Chapter One

Hutch had been gone maybe two minutes, and Doug came out from the operating room. His look was somber and cold. Starsky ran over to him, his eyes pleading for answers. Doug looked at him for a moment.

"She had a brain aneurysm. It must have dislodged from her leg fracture where a lot of clogging had formed. I'm so sorry David. We did everything we could. I'm sorry." Starsky just stared at him, then slowly slumped down in the floor. He was sobbing when Hutch returned. Hutch looked at Doctor Goodale, who just shook his head. He knelt down beside his partner.

"What the hell happened?" Hutch yelled to the doctor. Starsky told him what he said. Numb from receiving the news. Hutch just looked at Starsky and hugged him, crying with his friend, crying for his friend. Doug walked over to a chair and sat down. Holding his head in his hands, slouched over in the chair. Starsky was sobbing, and Hutch held his friend, knowing there was no amount of comfort he could offer.

Starsky was slowly but surely falling from his chair. He was mumbling, incoherent, and tears were falling down his cheeks. Hutch walked from the kitchen and tried to wake him.

"Starsk. Starsk. C'mon buddy, snap out of it." He said as he gently shook his friend to wake him from his nightmare. Starsky jumped a little, opening his eyes in time to see his partners' worried face staring down at him. The look of worry went to questioning as Starskys' eyes met his and began to focus.

"That was some dream you were having. You want to talk about it?" Hutch asked him, hoping to know what was troubling his partner so badly. Suddenly Starsky jumped up from the chair that had lead him to slumber. Standing straight up, and beginning to feel a bit disoriented, he just stared at Hutch, whose look of worry had begun to creep back across his face. Starsky began recalling the dream; Gabby was gone! The reality hit him as he slowly sat back down in the chair.

"Damn Starsky. What in the world has gotten you like this?" Hutch asked, kneeling down beside him.

"What do you think?" Starsky asked sarcastically.

"The chain store killer?" Hutch asked innocently.

"Jesus, man!" Starsky began as he jumped out of the chair and walked over to the sofa, throwing Hutches' blanket off from it before he sat down.

"What's wrong with you?! I was dreaming about Gabby." He said, putting his head into his hand as he leaned on the arm of the sofa.

"Gabby?" Hutch asked with a puzzled look on his face. ""Who... You mean Gabrielle? Lilas' niece?"

Starsky looked at his partner in disbelief. His mouth just dropped open, but he couldn't find the words to ask his friend how he could be so cold. Hutch noticed his partners' disorientation, and walked over to him. He could tell that there was definitely something off here.

"Starsky?" he began, approaching him carefully, "What does Gabby have to do with this?"

Starsky felt as if he were going into shock. His first instinct was to haul off and break his partners' jaw. His fist clenched, but something was so weird about all this. Was Hutch having some sort of mental breakdown? He was now the one looking at his partner with concern. He wiped his face slowly with his hands, then looked up at Hutch.

"Hutch, she, she died last night." Starsky said, trying not to choke on his words. Hutch knelt down beside him. He knew nothing about what his friend was talking about, and wondered if he could quite possibly still be asleep. It wouldn't be the first time that the stress from a case had his partner sleep walking; it had happened plenty of times before. But his eyes didn't have that glassy look this time. He decided to just talk him through it.

"Starsk. Gabrielle is not dead." He said gently.

Starsky didn't know what was going on. His mind was reeling at the prospect that his partner had lost his mind.

"What were you dreaming?" Hutch asked him, trying not to make Starsky feel as belittled. Starsky just stared at him. He wasn't the one who was loony. It could not have been as simple and crazy as some damned dream. It was real. He could feel it. He looked at his partner with a blank stare.

"I'll be right back." He told Hutch, getting up suddenly and jumping around Hutches' legs to head towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hutch demanded.

"Over to Gabbys." He said, opening the door.

Chapter Two

Starsky arrived at Gabbys' door just a few minutes after leaving his own. The morning sun had already begun to warm the ground, and he was grateful, since he hadn't bothered putting on shoes. He stared at the door to Gabbys' apartment, then took a deep breath. He heard movement inside, and immediately reached for his gun, which he left in his apartment. He put his hand gently on the door handle, and turned it very slowly. It wasn't locked. He hadn't been dreaming, it was real, and now he was there to prove it. But he heard someone inside, and his instinct told him it could only be a prowler. He refused to believe anything else.

Hutch put his shoes on, grabbed his shirt and went out the door towards Gabbys' place. His head was spinning from all he just witnessed, and had no idea what to expect next. Then he heard it. The scream. He ran around the corner, going into the open doorway of Gabrielles' apartment. Starsky was just standing there, and Gabby had apparently screamed from being startled to find him in her home.

"David?" she questioned. "David. What are you doing in here, and haven't you heard of knocking?" she said smartly. All Starsky could do was stare. Hutch walked up to him, putting his arm on his shoulder. But Starsky could not stop looking at the woman standing before him. Becoming concerned, she walked over to him, and touched his cheek. He took her hand and held it, kissing it, feeling the warmth of it to bring her into his reality.

"Gabby!" he hollered suddenly, picking her up and holding her tightly in a bear hug. She glanced at Hutch, who was a bit dumbfounded.

"David! What are you doing???" she asked him in a tone he was not expecting. He set her down, still holding her hand. The sudden reality flooded him, realizing that what his partner had said was true. He tried to cover for himself.

"I, uh, just hadn't seen you in a while and, well, I guess I just missed ya." He said, smiling and letting her hand go.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, a touch of anger flaring in her eyes as she set her hands on her hips. She looked at Hutch, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on, partner." He began, "Let's get going... We have a lot of work to do today." He pulled Starsky by the arm, who was still grinning and staring at Gabrielle.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Gabby." Hutch offered as he pulled his partner back out the front door. Hutch leaned in to close the door behind him, then they walked silently back to Starskys' apartment. Once inside, Hutch grabbed the pot of coffee he made earlier and poured two cups, then sat them at the kitchen table, motioning for Starsky to sit down.

"Now, do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Hutch asked, a kind tone to his softened voice.

"God Hutch," Starsky began, "It was a dream, wasn't it." He stated as he stared into space. He began telling Hutch about the dream, the only other person alive that he knew would not judge him or put him down. He told of the store robbery, of Gabby getting hurt, and keeping her in protective custody, healing her, and falling in love with her. He told him about the trial, about the guy breaking out of jail and Gabby being shot. How it was all getting back to a sense of normality when she just died, coming out of no where. He even told him about the engagement ring, and the funeral. His pain was obvious.

"It was like one time, then another, her life was in jeopardy, and then wham. She was gone." Starsky said, shaken.

"Three strikes." Hutch said, not sure if he had thought it or actually said it out loud.

"Huh?" Starsky asked.

"You know, it was like three strikes, and then she was out. Jesus, Starsk. I don't know what to say. That had to be the weirdest dream I ever heard of, and so detailed, so real." He offered.

"Yeah. It was real alright." Was all Starsky could say.

"But it's okay now, buddy, she's over there alive and well and none of that happened to her. You're okay." He said, putting his hand on Starskys' shoulder.

"You think you'll be alright to go to work?" Hutch asked, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah."

Chapter Three

Their day at work was particularly strained. Starsky was quiet and Hutch knew where his thoughts had been. It had been an awful day anyway. Their time had been spent working on files, then interviewing all the people on their contact lists who knew the victims of the C-Store Killer. When they got back to the station, they were emotionally drained, Starsky more so than Hutch.

"You ready to call it a day, pal?" Hutch asked as he watched Starsky, who had been reading the same six-page file for 45 minutes. Hutch got up from his desk.

"Starsk?"

"Uh, yeah. Be there in a minute." Starsky replied, picking up the phone.

Starsky got into the Torino and started the engine. Hutch waited to speak until they pulled away from the station.

"You called Gabby, didn't you." He said bluntly.

"No," Starsky answered quickly, then hesitated a moment. "I called Lila. And they were planning on going to Buddys' store." He said.

Hutch looked out the side window as Starsky ended up at Buddys' store; slowly driving by it, then turning around and parking across the street where he could have a good view. He cut the engine off. "Starsk." Hutch said, with a tone that was asking what they were doing there.

"Just a few minutes, okay? Buddy closes at 8, I just, well, I just wanna reassure myself." Starsky said, hoping his partner wouldn't get upset.

"Sure, why not?" Hutch began, "I've got nothing better to do a Saturday night." He said sarcastically.

Their silence was abruptly disturbed by a voice coming over the Motorola radio. "All units, all units, 2-11 in progress, 227 Jamestown Road. Available units please respond."

"That's close." Hutch said, picking up the mike and looking over at Starsky, who shook his head in agreement.

"This is Zebra Three, log us back in, we are responding." Hutch said as Starsky started the Torino and put it into gear. Buddy was coming out from his store, keys in hand to lock it up. He saw them and waved. The Torino roared down the street, and Hutch put the light on top and flipped the switch to the siren.

It was one of the local chains of convenience stores, set in an area that wasn't very populated. Starsky slowly pulled the silenced car to the side of the store. There were two cars out front. Guns raised, they moved around the side of the building. It was quiet. Looking in the store through the windows, Hutch took the lead and went to the front door, which was propped open with a standing ash tray. Entering slowly, the scene was looking all too familiar to both of them. There was blood on the floor, but no movement. Each began walking around the stores' perimeters.

"Starsk." Hutch said, motioning for his partner to come towards him. Starsky walked over and saw the body that Hutch was leaning over. A man, probably in his forties, shot at least twice. Hutch felt for a pulse, then shook his head. Starsky turned around to look for anyone else, since there were two cars in the lot, and Hutch got up, heaving a deep sigh. The stock room door was ajar, and Starsky used his gun to maneuver it open. It was there he found the second body. A young girl, probably no older than twenty years old, who apparently had gone in there to hide. As Starsky checked her, he looked up at Hutch; shaking his head and looking disgusted. They heard a car pull up, and heard the sirens in the background of approaching patrol cars. Looking at the front door, they saw Gabrielle and Lila walk in, then abruptly stop, realizing what they had walked in on. The smiles of the two women who had entered the store fell from their faces. Starsky looked at them in surprise as they stood in the entrance.

"Oh my God." Lila said as she looked around the store, putting her hand to her mouth. Starskys' mind was racing.

"You two don't need to be in here." Hutch said as he took them gently by their arms and walked them outside. Oncoming headlights approached them from the road as the patrol cars made their way to the scene. Hutch met with the patrolmen; telling them what need to be done and making sure forensics and the coroner were on their way. Starsky walked out to Gabby and Lila. They couldn't leave now, being blocked in by the other vehicles. Starsky began a little small talk with them, then just had to know.

"How come you two are here?" he asked, trying not to let the concern come out in his tone.

"I told you on the phone that we had to pick up a few things David." Lila answered him.

"We decided to go out to dinner, over at Rosettas' up the street." Gabby began, lighting a cigarette, "Then figured we'd stop by here on the way home." She said, looking at all the activity inside the store.

"Okay, look it. I want you two to tell me what you need, and I'll pick it up after we're done here. That way you can go straight home. I'll bring it over there." Starsky said, as Gabby studied his face, not knowing where this sudden concern was coming from.

"I don't think that's necessary." Gabby began, "We can..." her words were cut off as he interrupted.

"I want you two to go straight home." He said, urgency in his voice. Gabby began to protest, but Lila put a hand on her arm and simply said 'alright' as Starsky had some of the officers move their cars and make a path to drive out from.

Chapter Four

Hutch sat silently in the car as Starsky drove. Yes, it was a good coincidence that Gabby and her aunt had shown up there, but that's all it was. And he knew his partner was seeing more into it than that.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Starsky asked, already knowing as he drove the car towards Hutches' home.

"You know what I'm thinking," Hutch began, "and it's just a coincidence Starsky." He said, hoping that his words would sink in, but knowing otherwise.

The rest of the ride to Hutches' place was quiet. As Starsky pulled up he put the car in park and cut the engine off. Hutch knew he wanted to talk about it, so he didn't attempt to open the car door.

"Look," Starsky began, shifting his weight to face his partner, "Don't you think it's kinda strange that I dreamed all this crap and it all revolved around Gabby, and then there she was tonight?? I mean, she told me that they had gotten held up in traffic on the way over because of a tractor-trailer jack-knifing down the street from the restaurant. Now if it wasn't for that..." his voice trailed off as he let his mind wonder about the consequences.

Hutch looked over at Starsky, turning his body to face him. "Starsk, it's a coincidence, and that's all. Come on now. Don't let that awful nightmare of yours clog your detectives' training." he said gently.

"I can't help it. I mean, maybe it's some kinda omen or something, but I just can't act like it never happened." Starsky said, taking a deep breath. "I even ran that name of the guy in my dream who was the C-Store Killer, Chester Brown." He stated.

"And?" Hutch asked.

"And no record, come to find out he was some guy I went to high school with." Hutch smiled and gave him a little chuckle.

"See" he said to his friend.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, let's just see what happens, okay?" Starsky began, "and pray that I'm wrong." Hutch put his hand on Starskys' shoulder.

"Hey," Hutch began, "what are you going to do with your day off tomorrow?" he asked. Starsky just shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno. Maybe see if Gabby has any plans?" he questioned, looking over at Hutch. Hutch just smiled and looked down.

"Alright. Goodnight." He said as he opened the car door and gently closed it behind him, then leaned in through the open window. "Look Starsk," he began, "Remember that Lila and Gabby coming in the store was just a coincidence. Okay? You have to think rationally." Starsky shook his head in agreement.

Strike One, he thought.

Chapter Five

Starsky pulled the Torino up to his normal parking spot, cutting the engine and taking a second to lean his head back and stretch his arms. He got out, grabbing the bag with milk, bread and cigarettes out from the car, then walked around to Lilas' place. After knocking only once, Lila opened the door for him and kissed him on his cheek as he walked in.

"Where's Gabby?" he asked as he looked around.

"Oh, she's at her place, she said she'd be over in the morning to get her cigarettes. I don't like her smoking, you know, but she's a grown woman..." her words drifting off while she poured him a glass of tea and set it in front of him.

"I've noticed." He said, grinning at her. She looked at him, smiling. She took a five-dollar bill and set it in front of him, then turned and placed her milk and bread in the refrigerator. Starsky took the bill while her back was turned and put it in her purse, which sat in a chair at the table.

"Now David, I want you to tell me what is really going on." She said, turning to him and sitting down, putting the cigarette pack on the table.

"Lila, there's nothing going on." He told her, looking at his glass.

"You know," she began, "I didn't get to be this old without learning a few things here and there, and one thing I have always had was a talent for reading people. Now, you don't have to tell me, but I do know for certain that something is going on with you, and I know it has to do with Gabby." Starskys' shoulders slumped a little as he looked at her. Weighing it out in his mind, he decided to tell her some parts of his dream, being vague, but letting her in on a few of the details.

"My great grandmother used to have a wonderful intuition." She began, "and I think you may have one as well. I want you to trust your dream as you trust your instincts, and I will help you as best I can." Starsky looked at her; surprised not to hear her scold him for believing his dream could actually be a reality of some sort.

"You won't tell Gabby about this, will you? I don't want to upset her, or maybe have her thinking I'm some kinda nut case or something." He asked.

"No, David, I wont. But you need to know that her instincts are sharp and she already feels like something isn't quite right, so if you don't want to tell her, you'll have to be careful." He looked at the clock on the wall in her kitchen. It was 11pm.

"I will Lila." Starsky stood up and grabbed the cigarettes from the table and put them in his pocket.

"I think I'll go deliver these personally." He said as he kissed Lila on her cheek.

"Thank you for caring about her so much." Lila told him as he left. She closed the door behind him.

Chapter Six

Starsky walked around to Gabbys' apartment, trying to get himself in a good mood, hoping to find Gabby more receptive to his visit than the last time. He knocked on the door. A few moments passed, and she was asking who was there through the door.

"It's Dave Starsky." he said loud enough for her to hear. She opened the door, peering around it with a towel on her head. He looked at her and grinned.

"I remembered to knock this time." He said, and pulled the cigarette pack from his pocket, handing it to her. She smiled at him. She opened the door for him to come in, and he looked at her, wrapped in her robe, noticing her 'ensemble' was complete with fuzzy slippers.

"Excuse me for looking like this," she began, "but I just got out from the shower. Can I get you something to drink?" she asked. He was surprised by her invitation, and graciously accepted. She went to the kitchen and looked back out at him. "Beer?" she asked. He nodded 'yes' and she brought out two, setting them down on her coffee table, then excused herself to change out from her robe and towel. Within a few minutes, she returned in a pair of sapphire blue pajamas and no slippers. He didn't know whether to compliment her or not, and chose to keep quiet for a change. She sat down across from him at the other end of the sofa; taking the beer bottle from the table and sipping it as she sat back, crossing her legs and getting comfortable. She had brought her brush in with her, and began brushing her hair out, looking at him.

"So..." she began, as he raised an eyebrow and grinned. "What's going on with you here lately?" she asked him. He took a couple of swallows from his beer.

"Not much." He answered, not taking his eyes from her. She just looked at him. "Well, I think there is, and I think it has something to do with me, and I'm wondering what it's all about." She said, her tone even and her eyes still fixed on him as she drank again from her beer.

"I've just been thinking about ya a little." He told her.

"And?" she asked. He stayed quiet for a minute, looking down at the coffee table, then back at her, catching her eyes with his.

"And nothing." He said, letting a broad smile form on his face, hoping that his charm would sway her line of questioning.

"You hungry?" she asked, sitting up, grabbing their empty beer bottles, and heading towards the kitchen.

"No thanks. Hutch and I ate a couple of burgers earlier." He said as he got up and followed her in there. He had never really seen her kitchen before, in fact, he had only been in her apartment twice. They gathered for card games and dinner some times, but always at Lilas'. He was there once when he helped her bring in a few things as she moved in, and then this morning, when he burst in. She cut the light on and walked to the refrigerator. He watched her as she bent down to get two more beers. As she turned around, he turned his line of vision towards the cabinets so she wouldn't catch him staring. He froze. The cabinets had hand painted ivy vines in a random pattern, just like he had dreamed. She turned and noticed his glare.

"Do you like that? I painted them myself, trying to keep the cabinets from looking so plain." He looked at her and the seriousness of his expression concerned her.

"What's wrong David?" she asked him.

"I'm just worried about you." He said. Before she could speak, he walked closer to her and took the beers from her, putting them down on the counter. He took her hands in his, and gently kissed her. She pulled back.

"I don't understand what is going on with you." She said. He leaned into her and kissed her again. She could feel the overwhelming warmth of her body as his kiss sparked excitement within her, but again, pulled away.

"David." She said breathlessly as she turned from him, tipping over one of the beer bottles in the process. "Damn." she said under her breath, reaching for her dishtowel. She turned; facing the sink as she mopped the beer with the towel. "I don't know what you are up to, and I don't know where this is leading to..." she began, as Starsky got behind her and with one hand pulled her hair away from her neck; "but I, I, uh..." Starsky began kissing her neck, and her resistance faded. He wrapped his other hand around her waist and held her closely, then turned her to face him, and kissed her deeply. She could do nothing but swoon under him. Holding him tight, she responded in full, kissing him as her arms entangled with his. He leaned her back and kissed her with the love he had found for her in his dream, and the other beer bottle toppled. They didn't notice.

Chapter Seven

It was 6:15am. Starsky sat at his kitchen table that morning thinking only of Gabrielle and the previous evening. He had really pushed himself on her, he thought. She had no idea how much he felt for her; where his emotional outburst had stemmed from. But she did respond, and that, to him, was a good sign. He knew her feelings for him were not as strong as his, especially when she did not ask him to stay, but why would she? One minute they are no more than passing friends, the next he's all over her. She probably thought he was only trying to get in her pants. Well, yeah, he was, but, not like that. He shook his head, almost disappointed with himself for not telling her about the dream. But wouldn't she think he was crazy? Someone was knocking at his door, interrupted his thoughts.

"We got another murder." Hutch said as he walked in the door.

"Good morning to you too." Starsky said in monotone. Hutch walked to the coffeepot and got himself a cup as Starsky closed the door.

"He hit that little all night store off of Mulberry a couple of hours ago. You ready to go over there?" Hutch asked.

"So much for the day off." Starsky announced. "Yeah, let me get my shoes on." He said as he went into the bedroom.

The traffic was nil being so early on a Sunday morning. Hutch was driving his car, so Starsky sat quietly in the passenger seat, with Hutch looking over at him now and then, wondering where his thoughts had taken him.

"How did last night go?" Hutch asked.

"It wasn't bad." Starsky said, his face letting go of a grin. Hutch waited for him to continue until he tired of the silence.

"Well?" he asked. Starsky grinned again and turned to face him.

"Yeah, it went well." He said sarcastically.

"Alright. Give up the goods. What happened?" Hutch said, his curiosity rising.

"Gabby and I broke the ice, I guess you could say." Starsky said sheepishly.

"Hmmm. Uh huh." Hutch said as he turned the car.

"No, not like that." Starsky replied. There were a couple of minutes of silence between them.

"Did you tell her about your dream?" Hutch asked.

"No, but I think I'm gonna take my chances and tell her tonight." He answered.

"Tonight, huh? Got a date I take it?" Hutch asked with a teasing tone.

"Yep." Starsky answered, obviously pleased. "Hey, you want to double? I'm going to take Deanna to dinner and then over to that little carnival in town afterwards." Hutch suggested.

"Naw, I think I'm gonna try for something a little more intimate. Maybe another time though, okay?" Starsky asked.

"Sure pal." Hutch said. "Well, we're here." He pulling the car into the parking lot.

The scene was all too familiar at the store, only this time things were bloodier than usual. From the looks of things, the man who was working tried to get away after he was shot, only to be shot again by the door. The coroner said he had been shot five times total. This made eight stores and fourteen deaths. Again there were no witnesses, and again there were no clues. This perp picked stores with no cameras and obviously wore gloves. The storeowner had come in, assessing the total money taken at sixty-two dollars. They had set up seven different local stores with cops playing clerks, and none of them had been hit, almost as if he knew where the set ups had been randomly placed. This case was far from being solved, and Starsky and Hutch were becoming more than frustrated.

They left the scene in silence, driving to the station.

Dobey walked into the squad room, surprised to see Starsky and Hutch at their desks on a Sunday afternoon. "What are you two doing here? I thought you were going to have a day off today." He said in a gruff tone.

"There was another hit this morning, Cap." Hutch told him.

"Don't you think I know that? Why do you think I'm here?" he answered, scowling. He looked at them both, then softened his tone a little.

"Any leads?" he asked.

"None." Starsky said in monotone. Dobey just shook his head.

"Well, you two might as well head out of here then. Looks like we're going to be waiting this one out until we can catch a break." He said, heading for his office.

"Yeah. Right Cap." Hutch answered.

"You ready to go home?" Hutch asked his partner. Starsky looked at his watch. It was 2:30pm.

"More than ready." Starsky said as he stood up.

Hutch pulled his LTD into the curbing behind Starskys' car.

"You coming in?" Starsky asked, trying to change the subject of the thoughts that ran through them both.

"No, I think I need to get home and cleaned up, get ready for Deanna." Hutch said, smiling.

"Sounds good." Starsky said, getting out from the car and looking back at his partner.

"It usually is." Hutch replied, chuckling to himself as Starsky grinned.

"You have a good evening with Gabby." Hutch told him, putting the car in reverse. Starsky smiled, as if just remembering he had that date tonight. He walked up to his apartment and took a shower.

Chapter Eight

Starsky walked up to Gabbys' door with a giddy feeling of anticipation. Knocking on her door, she answered promptly, and he smiled at her, enjoying what he saw. He was right on time, which was most times hard to do. It was 5pm. When he had asked her the night before where she would like to go, she told him somewhere casual, and he liked that. She stood before him in blue jeans, not too tight, but close, and a pale yellow blouse that was unbuttoned just enough to show off her cleavage. Being a well-rounded gal, she had plenty to show. And he was admiring it. Her make up and hair were done to perfection he thought, and her perfume smelled heavenly, like a soft musk. She just looked at him, watching as he looked at her.

"Well?" she asked him nicely. He just smiled. "Come on in." she invited. And he did.

He walked in and closed the door behind himself, then reached out to Gabby and kissed her gently on the lips. She kissed him back, then drew herself away from him, looking up into his eyes.

"David, I would really like to know what's going on. I'm not complaining, mind you, but I'm a little worried." she said, looking very sincere.

"Well, I wasn't really planning on it right now, but, yeah, c'mon, let's sit down." Gabby let him lead her to the sofa, and after a deep breath, Starsky began telling her about the dream. Her reaction to his words was more concern than being skeptical, which made him feel comfortable enough to go into more details than he had with Lila. She watched him, listening, until he finished explaining all that he wanted her to know. She lit a cigarette, watching him as he waited to hear a reaction from her.

"Do you have dreams like that often?" she asked.

"You're my first." He said, grinning halfway. She got up and grabbed two beers from the fridge, sitting back down and handing him one.

"Wow." She began. "No wonder you've been acting so strangely." She said, sipping her beer, then looking at him with adoration and a touch of sympathy.

"I don't know where it came from, but I gotta tell ya, it really shook me up." He said, drinking from his beer. She moved in closer to him, taking her hand and stroking his hair gently back from his face.

"Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine." She whispered.

"I know you will." He began, "This is all strange as hell to me, but I'm gonna make sure of it." He told her. He put his hand around her waist, kissing her with an intenseness that enveloped her very being. She returned it completely. They took a breath.

"You still want to go out?" she asked him, leaning her head to look him in the eyes.

"Do you?" he asked her, returning her gaze.

"No." she answered him, kissing him. She leaned back and smiled, then quickly got up, looking down at him.

"I bet you haven't eaten all day." She said as she walked into the kitchen. Starsky just sat there, a little confused by her sudden change of subject. Gabby took a kitchen towel and fanned herself, feeling very warm.

"Uh, no, I guess I didn't." Starsky began, "But I wasn't really thinking 'bout food." He said, smiling. She took a deep breath and tried to regain a little composure.

"You need to eat." She said, looking through the fridge, grateful for the cool air that was hitting her. He came through the kitchen and walked behind her. She was trying to keep a distance, and he had to respect that. But he knew that she had feelings for him too. He had to play it her way, though he desperately wanted to express the way he felt. She turned around with eggs and cheese in her hands, facing him as he didn't step back.

"Let me fix you something." She began, "It'll make us both feel better." She said, walking around him, but brushing against him as she did so.

"Feels pretty good to me." He said, smiling, but not blocking her way. He sat down at the table as she cooked scrambled eggs with cheese and found himself studying her.

"You're awful quiet." She mused, stirring the mixture in her frying pan.

"Just enjoying the view." He quipped.

They sat at the table eating and talking, and began to find out the different things they had in common. He was surprised to find that one of her favorite passions was playing pinball.

"I guess I'll have to take you to Huggys' sometime." He began, "He's got a few really good ones down there." He said.

"Oh, I know. I've been there before. He's quite a character." She told him.

"You know Huggy?" he asked with surprise.

"Yes, why?" she asked him, stopping short of taking a mouthful of eggs. Starsky put his fork down on his plate.

"I dreamed that too." He said quietly.

"This is getting weird." She told him.

Strike Two, he thought.

"Yeah, look it, Gabby. I never believed in e s p and all that stuff, but I don't like the way things are starting to fit together here." He said, grabbing her hand and holding it.

"We will just have to make sure there aren't any more coincidences." She told him. He thought about everything as she cleaned up the dishes and sat down beside him. She touched his hand, and he looked at her, as if just realizing she was there.

"Welcome back." She said, smiling at him. He smiled back at her, then leaned forward to kiss her. She leaned towards him as well, and it was nice.

The phone rang. With Starskys' resistance, she went to answer it. It was Hutch. She talked to him briefly, then leaned around the doorway at Starsky.

"It's for you." She said nicely.

"Yeah, what?" he said, knowing it had to be Hutch and hating his timing.

"Sorry to interrupt you, pal. But the killer just struck again. He's gotten a little bit braver this time." He said.

"Where are you?" Starsky asked.

"The Safeway on Fifth and Mercury." Hutch answered. Starsky looked at his watch. It was 7:26pm.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." He said, hanging up the phone. He turned to Gabby, who was looking at him with some disappointment.

"Duty calls?" she asked, grabbing his jacket from the chair and handing it to him.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." He said, taking it. "I'll make it up to ya, I promise." He said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into him, kissing her with great passion, indeed.

"Come back by when you're done?" she asked him, with an innocent tone in her voice. He was a little surprised by her invitation, and grinned at her.

"It might be late." He said.

"Okay." She said sweetly. Starsky smiled then left, and Gabby wiped the sweat that beaded on her forehead.

Chapter Nine

Starsky arrived on the scene a little before 8pm. Getting out of his car, he heard people crying and hollering back and forth, the paramedics wandering about feverishly as they loaded two stretchers into an ambulance. Hutch saw him pull in and walked over.

"Well partner, we've got us a few witnesses." He stated as he looked over his notepad.

"If it's the same guy." Starsky said with a tone of disbelief.

"Well, we do know it's the same caliber gun." Hutch said, looking hopeful. "I just took their statements, they weren't really hurt too bad, one has a shoulder wound, another was shot in the leg, and another got away with only a flesh wound." He told him.

"And you think it's the same guy?" Starsky asked as they walked into the store. There were uniformed officers scattered all around the store, picking up any evidence they spotted, grasping for any and all clues. Starsky looked over to a cluster of people standing by the office, then he saw them. Two body bags. Hutch saw the direction where he was looking.

"Yeah, we've got two dead here." He said somberly.

They finished up their investigation of the scene and arranged for mug books to be taken to the hospital for the survivors to go through, hoping they could identify this creep. Ballistics would be comparing the bullets from this crime scene to the others, and they were hoping to find a match.

"How'd you end up here?" Starsky asked Hutch as they walked over to their cars, "I thought you had a date with Deanna tonight." He stated.

"Oh, I did. We were at the carnival down the street when we heard the sirens and commotion heading down here. So we drove down here to check it out, then I ran her over to my house, called you, then came back up here." Hutch said, smiling.

"Right now she's probably taking a bubble bath waiting for me to get back." He added, his face smirking a little.

"She's pretty understanding, huh?" Starsky asked, smiling.

"Who Dee? Yeah man, she's the best. And I'm going home to enjoy it." He said as he hopped around to the drivers' side door of his car.

"Oh, hey Buddy," he began, looking at Starsky, "I'm sorry about interrupting you and Gabby." He said.

"No problem my friend, no problem. She's waiting for me too." He said, winking at Hutch.

"See ya I the morning then." Hutch said as he got in his car.

"Not too early, eh pal?" Starsky said, smiling, getting in his car.

Chapter Ten

Starsky pulled the Torino back in his parking space and got out and stretched, looking at his watch. It was 10:45pm. He walked around towards Gabbys' place, thinking about how she'd asked him to come back, and he smiled. He knocked gently a couple of times, but got no response, so he instinctively turned the door handle. It was unlocked, and he walked inside. Gabby had changed clothes, wearing a pair of burgundy flannel pajamas, and had her flannel robe wrapped around her with her fuzzy slippers on. It wasn't that cool inside, and he found himself wondering if she was cold natured. She was curled up on the sofa, sleeping soundly enough that she hadn't heard him come in.

"Well that's real safe, leaving your door unlocked." He whispered as he closed the door, locking it behind him. A glass of water sat beside a box of tissues on the coffee table in front of her. Had she been crying? he asked himself, his face scowling. He moved the water and tissue box to the other side of the coffee table, along with her ashtray and cigarettes, and sat down on it in front of her, studying her. He noticed she had a handful of tissues in her hand, and wondered what could have gotten her so upset. He stroked her hair with his hand, but she didn't move. He leaned down and called her name, then kissed her on the top of her head. She stirred a little, eyes opening, seeing him, then smiling. He looked at the sleepy eyes in front of him. He leaned in to kiss her on her cheek, but she abruptly pushed him away with her hand, forcing him to sit straight back as she sat up and turned away from him.

"Gabby..." he began, then she sneezed.

"Don't get near me Dave." She began with a nasal sound to her voice. "I don't know what I'm coming down with, and I don't want you to catch it." She said, then began coughing. He laughed a little out loud, to which she glared at him, not amused.

"I'm sorry." He said, the smile still on his face. "But when I came in I thought you'd been crying."

"Huh? Oh." She said, realizing why he had thought that.

"Let me take a look at ya." He said, feeling her forehead. "Yeah, you do feel a little warm."

"It'll be okay." She began, "I took some aspirin a few hours ago. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll be fine, and won't have to worry about you getting sick." she told him, wrapping her robe around her a little bit tighter, obviously chilled. Starsky looked at her and grinned, then got up and headed towards the bathroom. She could hear him fumbling around, then he immerged with a thermometer in his hand, shaking it down as he walked back towards her.

"What are you doing, may I ask?" Gabby said, looking at him as she grabbed a few more tissues.

"Just want to see what you're doing." He said smugly, placing the thermometer in her mouth. She sat there, glaring at him, then removed it.

"I've got a cold, that's all, and I don't need you to nurse me." She told him in a huff.

"Put that back in your mouth." He told her bluntly. She just stared at him, but rather than argue, did as she was told.

"This sure did come on you suddenly." He told her, softening his tone. She pulled the thermometer back out from her mouth again.

"Well, no, not really, I was out gardening today, planting those azaleas out front, and I noticed it, but I just thought it was my allergies. In fact, I'm really thinking that's all it is, because I took some allergy medicine and I felt better then." She told him in her nasal tone.

"Put it back in your mouth." He told her firmly.

"Alright already." She said, rolling her eyes as she did so. He waited a few minutes and took it from her mouth, and she rested, laying herself back against the sofa. He held it under the lamp beside her on the end table, looked at it, then looked at her, raising his eyebrow as he shook the thermometer back down.

"See," she sniffed, "I told you I was fine." she said, turning herself sideways to stretch her legs across the sofa.

"When did you take that aspirin?" he asked her seriously.

"Around 9pm." She answered him. He looked at his watch.

"Well, it's barely been two hours and you have a fever of 101." He told her in an 'I told you so' tone. She looked at him then slumped down, giving in.

"Okay, you win. I have a mild case of the flu. All the more reason for you to go home and get away from all these germs." She said, coughing a little and wiping her nose.

"What? And miss the opportunity to see you like this? Perish the thought." he teased. She took one of the pillows from her sofa and threw it at him.

"Play nice." He scolded her. "C'mon," he began, "I'll feel better if you go get in bed." He told her sweetly.

"You'll feel better?" She mused. She slowly got up from the sofa, feeling a little stiff. Starsky noticed. Pulling the covers up over her properly, after having taken a few minutes to talk her out of wearing her robe in bed, he tucked her in. He hated how familiar this all felt to him. He went back out to the living room and stretched himself out on the sofa. His eyes closed, and for only a moment he thought, he was resting. He opened his eyes again, and looked at his watch. It was 3:30am. He went in to check on Gabby, feeling her forehead with the back of his hand. She felt hot, so he went into the bathroom and got two aspirin, then went in the kitchen for a glass of water. Gabby came out there behind him.

"What are you doing up?" he asked with surprise.

"I heard you making noises out here and wondered who the heck was in my kitchen." She answered, her voice only a whisper. She tried clearing her throat, but it didn't work.

"Well good. Since you're up, I can take your temperature." He said. She grabbed the glass of water, not thinking, and he took it from her.

"Not yet." He said gently as he sat the glass back down. He quickly retrieved the thermometer and she let him insert it without argument. After a few minutes, he took it from her, offering the glass of water for replacement. He picked up the aspirin on the table and handed them to her. She took them without a word, drinking all the water behind them. Starsky looked at the thermometer. It was 103 degrees. He looked at her and watched her as she dozed at the table.

"C'mon, let's get you back to bed so you can sleep laying down instead of sitting up." He told her, guiding her. She giggled.

"I never had a private nurse before." She teased him.

Chapter Eleven

Starsky walked out into the living room and put his jacket on. Quietly he checked to make sure Gabby was sleeping, then went out the front door and walked to his place. He washed himself up as best he could being in a hurry, changed clothes, then went rummaging through his medicine chest to see what kind of medication he had that he could give her. There were assorted cough syrups, prescription and over the counter, aspirin, and a couple of bottles of antibiotics, which he never finished like he was instructed to. He decided to take the antibiotics back with him. He grabbed the orange juice and milk cartons out from his refrigerator, and decided to find a bag to put them all into. Not knowing what she had in her fridge, he looked through his, finding something he could fix to possibly encourage her to eat. He grabbed his jacket and walked back over to her apartment.

Quietly putting things away, he walked into Gabbys' room to check on her. She was sleeping, taking deep breaths. He walked over and felt her head with his hand; it didn't feel much different than before. He walked back out and looked at the clock. It was going on 5am. He stretched out across the sofa and fell into a light sleep.

He awoke with a startle, unaware of his surroundings for a moment. Sitting up, he looked over at the clock. It was 7:30am. He picked up the phone and dialed Hutchs' number.

"Hello?" Hutch answered. He sounded awake and alert.

"Hey." Starsky said, his voice still a little groggy.

"What's up?" Hutch asked.

"Only me and thee, I think." He answered, then heard giggling in the background and Hutchs' feeble attempt to not laugh in Starskys' ear.

"And Deanna, I assume?" Starsky said smugly.

"Uh, heh-heh, yeah." Hutch replied. "So what's going on?" he asked.

"Gabbys' sick, and I don't want to leave her." Starsky told him. There was a minute of silence on the line.

"What's wrong with her?" Hutch asked sincerely.

"Flu bug I think, but I wanna make sure she's okay, you know?" Starsky told him.

"Yeah pal, I know where you're coming from. I'll tell Dobey you're sick, and call you if anything happens with the case. I'll come by and check on you two after work." Hutch told him.

"Thanks pal." Starsky said.

"You need anything?" Hutch asked.

"No, I think I got it covered, but thanks." Starsky said, hanging up the phone. He walked back in to look at Gabby. Still asleep, she seemed to be resting comfortably enough, but he wanted to take her temperature again and see if she could eat something. He retrieved the thermometer, bringing a glass of water with him, anticipating her thirst once he woke her.

"Gabby?" he said, moving his hand up and down her arm. She moved a little, but didn't wake.

"Hey sleepy head, how 'bout opening those pretty eyes of yours for me." He said, a little bit louder than the last time. She grinned, eyes still closed, then opened them and found him looking down at her.

"I could get used to this." She said as well as her hoarseness would allow.

"You could, huh?" he asked sweetly. "C'mon, how about sitting up for me so I can take your temperature." He said, helping her get into a sitting position. Not arguing, not even rolling her eyes, she sat up and let him put the thermometer in her mouth. He wondered if she had finally given in to letting him take care of her, or if she just felt too bad to argue. He waited a few minutes and took the thermometer from her, handing her the water glass.

"Are you allergic to any antibiotics?" he asked.

"No, why?" she questioned.

"Well, I had some at my place and brought them with me, and I want you to take a couple." He said, now focussing on the thermometer in the dim light. Her fever was still at 103. She never asked him what it read.

"You hungry?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes, but pretty much knowing she wouldn't.

"Ugh. No." she told him, getting up.

"Where do ya think you're going?" he asked.

"The bathroom, if you don't mind." She told him, rubbing her eyes and smiling at him. He watched her as she made her way out of the room. He hated the bad feeling that was nagging in his gut.

Chapter Twelve

Hutch made his way into the squad room by 9am. Just in time for Dobey to see him as he came out from his office.

"Hutchinson." Dobey sternly said, his form of a greeting.

"Yeah Cap, morning." He offered, placing his jacket on his desk chair.

"Where's your partner at this morning? Running late again?" Dobey asked, that official tone coming through loud and clear.

"No, Captain, he's sick, so I told him to stay home." Hutch said. Dobeys' look of authority turned to a softer one of concern.

"In my office, now." He told Hutch. Once inside, the captain sat behind his desk and Hutch sat across from him. Dobey rifled through the extensive files that covered his desk, then looked up at Hutch.

"Starsky going to the doctor?" he asked, his tone now more quiet, almost fatherly. Hutch tried quickly to cover himself, hating to lie to this man, especially when he knew he was truly concerned.

"If he's not any better tonight when I get off, I'll make him go. But right now he's just a little feverish." He told him.

"Alright then, if he needs anything, tell him to call me at home." Dobey began. "Now then, ballistics just matched up the bullets from that Safeway robbery to the other c-stores. And," he said, hesitating as he looked through the papers on his desk, finding one and handing it to Hutch, "This is the man our three witnesses have positively identified." Hutch studied the picture of the man.

"His name is Vincent Bassella. He used to be a small time junkie, I guess now he's made it to the big time." Dobey said, a touch of anger in his voice. "I want you to use all your contacts to find out where this creep is hiding." Dobey told him. Hutch stood up, folding the paper and putting it in his shirt pocket.

"I want this guy." Dobey began, "He's a common little murderer and from what we know, he'll keep on killing 'til we catch him. I want that animal behind bars!" He hollered. Hutch shook his head in agreement.

"We'll get him, I'll promise you that." Hutch said, walking out from the office, grabbing his jacket from the desk chair as he left the squad room.

Hutch walked into Huggy's bar through the back door. The employees were moving around, getting things ready to open. None were surprised by Hutch, he and his partner were always coming in there at any given time. He made his way into the front, finding Huggy stocking the bar.

"Hey Hug." Hutch said, as Huggy turned quickly, somewhat startled.

"My man Hutch. Where's the other half of the dynamic duo?" he asked looking around.

"He's at home, taking a personal day." Hutch told him. Huggy raised an eyebrow, but did not ask anything further about Starsky.

"So what can I do for you this morning?" Huggy asked as he set the last whiskey bottle in place, then poured Hutch a cup of coffee. Hutch pulled the paper from his pocket, handing it to his friend.

"Look familiar?" Hutch asked.

"Not off hand." He answered, pulling the paper closer to his eyes.

"Skinny little man, ain't he?" Huggy chuckled.

"You've got no room to talk, Huggy." Hutch said, smiling as he drank from his cup.

"Yeah, but at least I got good looks." He said, smiling proudly. Hutch laughed, then became serious.

"Hug, this is real important. This is the guy who's been pulling all those c-store robberies. We want him bad." He told him. Huggy looked at Hutch.

"I hear ya." He began. "I'll put the word out, and call you when something comes through."

"Thanks." Hutch replied, then turned to go out the back. Once outside, Hutch stretched in the warm sunlight before getting back into his car. He decided to drive over and tell Starsky what was going on rather than call him.

Chapter Thirteen

Gabby was asleep and Starsky was dozing on the sofa, the television on. He had gotten her to take a couple of antibiotics, making her take them with milk since she absolutely swore she couldn't eat anything. He also gave her some aspirin, hoping that between the two medications her fever would break. The knock on the door made him jump.

"Hey partner, how's she doing?" Hutch asked, talking low so he wouldn't disturb Gabby.

"Her temperature is 103. I gave her a couple of antibiotics and aspirin... what time is it?" Starsky asked, looking over at the clock, not waiting for an answer.

"I need to go check on her in a few minutes." He said, noticing the clock said 11:30am.

"Hey I brought us all something to eat." Hutch said, "And it's not even healthy." He smiled.

"Just the way I like it." Starsky said, grinning. "But I don't think she's gonna want any. No appetite." Hutch nodded his head.

Starsky went into Gabbys' room to check on her, taking her temperature and looking at her. Hutch walked into the room.

"You decent?" he asked jokingly.

"Never claimed to be." Gabby said through perced lips holding the thermometer.

"I brought you something to eat." Hutch offered, but Gabby just shook her head at him, letting him know she wasn't interested. Starsky took the thermometer from her and as usual to his routine now, gave her a glass of water. He then handed her one antibiotic and two aspirin. She laid back down, telling Hutch she hoped he wouldn't catch this bug and wishing he would take Starsky out of her germ filled house. She settled back into a good position, and was asleep again in minutes.

They walked back out into the living room, and Starsky checked the thermometer, then shook it down.

"How is she?" Hutch asked, looking at him.

"Her temperature has gone down one whole degree. She's at 102." He said, looking concerned. "Lila was by here, but I was really scared for her to catch it, and made her go back home. Gabby didn't like it too much when I promised Lila I'd stay here with her. I just don't understand why it's still so high." Starsky said, referring to her temperature.

"It's probably just running its' course Starsk." Hutch said, putting his hand on Starskys' shoulder. "Come on, sit down and eat, will ya? I got news on the case." he said, motioning for Starsky to follow him towards the sofa.

The two detectives sat eating, and Hutch explained the match up with the bullets and the witnesses identifying the same man.

"Vincent Bassella, huh?" Starsky asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "That sounds familiar."

"Small time junkie." Hutch said, cleaning his mess from the table, trying to clean Starskys' as well, while Starsky grabbed at a few remaining french fries.

"Well he's hit the big time now." Starsky said smuggly.

"Yeah, I know." Hutch told him. He stood up, looking in on Gabby then turning towards his partner. "I'm going to go check out a few things, and I'll be back this evening. You'll be here?" he asked.

"Yep." Starsky replied, standing beside him.

"Okay, see you in a few hours." Hutch told him as he opened the door and let himself out.

Starsky went to the bathroom and washed his face and hands, then went in the bedroom to check on Gabby, who slept restlessly, tossing around the bed now and then. Pulling her covers back over her that she had knocked away, he decided to call Lila. He let her know that Gabby had been resting and that her temperature was down a little, not mentioning that it was only down by one degree. Lila was thankful for him calling her and asked if he would be needing anything from the store.

"You going to the store?" Starsky asked, worried for her to leave with this nutcase walking the streets.

"Well, Ken just came by and asked if I wanted him to take me later on and I told him yes." She said nicely. Good old Hutch, Starsky thought, always thinking of everything.

"I think I have everything for now." Starsky said, thanking her and hanging up the phone.

He was dozing on the sofa when he heard a noise that woke him from his sleep; a thud and a crash coming from Gabbys' bedroom. He ran in there to find Gabby on the floor, startled. She looked up at him, then began laughing. He got down on his knees beside her, trying to check her over. She was laughing uncontrollably, and he leaned himself back against the bed, looking at her, folding his arms across his chest.

"I was trying to get out of bed," she began, her voice still a little hoarse, "and tripped my own self up with the sheets!" she told him, laughing even more. Starsky grinned at her, tilting his head.

"You okay?" he asked her, looking as she tried to control her laughter.

"Yeah, I think so." She said, smiling at him. "At least I'm well rounded... more cushion to help my fall." She said, laughing again. Starsky laughed with her, so glad to see her in good spirits. A couple of moments passed when they both realized that they were just staring at each other.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, taking his hand to her face and feeling it, trying to check her temperature.

"I'm hungry." She told him, her eyes still smiling.

"Let me take your temperature first, okay?" he said, smiling in the relief he felt seeing her this way. He stood up and helped her to get on the bed, lifting her up by her waist. He let go of her to go retrieve the thermometer, but she held onto him, pulling him back to her, hugging him, holding him.

"Hey," he began, "what's this for?" he said, returning her hold.

"I'm just so glad you've been here." She said kissing his cheek, then putting her head on his shoulder. He held her tightly.

"It's where I wanted to be." He told her.

Chapter Fourteen

Hutch knocked on Gabbys' door and heard his partner telling him to come in. He walked through the door, stopping mid way through the entrance, stunned by what he saw. Gabby and Starsky were sitting on either side of the coffee table in the floor, playing a game of Scrabble. He smiled.

"You look gorgeous." He told Gabby, who sat there in her pajamas and fuzzy slippers, hair a mess, still a little pale.

"And you're a very good liar." She told him, "But I thank you anyway." She said, smiling. Hutch looked over at Starsky, raising his eyebrows in a questioning look.

"Her fever broke, and she's eating. Doctor Starsky to the rescue." He said with a smile.

"If only he'd quit making up words on the board here, I might let him stay." She teased.

"You don't have to tell me, Gabby, he has a wonderful imagination." Hutch teased also.

"Hey, are you two ganging up on me?" Starsky asked, grinning ear to ear. Gabby gave him a grin and a glare as she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Hutch waited until she had closed the door, then moved closer to his partner.

"How is she, really?" Hutch asked.

"Her temperature hit 99 degrees about an hour ago, and she's alert and almost down right perky." He said with a smirk.

"I know that makes you feel better." Hutch offered.

"Yeah." Starsky answered, then changed the subject. "Any new leads?" he asked.

"No, not yet. I figured I'd call it a night. I came by here to see if you needed anything since I promised Lila I'd take her to the store." Hutch told him.

"Yeah, you were really thinking there, pal. Thanks." Starsky told him, "knowing Lila, she would've been going out to any old store, oblivious to what's going down around here lately." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey partner, they mean a lot to me too you know." Hutch told him, then watched Gabby as she walked back into the room.

"Wow, I look awful. I've got to take a shower." She said, turning towards her bedroom to get some clothes to wear.

"Need any help?" Starsky offered.

"Oh, I think I can handle it." She said smiling, coming back into the room carrying some clothes in her arms.

"Darn" Starsky teased.

"Well, I'm going to the store with Lila." Hutch said, turning towards the door.

"You coming back?" Starsky asked.

"If you want me to." Hutch answered, a sheepish grin on his face. Starsky walked with him to the door, putting his hand on his partners shoulder.

"For a little while." He said quietly, grinning. Gabby told Hutch good-bye as she walked into the bathroom. Starsky closed the door behind Hutch.

Gabby walked out from the bathroom looking better than she had in a while. Starsky was sitting on the sofa, watching her as she came in. She walked over and sat down beside him.

"How're you feeling?" he asked sweetly.

"I feel really good." She said, smiling at him.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, teasing. "Let me be the judge of that." He said, reaching over to her and kissing her gently on the lips. He held her tightly, feeling relieved that she was doing so well. He felt a distance from the dream now, like he didn't have to be on guard. She faced him, kissing him. She was happy and felt content.

"I feel like I can open up to you now." She told him, kissing him softly on the lips. "I think I might even be falling for ya." She said, kissing him again. He looked at her, his face going into that famous sideways grin.

"Ya think?" he asked, kissing her before she could answer. He leaned her back on the sofa, kissing her neck, then kissing her cheek. He could feel the tremble of her excitement as she gave in to him, thoroughly enjoying what she felt. He let his passion go, setting free what had been repressed since the dream. They became lost in each other, softly, gently, exploring their feelings. Dave Starsky was a gentle man, although sometimes the emotional side of him could be strong. With Gabby he had met his spiritual equal. She responded to him with a passion that made him tingle. She released herself to him, giving him her trust and her love, which he gave in return. Breathing heavily, he stood above her as she lay on the sofa, gently picking her up and carrying her towards the bedroom. She did not protest, just held him tight. Enjoying the rush of excitement.

Chapter Fifteen

Hutch drove Lila towards the store, driving a little slower than he was used to, trying to make her feel comfortable during their ride.

"She looks great." Hutch told her, talking about Gabrielle.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lila began, "The way David was practically pushing me out from her apartment I was beginning to wonder if she didn't have the plague." She said jokingly.

"He just didn't want you to get sick too." Hutch offered.

"Oh, I knew that." Lila said, laughing a little. "I wonder why he hasn't caught it yet?" She asked.

"Must be all that health food I keep pushing on him." Hutch said, laughing to himself. 'Pushing' wasn't really the word that came to mind, it was more of 'threatening', or 'forcing'.

"He sure is looking out for her." Lila began. "That dream of his really upset him." She added. Hutch was taken aback, not knowing that Starsky had told her.

"It really shook him up." Hutch offered, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm just glad to see them together finally." She said, grinning.

"Finally?" Hutch asked her, grinning.

"Well, when she moved up here you were dating that nice young lady, um, Brenda, wasn't it? And he wasn't seeing anyone. I had hoped to get those two together back then." She said, smiling and staying impartial.

"Why Lila. I am shocked." Hutch said with mock surprise. She just grinned at him.

Hutch pulled the LTD into the parking lot of the grocery store, happy to see that it wasn't too crowded. He'd shopped with a few women before, and was under the assumption that most of them took their time, checking out every single item in the store before actually making their purchases. Long lines would only add to that, and he really wanted to get home at a fairly decent hour. It was 7pm. He got out of the car, walked around to Lila, and opened the door for her.

Once inside, he was surprised at her speed and how she went down only the aisles that she needed something from. Within 15 minutes, they were ready to check out. "You're amazing." He told her, admiring her shopping skills.

"Well Ken, it just means I know what I want." She said smiling as they brought the cart towards a register. Hutch didn't see the man standing in the doorway of the entrance.

The Caucasian man was thin and drawn, with lines around his eyes that told of his lack of sleep. Dark hair and a mustache, he squinted as his black eyes scanned the people in the store. He counted those at the front of the store; there were nine. He looked behind him through the window. No one was pulling in. He pulled out his gun. He took aim towards the register where Lila and Hutch were standing, chatting about the rising prices of groceries. A succession of shots rang out across the store, followed by screams of terror.

As if in slow motion, everyone started dropping to the floor. Hutch grabbed Lila and threw her down with him, rolling to keep her from getting hurt. The cashier who was waiting on them sat crouched beneath her counter. She looked at him as she pushed the red button under the counter; a silent alarm. Hutch nodded his head to her, then motioned for her to stay there as he drew his weapon. Making sure Lila was alright and well hidden from the crossfire, Hutch crawled to the side of the counter to see his assailant. The man was standing at the other register, pulling cash out and stuffing it into his pockets. Hutch stood up slowly behind him, aiming his gun.

"Bassella! Freeze!" Stunned, the man stood there at the register, his gun at his side in his left hand, money taken from the till in his right. He turned slowly to face Hutch, then suddenly brought up his gun, shooting at him. Hutch ducked quickly for cover, shooting twice at the man who had aimed for him. People began screaming and distracted Hutch from hearing which direction Bassella was running.

"Everybody stay down!" Hutch yelled. "Lila, you alright?" he asked as he briskly walked towards her and leaned down, looking around for any movement.

"Yes, I'm fine. Please, please be careful Ken!" she told him. Hutch got up and quickly started moving towards the back of the store. A shot rang out beside him, and he ducked back quickly.

"Give it up, Bassella!" Hutch began, "The police are on their way, and you've got no way out from here!" he yelled. Two more shots rang out near him, and he rolled from the canned goods display that had hidden him, shooting his gun down the aisle towards the direction of the gunfire. He heard the grunt of an impact, knowing he had hit him. Hutch stood up, protected by the aisle he was standing in front of.

"Everyone, listen to me!" He began, yelling. "All of you should file out through the front door!" People began standing up, looking around.

"Now!" he hollered. Everyone began running towards the doors, and Hutch watched as Lila got up, along with the cashier, who helped her as they hurried out the front. Once everyone was outside, he leaned around to look down the aisle. It was too quiet. He saw the blood on the floor, but Bassella was no where in sight. Hutch leaned around to the other side of the aisle. Peering around it, he was met with gunfire.

The sound of sirens encircled the store, and Bassella began shooting his gun randomly; panicked. Hutch heard him replacing the pin in his gun. He knew it was only a matter of time before the uniformed officers began swarming in, and worried how many would go down before this murderer was stopped. He had noticed that all the shots fired had been aimed high, and knew what he had to do. Bending down, he threw himself onto the floor, aiming himself directly at Bassella. He shot three times, not missing. Quickly, he stood up, cautiously walking over to Vincent Bassellas' body. He kicked the gun away from his hand. Shaken, but unharmed, Hutch leaned back into the racks, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the hand that held his gun. Patrolmen began piling into the store, and Hutch yelled to them that it was all clear. He regained himself and walked out the door, oblivious to all the commotion around him. Officers were helping with some of the wounded, waiting for the paramedics to arrive, but Hutch was looking around frantically for Lila.

"Ken!" she hollered, and he rushed over to her. She was sitting in a patrol car, comforting the young cashier who had helped her to get outside. He bent down beside her and smiled, grateful that she was unharmed.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, placing his hand on her arm.

"Oh Kenny, I'm fine. Are you alright?" she asked, looking very concerned. Hutch laughed at her; he hadn't been called 'Kenny' in twenty years.

"I'm just fine." He said, smiling.

Chapter Sixteen

Hutch and Lila arrived at Gabby's apartment at 9:30 that evening. Knocking, Lila opened the door. They walked in to find the TV on with Starsky sitting on the sofa, his legs stretched across the coffee table. He had one arm around Gabby, who was half laying against him, stretched out and very much asleep. Starsky smiled at them.

"She's had a very busy day, getting better and all, and I think it caught up to her." He whispered. Hutch raised his eyebrow, half grinning.

Homerun, Starsky thought.

"What have you two been up to?" Starsky asked quietly.

"Oh, not that much." Lila said, smiling.

Home run, Hutch thought.

The End for now...