A Dream to Live By
by
Hylda

Vicky woke up from her nightmare gasping for air, her shapely body trembling from head to toe. "Dave," was all she could manage to get out.

Immediately, she could feel Dave's arms pulling her to him rocking her gentle. She could hear his voice softly saying "It's okay, Vicky, I'm right here. That must have been one scary dream; you're trembling all over."

She looked into his eyes and at his smiling face, hugged him tightly and answered, "It was just a dream, just a really bad dream. We don't have shark attacks in Bay City! Something like that couldn't happen to you, could it?" She was still trembling and looking for some reassurance.

Dave ran his left hand through her long brown hair and speaking very soft and gentle said, "Why don't you tell me about your nightmare. I promise you'll feel better." He lay back down and gentle pulled her with him.

She laid her head on his chest and he began running his fingers through her hair again. She was still trembling but not as bad. The sound of his heart beating seemed to comfort her. "Dave it was so stupid, but felt so real at the same time. You were cold and wet. I could hear the water hitting against the shore. I saw a seal near you and this huge shark attacked the seal. You didn't move, you just stayed there while it came closer and closer, and when it reached you, Hutch appeared crying and said you were dead. Promise me you won't go near the ocean today. Please, Dave, just promise, please."

Dave kind of chuckled. "Sweetheart, there are no man-eating sharks on my beat; we have a few loan sharks, but Hutch won't let them hurt me. I have no intention of going anywhere near the ocean today. I think next time we eat dinner so late maybe we shouldn't have Mexican."

She started to laugh, then she reached up kissed him on the lips and said, "It's 3:30. You'd better get back to sleep. You have a long day ahead of you and Hutch won't like it if you fall asleep behind the wheel."

Dave kissed her back and flashed his best smile. "Hutch is driving today."

~~~

Hutch arrived at Starsky's apartment around 7:30. Vicky was standing in the kitchen pouring orange juice while Starsky was finishing his breakfast.

Vicky smiled at him. "Hi, Hutch, can I get you some breakfast and orange juice?"

Hutch smiled back at her. "Just juice, please. Hey, Starsk, you're not eating sardines and pizza for breakfast this morning. There's hope for your stomach yet."

Starsky smiled. "Morning's not over yet. I have to get dressed and shaved. You two get better acquainted." He put his plate in the sink, gave Vicky a quick kiss, and headed to the bedroom.

Hutch didn't know Vicky that well. He knew that her father died when she was about nine, she worked in her family's restaurant, which allowed her to schedule her time around Starsky's, and that she could make his partner smile even on his worst day. Even so, he could tell something was bothering her.

"You okay, Vicky?" Hutch asked.

She told him about the strange dream she had, but felt he wasn't taking it seriously, then suddenly out of the blue said, "Hey, Hutch, are you going to see Captain Dobey today?"

"We see him almost every morning; why?" Hutch answered, but thought it odd how she would mention their captain.

Vicky's voice sounded almost desperate. "Could you tell him Victoria Zommer said 'hi', and, Harry, you still owe me an ice-cream cone."

Starsky walked back into the room, gave her a kiss and in a bad Bogart impression said, "See ya later, sweetheart."

She laughed and replied, "Be careful, Dave; you too, Hutch." As she looked at Hutch she said, "Hutch, don't let him go in the water, and keep a close eye on him today."

Hutch replied, "I promise he won't go swimming today, and as for keeping a close eye on him, I always do." He smiled and nodded his head to reassure her Starsky was in good hands.

Vicky just couldn't get the dream out of her mind. When she was nervous she always did one of two things: cooked a large meal or spring cleaning. She started looking for the cleaning supplies and got to work.

~~~

The squad room was almost empty when Starsky and Hutch entered. Jones was sitting at a corner desk trying to type as quickly as possible. He looked up briefly and said, "He's in rare form today. I hope your paper work is up to date."

Suddenly Captain Dobey's office door flew open. "Starsky, Hutch, get in here! Jones, where's that paperwork.! You people think this is a vacation spa!" He looked at Starsky and Hutch who were frozen in their tracks "I said get in here!"

The two men entered the captain's office and sat down. They looked more like two eight-year-olds in the principal's office.

"What ever it was, Hutch did it, Cap," Starsky said, jerking his thumb towards Hutch while a big smile came to his face.

Hutch tried to ignore the child-like behavior and asked, "What's going on, Cap?"

Captain Dobey started ranting and raving, almost incoherent. "Dam idiots upstairs. Paperwork's more important; let them solve crimes. Two days late! You'd think it was six months late..."

"Hey, Captain, I have a message for you" Hutch said quickly, trying to get his mind off the paperwork he and his partner hadn't finished. "Victoria Zommer told me to say, 'Hi, Harry,' and you still owe her an ice-cream cone."

Starsky looked totally puzzled. How did Vicky know his captain and why hadn't she mentioned it before?

Smiling and in a much softer voice Dobey said, "God, I haven't seen Vicky in about six years. Man, how that girl loves strawberry ice-cream. " The name had a calming effect on him. Suddenly his mood changed to a bear defending its young. "How do you know her?" he began to snarl at Hutch. "You're not dating Vicky are you, Hutchinson? She's a nice girl and with your reputation the only thing I could think of that would be worse is if she were dating your partner over there."

Starsky interrupted, "She's not dating Hutch, Cap. Vicky and I have been dating for about four months now. But how do you know her, and how come she never mentioned it to me?"

"Her dad and I were partners for six years. She's my favorite Godchild and she saved my life."

The two men looked at each other and then back at Dobey, confused.

"What do you mean, she saved your life?" could be heard from Hutch, at the same time Starsky was saying, "Your Godchild?"

Dobey snared at Starsky and looked over at Hutch. He looked like a proud father as he spoke. "She called my house at 4:30 in the morning when she was about eight years old. Her little voice shaking, she said she had a really bad dream that a bear was going to shoot me. She said the bear was taller then I was and had the kind of gun that keeps shooting. Then I was lying in a coffin. She was really scared. It took Edith and me about ten minutes to get her calmed down enough to wake her parents. Boy, was Will mad. That is until around two o'clock. We had a meeting set up with two guys who were going to hand us Joe Danelson on a silver platter. We had been working on the case for six months and finally had a way to nail that scumbag, or so we thought. It was a set up. Baker, Connors, Will and I walked right into it, none the wiser. When I walked into the front room of the club there was a giant stuffed grizzly bear standing on two legs. I got a real sick feeling in my gut and I thought about Vicky's dream, so I pushed Will down behind the bar and yelled, 'Gun.' Baker and Connor never knew what hit them. I was later told they died within seconds. Connors was almost cut in half by the machine gun. Will and I got the two gunmen, the same two who were turning state's evidence against Danelson .We never could prove Danelson was behind it, but I knew he got away with killing two more cops." Dobey stopped talking and the room remained so quiet you could here a pin drop.

Suddenly Hutch asked, "Did she ever have other dreams like that?"

Dobey could tell by his voice it was happening again. "The day her dad died. She told me to keep him away from a large field of yellow flowers. We didn't think twice about it because we worked the city and there were no fields full of flowers on our beat. We got called to a jewelry store heist on East and Fairfield. Will chased one of the crooks down an alley and into the back of a store. He was shot in the chest as he entered the store. I didn't realize until the rescue workers and I took him out through the front door we were in The Golden Field of Flowers floral shop."

Both detectives had a chill run down their spine. Hutch looked at Starsky; no words were needed. They both had the same thought.

Captain Dobey yelled, "Starsky, what are you and Hutch talking about?" as only the two of them understood their silent gestures.

Starsky answered, "Cap, last night Vicky had a really bad nightmare. It took me forever to get her to fall back to sleep. I could hear her heart beating a mile a minute and--"

It wasn't until Hutch punched him in the arm that he realized he had just informed his captain that he had spent the night with his favorite Godchild.

Realizing his partner was about to see what a momma bear does when someone messes with her young, he grabbed his partner's arm and yelled, "We've got to go to work, Captain; we'll see you at the end of the shift."

Hutch didn't let go of Starsky's arm until they were outside and at the car. Hutch looked at Starsky without needing to say, The captain's Godchild; you've got a death wish. Starsky just shrugged but Hutch understood, I had no idea. They climbed in the L.T.D. and left in a hurry.  After about ten minutes of silence Hutch calmly said, "Starsk, maybe you should avoid the water today just to make sure."

"Hutch, there are no sharks waiting in the water to eat me." He suddenly realized how scare Vicky must be, even if it was just a dream this time. "Hutch, pull over. I need to make a call," he said, just as the car stopped near a payphone. It was as if Hutch were reading his mind.

Hutch had a gut feeling that Vicky was right and Starsky could be in danger. He had a way of sensing when his partner needed him and his radar was working overtime. He could hear Starsky say, "I promise I'll be careful, if you promise to be there when I get home. No, don't go out of your way. Well, I'll ask him. Sounds good. I'll stop on my way home." He hung the phone up and walked back to the car with a huge smile on his face. "Hutch, do you want to come over for dinner? Vicky's going to cook a roast and she's baking an apple pie."

Hutch looked at Starsky. He smiled back at him saying, "Sounds great. What are you suppose to pick up on the way home?"

"Oh, yeah, I have to stop and get some wine." He smiled like a little child who had been picked first for baseball.

Hutch realized his partner was falling hard. Falling in love was tough enough, but with Dobey's Godchild. Hutch just smiled back at Starsky and then with a chuckle he said, "Dobey may have us directing traffic downtown when he finds out how serious you and Vicky are getting."

"Wait a minute, Hutch, Vicky and I are just dating. We've only slept together twice and last night was the first time she stayed the whole night. Sure the last four months have been great, and I've never waited so long to get a girl in bed, but she's different then anyone I've ever dated. She doesn't complain about my crazy schedule, or worry her self sick every time I walk out the door. Until today. She just..." He stopped talking when he saw his partner smiling at him and realized he might be right.

"Starsky, do you know how she feels about--" Hutch was interrupted by the police radio calling, "Zebra-three. Zebra-three, come in, please."

"Zebra-three here; what've you got, Mabel?" Starsky asked.

"We have a 211 at A.J's Jewelry, the corner of East and Fairfield."

"Roger. Zebra-three is responding," Starsky said, looking over towards Hutch. He stuck the Mars light out on the roof and Hutch hit the gas.

"Is that the address Dobey talked about this morning?" Hutch said with a sick feeling.

"Hutch, they get robbed at least once a month. It's just a coincidence. Isn't it?" Starsky was remembering another person who led them to a dead body in a van and then a kidnapped girl because of visions. How could it be so easy to trust a stranger's dream and not Vicky's?

In a tone that meant don't screw with me, Hutch told him, "I don't know what's going on, but you're not going down any alleys until I've figured it out."

They came to quick stop in front of the jewelry store, both men carefully heading to the door with guns drawn. Starsky looked at his partner, quietly signaling him to cover him while he entered. He quickly yelled, "Hutch, call for an ambulance; we have a man down. The crooks are gone."

Hutch called dispatch, requested the ambulance, and headed into the store. His partner was kneeling down beside a young lady of about 18. He could hear him saying, "Hold on just a little more. I know it hurts, but you'll be okay."

A young man around the same age was just standing beside her, saying over and over, "We gave him the ring; why'd he shoot her?"

Hutch began taking statements from the three other people still inside. When a black and white unit showed up to help secure the scene, he called dispatch and told Mabel to put an A.P.B. out on a white sedan, plate number Brave John Charles 1 5 7 5 3. He headed back in. Sirens could be heard nearby. He headed in to tell Starsky the ambulance was on its way, but realized it was too late when he saw his partner standing up and wiping the blood off his hands. "Lets head in, and I'll file the report while you change."

Starsky was just realizing there was a huge amount of blood on the side of his shirt and pants. All he said was, "Good idea." No matter how long he had been a cop he could never get use to the idea that someone could kill with such ease. "What a waste," he said turning to Hutch and walking out the door.

Climbing back into the car, Starsky began his nervous ranting. "Do you realize this is the third day in a row I've had to change clothes during shifts? I'm gonna be doing laundry all day tomorrow. You never seem to get dirty. Hey, Hutch, I'll change and meet you in the car. I don't want to run into Dobey until he's calmed down a bit. Besides the fact I didn't finish yesterday's reports, my dating Vicky doesn't seem to have him thrilled."

Hutch mumbled just loud enough for Starsky to hear, "It didn't help that you told the man you were shacked up with her last night."

By one o'clock they were back in the car heading towards the Pits to see if Huggy heard anything on the street about the robbery, and to eat lunch. Huggy came through as usual. He had heard that two hypes named Teddy Grenville and Jocko, no last name, had hit the jewelry store for a fast fix. The heist went bad; they hadn't got any cash, just some jewels they couldn't fence.

"Grenville's a bad ass when he doesn't have his sugar and my man says he's hurting bad. He's a big ugly white dude with a huge tattoo that runs right down his left arm. He has brown, long hair with a braid of beads on the left side. Jocko is an illegal, speaks broken English, has a scar from his forehead to his chin on the right side, and would kill his own mother if Grenville told him to. You boys be careful; these dudes are staying at the Pier next to dock five, and I wouldn't go there if it were the last place on earth that had women."

Starsky and Hutch looked at Huggy when he said the words "pier" and "dock" and Starsky turned a little pale. Up until now he hadn't given any deep thought into Vicky's dream, but his gut was telling him to start listening. He knew in a second what Hutch was thinking, and they both turned to leave. They had to stop Grenville and Jocko before they killed again, and they had to go near water to do it. As they climbed back into the car, Hutch gave Starsky one of his it'll-be-okay-pal looks and started the engine. The ride would be a quiet one, both men trying to remember everything Vicky had said without admitting it to each other.

The Pier was a run down flophouse. It had single rooms to rent with a shared bathroom on each floor. Hutch gasped as he opened the door. It smelled like dirty socks, dead fish, and vomit all rolled together.

It hit Starsky like a wall; he jerked his head back making a weird noise. Looking at Hutch he said, "I'll never make fun of your shoes again."

"Funny, Starsk, REAL FUNNY," he replied, heading to the front desk.

**Starsky cased the hallways while Hutch talked to a strange looking man behind the desk. He came running back toward Starsky, calling, "Come on! They just left to meet a guy on the dock. The clerk says he is scared of them and hopes we are here to arrest them. Grenville beat him up last night when he asked for the rent."

Starsky smiled while running. "People pay to stay here? I would have thought he'd would have to pay them."

They were just starting down the dock when Starsky notice Hutch was looking more in the water then on the dock. "What do ya think, they're swimming? We are looking for two guys, one with a big tattoo and the other is an illegal with a scar, not a shark. Three o'clock."

Hutch looked to the left; he could see three boys fishing at the end of the dock and half way down he could see three men. Two fit the descriptions Huggy gave them and the other man Hutch knew. "Hey, isn't that Fat Rolly with them? I guess prison didn't rehabilitate that one. He sees us, we're done."

Starsky didn't even have time to respond when he saw Fat Rolly pointing at Hutch; both Grenville and Jocko were pulling out their guns. The two detectives jumped for cover as bullets began to fly by them.

Starsky yelled from behind some old crates, "Hutch, you okay?" A pause. "Hutch, are you okay? What are you doing?"

Hutch, who was now crouched down behind a group of trash barrels, replied, "Oh, I'm just fine, enjoying the great fresh air. What am I doing? What kind of stupid question is that!" He fired two shots and called back, "They're trapped out there. Do you want to wait until the Calvary arrives?"

Starsky quickly responded, "No can do. Did you see the kids at the end of the dock fishing? They ducked for cover, but if these creeps realize they are back there, no telling what they would do. I think we need to keep them focused on us. That shouldn't be too hard." Starsky took aim and fired, hitting Jocko in the arm.

Hutch called again, "Nice shooting. I don't see Grenville. Any idea where he is?"

Starsky carefully looked but couldn't see Fat Rolly or Grenville. "No, I don't see our fat friend either."

Rolly was with Grenville behind a pile of crates when Jocko got shot. He told Grenville that he wasn't gonna go up against these cops in a shooting match. He was offered a pistol one more time. Rolly, not thinking, said, "No way. I'm outta here." Rolly started walking out with his hands above his head. He called out, "Hutchinson. Starsky. I'm coming out. I'm unarmed; don't shoot." He never knew what hit him.

Starsky and Hutch looked out to see Rolly take one step with his hands above his head, heard two rounds go off. In an instant the fat man was dead.

"Jesus! Did you see that?" Hutch said without thinking.

"If he did that to Rolly, think about what he'll do to someone he doesn't know. Hutch, we can't let this scum get away." Starsky's voice sounded desperate. "I've got an idea, but I don't think you're gonna like it."

Hutch saw Starsky looking down at the water and he suddenly realized what his partner had in mind.

"If he realizes those kids are there, he'll kill them. There is nothing between him and them. If I can make it past him, I can keep them safe until the cavalry arrives. You're going to have to keep him busy, but don't do anything stupid. I don't want to have to break in a new partner."

Hutch knew Starsky's plan was the only way to help those kids, but his heart told him how dangerous it really was. The phrase, "Please, don't let him go into the water," popped into his head. "God, let her be wrong; don't take my best friend now. You know I can't make it without him," Hutch whispered. Then he called to Starsky, "I read somewhere if a shark attacks you, and you punch it in the face, it will back off."

Starsky chuckled, trying to not let his partner know how scared he really was. Deep down he knew Hutch could read him the way most people could read a book. He took a deep breath then eased himself into the cold water, trying not to splash too loudly.

Hutch took one of the barrels he was hiding behind, knocked it over, and rolled it in the direction of Grenville. Bullets began hitting the barrel and ricocheting in all directions. Hutch had a new idea and began pushing two of the barrels he was behind forward. The more he pushed the more shots he heard. Carefully, he paused when he reached Jocko. He kept his gun aimed, half expecting Jocko to try reach out to grab his own, but Jocko never moved. By the amount of blood on the dock Hutch assumed Starsky must have hit an artery. Hutch continued pushing the barrels. He realized it suddenly got very quiet.

Hutch began calling out, "Grenville, this is the police. Give yourself up and I promise you'll get a fair trial. We can talk. My name is Hutchinson." He knew Starsky was close and he would have to keep his attention away from the water.

Starsky was slowly making his way down the dock. He was wishing it was dark out because in the bright afternoon sunlight he was an easy target. He could hear a barrel fall, roll, and then plenty of gunfire. What he heard next confused him a little. Loud scraping and more shots fired. He realized it was his over zealous partner trying to beat him to Grenville.

"For God sakes, Hutch, be careful," he whispered.

He made it to the crates Grenville was hiding behind and knew he would have to swim under water so he would not be noticed. He took a deep breath, but stopped dead when he heard Hutch call out, "Police!" and realized he was very close. He looked up and saw Greenville with his back to the water sneaking behind the crates to double back on Hutch. He knew Hutch had no way of seeing what was about to happen. Without thinking about his own safety, Starsky began climbing up the dock.

Grenville had all his attention on Hutch and hadn't noticed him slushing onto the deck. Suddenly everything went into slow motion. Grenville rounded the end of the crates and lifted his gun to taking aim at Hutch.

Starsky yelled, "Hutch, Gun!" and began knocking the crates over on top of Grenville.

Hutch swung around saw the gun and fired. The two shots fired so close together it sounded like one long shot.

Grenville's gun flew out of his hand as his body hit the dock. He lay there motionless.

Hutch flew over the barrels he was using for cover, hitting the rim, and got the wind knocked out of him.

Starsky was sure Hutch had been shot, so he scooped up Grenville's gun and ran to his partner. "Hutch! Hutch! For Christ sakes, answer me! Where are you hit?"

Hutch caught his breath a little saying, "I'm fine. Did we get him?"

"Sure did, pal, sure did," Starsky answered, squeezing Hutch's shoulder, then heading back to Grenville. He saw Grenville move slightly; his head and his left arm were exposed, but the rest of his body was covered with crates.

Hutch was on his feet again, heading towards Starsky, when he noticed the tattooed arm lying on the dock, and yelled, "Starsk, move."

Not knowing what was going on, Starsky leaped over the crates just as Grenville pulled his right arm free and fired. The bullet from his second gun just missed Starsky. Hutch fired, hitting his target in the head, killing him instantly.

Starsky stood up and realized there was no way Hutch could have seen a gun. He looked at Hutch, confused, and asked, "What the hell just happened? How the hell did you know he had another gun? Hutch, you couldn't have seen it under the crates."

"The tattoo," Hutch said, still trying to catch his breath. "Look at the tattoo, Starsk. I didn't see a gun; just look at the God damned tattoo."

Starsky looked over at Grenville, trying to ignore the blood and brain matter that was now covering the crates. He stared at the tattoo. He realized for the first time that it was a picture of a huge shark eating what looked like a seal in a navy outfit.

Starsky could hear Hutch saying, "'I could hear the waves hitting the shore. First, he got the seal, then he turned and killed Dave.' That's what she told me. She thought it was a real shark, that's why she made me promise to keep you out of the water. Starsk, I'm not sure that I believe in this dream stuff, but I believe Grenville had you cold. If she didn't tell me about that dream, I don't think you would have made it. I don't know about you, but I thank God something saved your ass." Trying to lighten the mood, he added, "You know how long it takes me to break in a new partner."

Starsky just smiled, then noticed sirens and, seeing flashing lights approaching, he added, "Hey, Hutch, the cavalry's here."

Hutch laughed and sarcastically stated, "Better late then never."

Hutch had a black and white unit bring the three boys who had been fishing home. They couldn't wait to tell their friends about the exciting day they had.

After making sure the scene was secured, and a meat wagon, as Starsky liked to call it, was on route to collect the bodies, he and Hutch headed back to the station. "I can't wait to get out of these wet clothes," Starsky began his usual complaining. "I'm freezing and smell like fish. You know next time--"

He was interrupted by Hutch who was laughing uncontrollably.

"Is my complaining bothering you?" Starsky snapped at Hutch.

"No; after what just happened your complaining is music to my ears," Hutch said, still laughing.

"Then what the hell's so funny?" Starsky snapped again.

"You're wearing your spare clothes, Starsk. Maybe with your luck they should issue you an extra locker."

"Funny, Blintz, real funny. Hey, you think Dobey has left yet? It's got to be close to 5:00."

"Doubt it. You better hope he's calmed down a little. Maybe we should stop and get him some Danish on the way in or," he paused, "we could sign out, go home, and tomorrow morning go in to do the paperwork. What do you say, babe?"

"Go home to dry clothes and some of Vicky's home cooking, or deal with Dobey?" He called and told dispatch to sign them out for the day.

Hutch stopped at the liquor store. When Starsky opened the door Hutch said teasingly, "Stay in the car. With your luck the place will get robbed and you'll get shot and make us late for dinner."

Starsky yelled back, "You're a real comedian, Hutch. You should take your act to Vegas."

Starsky and Hutch walked into his apartment and were greeted by the smell of apple pie and pot roast. The table was set for three with fresh flowers and a single white candle. The apartment, which usually looked neat but lived-in, was spotless. Even the walls looked like they had been washed.

Hutch and Starsky looked at each other and with a big smile Hutch said, "Starsk, I could get use to this."

Starsky smiled back at him as if to say, so could I. Doing his best Ricky Ricardo impression, Starsky yelled out, "Hey, Vicky, I'm home."

Vicky came out of the bedroom wearing a very sexy red dress and red high heels. She was still finishing putting on her necklace as she ran and hugged Starsky like she hadn't seen him in weeks. She didn't care that he was wet or smelled like fish, only that he was home safe. She gave Starsky a kiss that made Hutch blush.

Hutch walked into the living room to give them some privacy. It took Starsky a second to see that Vicky's eyes were bright red and puffy from crying. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded yes.

"The place looks great, dinner smells great, you look absolutely beautiful, and you helped Hutch save my life today. You've been pretty busy." He wiped the tears that were falling from her eyes and softly asked, "What can I do for you?" 

"Just hold me, Dave." She managed to get the words out without bursting into tears.

He held her tight for a moment then said, "Hey, I'm wrecking your beautiful dress." 

"And you smell like dead fish," she replied. They both started laughing and headed into the living room.

Starsky looked at Hutch. "I'm surrounded by comedians."

Vicky looked at Hutch. "How do you put up with him?" Then she turned to Starsky and said, "Dave, I didn't expect you home this early. Dinner won't be ready for at least an hour. So why don't you go take a nice hot shower and Hutch and I can talk."

Hutch quickly added, "You do smell like dead fish, Starsk."

Vicky looked at him and started laughing again.

"Hutch could watch T.V. while you join me," Starsky said, smiling at Vicky.

"I would love to, but I'd be afraid my Uncle Harry would call and scream at me some more. Starsky, what possessed you to tell a man with his temper we were sleeping together? Hutch, did he tell the whole world, or just my Godfather?" She winked at Hutch to let him know she wasn't really upset.

Hutch replied, "I think he only told Dobey. Man, was he mad."

Starsky cut in, "Captain Dobey called here? When? How mad was he? Sweet Jesus, he'll having me walking a beat on the docks..."

Hutch and Vicky started laughing. Vicky kissed Starsky and said, "Go take your shower, Dave. My Godmother has known we've been dating since the beginning, and she will handle Uncle Harry."

Hutch and Starsky looked at each other, afraid to ask.

Starsky spoke out, "Who's your Godmother? The police commissioner?"

Vicky answered proudly, "No, my Godmother has more pull over Uncle Harry then the police commissioner."

Starsky looked at Hutch for an answer, but Hutch just shrugged and asked Vicky, "What's your Godmother's name?"

Vicky replied with a big smile on her face, "Edith Dobey, the one woman on earth Uncle Harry is afraid of getting mad. I called her after Uncle Harry called me. She said to tell you that Harry won't be interfering with our dating. Dave, she really likes you and Hutch."

Both men smiled, remembering how Edith visited them both many times in the hospital and how she always made them feel better.

"Go take your shower while I check on dinner. Hey, Hutch, you want a beer while waiting?"

Hutch answered, "I could use one after the day we had."

While Starsky took his shower, Vicky and Hutch talked about her dream, and Hutch told her all about what happened to them at the docks. She confided in Hutch that she didn't tell Starsky about Dobey because she really liked him and thought Harry would scare him off. Hutch realized that she had him relay the message so Dobey could confirm her dream was real. She told Hutch she hated the fact she had that type of dream and asked him if they could not discuss it again. They never did after that night.

The three spent the first of many nights eating dinner, laughing, and playing cards. Vicky had realized Starsky and Hutch had a connection that no one else would ever have, but at the same time Starsky could love her more then she could have dreamed possible. Starsky loved the fact he and Hutch could still hang out, go on trips, and be there for each other and it never bothered Vicky.  In a small way me and thee became me and we.

end

The sequel to this story is How Much Can One Man Lose?