw the arctic ice cap with his smile.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStarsky? You with me?\u201d The captain smirked up at him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, Cap. Yeah. Just makin\u2019 plans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The captain rubbed his hands together in glee. \u201cGo get \u2018im, Tiger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky returned the photo and gave his captain a half-assed salute as he left. He entered the bull pen and the crew looked up, ready to harass him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky held up a warning finger and waggled it. \u201cOne word and you all will be on the ice wearing pink polka dot tutus, skating to Tghe Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky only heard good natured laughter as he exited on his way upstairs to Homicide.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Starsky stopped at the glass door marked Homicide Department and peeked in. The Homicide squad room was much more sedate than Vice\u2019s bullpen. Most of the desks were pushed together in twos to accommodate partners. Vice didn\u2019t have a partner system since a lot of the work was undercover. You worked alone, trusting the team to have your back if<\/em> you called them in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky spotted Jake Simmons and Hank Babcock facing each other over their cluttered desks. Babcock nodding absently while writing up a report and Simmons was ranting about something or other. Starsky had worked with them before when Homicide was called in to take over a case gone tragically wrong. Starsky liked Babcock right off. The soft spoken family man always lent a kind word and a helping hand to the Vice guys.<\/span><\/p>\n

Simmons was loud and abrasive and Starsky wondered how Babcock could stand working with him. Until the day Starsky was on the scene at a drug bust where Hank Babcock had been shot. Starsky would always remember the pleading, helpless look in Simmons’ eye as he rushed to his partner’s side and rocked him in his arms, speaking gentle words of encouragement while holding his jacket against his partner\u2019s wound. Starsky thought Simmons was an okay guy afterwards and wondered what it would be like to have a work partner who you loved that much.<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock\u2019s desk had a cluster of family photos and a macaroni-covered, tin can pencil holder on one side, and Simmons had a souvenir hockey puck and a plastic owl bank perched on his. One single desk by the window stood out because of its tidiness and lack of personal items. This desk looked empty except for some finished paperwork in the out basket, a pencil, and a leather varsity jacket hanging from the back of the chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Dobey\u2019s door opened and a blond came out holding a stack of files. He pulled out the chair at the lone desk and sat down, immediately opening the top file.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky recognized Hutchinson from his picture. But the detective appeared to have changed. He was still a beautiful blond, but he seemed hunched over with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was thinner. He looked like someone who was recovering from a long illness. The easy smile was absent from the pale face. Starsky had the urge to grab the guy and take him for a walk on the beach. The image flashed in his mind of a golden mostly naked body glowing in the sun, but it didn\u2019t match with the somber, winter-worn man before him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky pushed open the door and stopped to greet the partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Dave. Nice to see you again,\u201d said Babcock pleasantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Starsky,\u201d said Simmons, \u201cHow\u2019s it hangin\u2019?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little to the left, Simmons, You? Hey, Hank. How\u2019s the wife and kiddies?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGot another on the way, due December 25th, more or less.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky grabbed Babcock’s hand and shook it enthusiastically. \u201cHank, that\u2019s great. Congrats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201c added Simmons. \u201cI\u2019m hoping the kid holds out for January. Or I\u2019ll have to spring for two gifts for the little ankle-biter. You\u2019re making me go broke with all these Babcock juniors. What number is this one, twelve?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShut it, partner. Or I\u2019ll tell the missus I changed my mind about naming my third <\/em>child after you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky chuckled as Simmons leaned back with a self-satisfied smile, silenced by his partner\u2019s gentle jab.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can we help you with, Dave?\u201d asked Babcock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, actually I\u2019m here to see Detective Hutchinson.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock nodded and made the introductions across the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKen? This is Detective Dave Starsky from Vice. He wants to talk to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutchinson looked up from his file. He pierced Starsky with an appraising look. \u201cDetective Starsky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutchinson didn\u2019t offer his hand. His demeanor was as cold as his ice blue eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky froze under that gaze. \u201cUm, yeah, well, Detective Hutchinson. I\u2026 uh\u2026\u201d Starsky cleared his throat and tried again. \u201cSee the thing is that my captain put me in charge of the Christmas charity show this year and\u2026 ummm\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutchinson shifted in his chair. \u201cWhat? I missed giving a donation? I\u2019m fairly new here, you know. Hank, how much do you usually give?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about, Ken. Vice usually gives a show and sells tickets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Well, how about I give you a donation instead. I\u2019m not much into Christmas pageants.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutchinson reached for his wallet and Starsky waved his hand. \u201cNononono! I don\u2019t need any money from you. My captain wants to put on a holiday ice show and we found out you are an expert skater from the hinterlands. I thought maybe you\u2019d like to help out. It\u2019s called, Cops on Ice.<\/em> Catchy, huh? Whatta ya say, Hutch?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Simmons began to laugh. \u201cCops on Ice<\/em>? An ice show? Starsky you have got to be on something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock kicked Simmons under the desk and glared at him. Simmons turned a puzzled face towards his partner. Then his eyes opened wide with understanding. \u201dOh, shit,\u201d he said quietly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutchinson jumped to his feet. \u201cYou think this is funny, Detective Starsky? Who put you up to this? I don\u2019t appreciate this adolescent behavior. I\u2019m no rookie to be hazed. I\u2019ve done my time. I\u2019ve got the scars to prove it. I\u2019m a professional and I do my job. I suggest you learn to do the same. And where do you get off calling me ‘Hutch’? Nobody calls me Hutch. Nobody but my\u2026 partner. Get out of my way, Detective.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hutch grabbed his jacket and gave Starsky a shove. He stormed out the door slamming it so hard the glass rattled and threatened to break.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky stared after him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell happened? If he didn\u2019t want to help out, he could have just said no.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock jumped up when Hutchinson shoved Starsky, ready to step in. He placed a hand on Starsky\u2019s shoulder. \u201cIt\u2019s not your fault, Dave. Ken Hutchinson has a\u2026 problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOhhh,\u201d said Starsky. He raised a few fingers to his lips mimicking sipping from a bottle of booze. \u201cHe\u2019s got a drinking problem?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d said Simmons. \u201cHe\u2019s got a skating problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock sat on the edge of Simmons’ desk and continued. \u201cKen came to us from an elite skating rescue team in Duluth. He was very close to his partner, Joon Kim. One night they got got a call out. A liquor store robbery. The clerk was killed and the perp put on skates then took off on the ice of Lake Superior. The temperatures were in the single digits. Kim was the first to get to him, but the guy fell through a crack in the ice and pulled Detective Kim in with him. Hutchinson was frantic, but managed to pull the perp and Kim out of the freezing water. The perp made it. Kim didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Hutchinson almost died himself of pneumonia after Kim\u2019s funeral. When he was released from the hospital, he hung up his skates and applied for several Detective First Class positions in California. We were lucky enough to get him. He\u2019s brilliant and quite a nice guy under that frigid exterior. He\u2019s only just begun to open up to me and Simmons. I\u2019ve almost got him to agree to come to my house on Christmas Eve for dinner. I\u2019m afraid this is going to send him back down into that black hole he lives in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShit, Hank. I wish I had known! I really messed up. Hutchinson must hate my guts. I gotta apologize to him. I\u2019ll let him sucker punch me if it makes him feel better. But I gotta let him know no one was trying to hurt him. Jeez, I feel like such a louse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Simmons patted Babcock\u2019s arm and looked thoughtful. \u201cHank, Hutchinson lives in Venice, right? Do you think he might hang out at Venice Beach? Lots of places to sit and contemplate life along the boardwalk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Babcock nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s worth a shot, Starsky. He\u2019s new in town and that\u2019s a popular spot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Simmons added, \u201cOh, and if you’re really trying to arrange a holiday ice show you might try the police hockey team. They play for fun down at the Bay City Ice Palace. I\u2019m from Denver and I used to play a little hockey in high school. I head down to the rink and pass a puck around with the guys whenever I miss the Colorado winters. I might be willing to join your show, some of the other guys, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJake here is an excellent skater, Starsky,\u201d said Babcock. \u201cMe, I\u2019m a San Diego boy. Spent my youth waxing my surfboard and hanging at the beach.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Starsky felt a little better. \u201cThanks guys. You’re the best. Thanks for the hockey team idea, Simmons. I might take you up on that offer to skate. I\u2019m gonna head out and try to find Hutchinson. I\u2019ll talk to you later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To be continued…<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Click on the image to view it larger.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author\u2019s Note: Come on. Admit it. You\u2019ve all watched those Hallmark Channel Christmas Romance movies. Whether they make you sigh, or make you laugh, or make you chuck popcorn at your romance deficient partner, we all wish to see Starsky … 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":[4,9,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fic","category-sfw","category-slash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":563,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions\/563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2019\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}