For The Love of Mary
                                                                                                  By
                                                                                                      Tooki

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                                                                                                             Chapter One

The child sat huddled next to a Dumpster, she couldn't have been more than six years old. She shivered but with fear not cold. The alleyway was dark, dirty and over run with rats. In fact one of them was slowly creeping toward the child. She saw it coming, it's eyes glowing with anticipation, the rat crept ever closer. It tentatively smelled the bottom of the girl's shoe. She tried to kick it away but only managed to make the rat stop for a few seconds before it continued on its journey up her leg. She tried to shake it off her leg but to no avail. The little girl knew what a rats bite felt like the first time she was barely old enough to remember. It had crawled from an open windowsill into her crib. Her daddy had heard her terrified screams and entered the room just in time to see a huge rat chewing on her tiny foot. He had slung the rat across the room slamming it against the wall, it had fallen to the floor and was still.
But there was no daddy to kill this rat, no one to rescue her. The rat was almost to her chest. She tried to scream, she opened her mouth but nothing came out. A breeze shifted some of the newspaper next to the girl, the rat froze for a moment. It's beady eyes looked around, then it continued walking toward the little girl's face. Suddenly there was the sound of running feet in the alley coming toward the girl and the rat. Then there was a loud bang, something came crashing to the ground only inches from the tiny girls feet. The rat darted off but the little girl was even more afraid now than she had been of the rat.
There was the sound of raspy breathing then a low moan, then silence. She curled herself up in a tight ball, wishing for morning when it would not be as scary or so she hoped. The girl lean forward trying to see what lay at her feet before she had pulled them under her. In her fear she hadn't heard the footsteps, nor did she notice the figure standing next to the body until she looked out from the crumpled papers and trash.
She was startled to see a man staring back at her, there was a large gun in his hand. Slowly he leveled the gun at her, his finger firmly on the trigger. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger there was a screech of tires, the alley was awash with a red flashing light. The man with the gun made a disgusted sound then took off running.
There was the sound of running feet again but this time there were three sets, one running away from her and two running toward her. One set stopped at the body the other set ran on after the man with the gun. Someone was crouching next to the body, a flashlight flicked on. The little girl tucked herself into an even tighter ball.
"Damn, I lost him," said a voice from down the alley. "Find any ID on that poor bastard?"
"Nope, nothing," the man crouching said.
"I'll go call the meat wagon Starsk." Kenneth Hutchinson sidestepped the body and his partner.
"Man what a night," David Starsky sighed as he checked the body one last time. A sound to his right caught his attention. He drew his weapon from his shoulder holster and training it toward the Dumpster. "Who's there?"
Only a small whimper greeted his ears, Starsky got to his feet moving closer to the trash bin. With his foot, Starsky kicked away the loose newspaper lying there.
What Starsky saw curled up in the trash left him nearly speechless. "HUTCH!" Starsky yelled.
"Yeah," Hutch yelled back down the alley.
"You better come here," Starsky said as he crouched back down to get a better look at the tiny girl. He started to reach for her but she drew back against the Dumpster.
"What is it?" Hutch said as he approached his partner. They were off duty as soon as they took care of this mess and he was eager to get home, they had the weekend off and Hutch was going to spend it with his current girl friend.
"Come here honey," Starsky said holstering his gun and holding out his arms toward her. But she just shrunk further back into the paper. "I won't hurt you sweetie."
Hutch sighed and hunkered down to see what Starsky was talking to. "Dear god, " Hutch breathed. "How did she get out here?"
Starsky shook his head but didn't take his eyes from the girl. He held out his arms once more. "Please come with us. I promise we won't hurt you."
The little girl looked at the body of the man lying close to her and then up into Starsky's face. He did look kind and going with him had to be better than staying in the rat filled alley. Slowly she held her arms up to Starsky and allowed him to lift her into his arms.
"That's it." Cooed Starsky in her ear. "Everything is going to be alright. How long have you been here?"
But the little girl with the big green eyes just stared at him. Her hair was matted and dirty the clothes she was wearing were ripped and soiled. He could feel her tiny ribs beneath the thin cotton dress. Gently he carried her to the car while Hutch called in the shooting. Starsky placed the girl in the back seat of his car then crawled in after her. They waited for the crime lab and a squad car to show up. After telling them what happened they were free to go.
Hutch slid in behind the wheel of Starsky's car since he was in the back seat with the child. Hutch sighed as he started the engine. "I guess I won't get out of town until tomorrow morning."
"Why is that?" Starsky asked clearly distracted with the girl.
"Well to begin with we have to write up that mess in the alley way and then there is the girl." Hutch said.
Starsky's head snapped up when Hutch mentioned the girl and he could feel her tremble next to him. "Hey, why don’t I just take care of all this," he said quickly. "This won't take both of us."
Hutch glanced over the back seat. His partner had a protective arm around the girls shoulders. He didn't like what he was seeing. Starsky looked like a boy with a stray kitten. "You sure about this buddy?"
"Sure, nothing to it." Starsky answered. "I'm sure child services will find a nice place for her. And the paper work for the shooting will be a breeze. Go have a good time with your lady."
Hutch was reluctant to drop this mess in his partner's lap but the thought of cuddling up with Bridget in Carmel was too much. He drove them to his apartment and got out. Starsky moved the child to the front seat and strapped her in. He leaned over the top of his car. "Have a good time Hutch see ya Monday morning."
"You have a good weekend too pal and thanks." Hutch gave a final wave and went inside.
Starsky slid in next to the little girl. She sat slumped against the door as far away from him as she could get. He smiled at her. "You hungry? We could stop for a...uh." Now what did kids eat that would be open this time of night? Starsky snapped his fingers. "How about a Happy Meal? You know Ronald McDonald?" The girl smiled at him for the first time showing something besides fear. "Sounds good uh? I think I could go for a burger my self. You think good old Ronald would whip me up one too?"
The child giggled. She moved back into the middle of the seat and looked at Starsky for a moment then gave him another smile.
"I'll take that as a yes, so lets find those golden arches."
Ten minutes later Starsky pulled in to the McDonald's drive-thru. "Two hamburger Happy Meals," He looked over at the girl. "With cheese," he added.
After getting the food Starsky drove as the girl ate, she devoured the cheeseburger in mere seconds then wolfed down the fries. He wanted to ask her some questions and possibly find out where she came from. The last thing he wanted to do was turn her over to child services.
She finished the last of her drink and looked longingly at the second happy meal carton. Starsky grinned at her. "Go ahead take it, I'm not that hungry." He didn't have to make the offer twice, for she grabbed the box and tore into the second cheeseburger. He watched her amazed. "How long has it been since you have eaten sweetie?"
She just looked at him as she chewed. He was beginning to wonder if she could even talk. Maybe that was why she had been dumped, her parents just didn't know what to do with her. "Can you tell me where you live?"
The little girl stopped mid bite and looked at him with terrified eyes. That was the last place she wanted to go back to. It had been five days ago that she had tried to wake her mommy up for breakfast but she just wouldn't open her eyes. The girl had tried everything she could think of and finally left the apartment in search of food. She had gotten lost and never found her way back home. She pulled back against the door again and put the fries back in the box.
"Go ahead it's ok. I won't ask you any more questions right now." Starsky said seeing her reaction. "Well except one." The girl looked at him wondering what it was that he wanted to know now. "Could you please tell me your name? I would like to call you something besides sweetie or honey."
She thought a moment she kind of like him calling her that reminded her of her daddy who she just barely remembered. After a few minutes of thinking she said almost inaudibly, "Mary."
"Mary, what a pretty name for a pretty girl." Starsky smiled at her. "Do you have a last name?"
"Saints."
"Mary Saints," he smiled at her. "Well Mary, I'm Dave Starsky, you can just called me Starsky if you like all my friends do."
She smiled at him again. "Thank you," she said softly.
"For what?" he said gently.
"The hamburgers, I was very hungry." Mary told him then added. "It's been a long time since I ate."
Starsky had to bite his tongue to keep from asking her more questions but he had promised and intended on keeping that promise. "So now what? Can I take you home?"
She shook her head no. "Can't I stay with you?"
Starsky looked at her a moment he knew he should drive right to the station and called child services but she was already so frighten and he felt that she was beginning to trust him. "Well maybe for tonight. Then we'll see if we can find your folks in the morning." Not that he wanted to. Who would let a child wander the streets? He could tell from her appearance that she had been out there a while. He was glad that Hutch wasn't with them for he knew his partner would be pushing him to take her in. But he wasn't so he pointed his car in the direction of his apartment as Mary polished off the French fries. A couple of times she held out the fries for Starsky who would take a few but he wanted to leave most of them for her.
Once in his apartment Starsky didn't know what to do first. It was a sure thing she needed a good bath. He had helped care for his brother Nick when he had been little but he hadn't much dealings with girls well at least not little ones. With the lights on Starsky could see that the child was in much worse shape that he had first thought and contemplated taking her straight to the hospital. Mary had bites on her arms and legs that he was sure were from the rats that prowled the alleys. She had a long scratch on her right cheek. One shoe was missing, there wasn't much left of the dress she was wearing and her red hair was full of tangles.
"How about a bath?" he asked hoping that he wouldn't hurt her feelings but Mary nodded her head vigorously. She hated being so dirty. "Ok the bathroom is right in there." Starsky pointed to a closed door. "I'll see if I can't find some bubble bath I think my girl friend left some here once."
Mary went into the bathroom and stripped out of her nasty clothes. She stood on her tiptoes trying to see in the mirror. She could just barely catch her reflection in the glass. Starsky knocked on the door and came in carrying some towels and a bottle of pink bubble bath. He handed her one of the towels to wrap around her self while he readied her tub. When it was full and the bubbles were brimming over the side he helped her in and started to leave.
"Please will you stay?" she asked timidly.
"Sure if you want me too." He answer, she nodded her head. "Would you be willing to answer some questions for me?"
Mary sunk down in the bubbles, nothing had ever felt so good to her unless it was the hamburgers in her stomach. "I guess."
"Good girl," he smiled at her as he slid down the bath room wall to the floor. "Where are your mommy and daddy?"
For a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer him but finally she said, "I don’t know where my daddy is. He left us a long time ago I hardly remember him. And my mommy wouldn't wake up."
Starsky frowned, "What do you mean she wouldn't wake up?"
Mary shrugged in the bubbles. "I tried and tried but she just wouldn't wake up. There was no food so I went out looking for some and I got lost."
"When was this?" Starsky asked.
Mary thought for a moment, "Monday."
Starsky looked horrified she had been on the streets for five days it was a wonder she was still alive. "So you don't know your address?"
"Oh of course I know that," she exclaimed. "We learned that in kindergarten last year."
"Would you tell me what it is?" He could tell that she didn't want to. "I won't do anything tonight ok?"
She nodded her head. "613 54th Street apartment 10."
Starsky winced but just as he had suspected it was in the very worst part of town. She had only been six or seven blocks away from home but all the buildings looked pretty much the same around there and a lot of the apartment numbers had fallen off. "I'll see if I can find out what is going on tomorrow. Now how about that hair? Would you like a little help with it?"
"Please, it has lots of knots in it."
"We'll get them all out." Starsky gave her is best grin and he set to work on lathering the girls hair.
An hour later they emerged from the bathroom, Mary had a towel wrapped around her head and one around her body. She sat on the edge of Starsky's bed while he rummaged around for in his dresser for something for her to wear. Finally he found a tee shirt and handed it to her, then he went out of the room so that she could dress.
Mary found her savoir in the kitchen making hot chocolate. She had a hairbrush in her hand and was carrying the towels over her arm. "Would you brush my hair from me?"
Starsky poured the hot chocolate into two mugs and carried them over to the kitchen table. "Sure thing Mary. I thought you might like some hot chocolate before you went to bed."
"I love hot chocolate," she said. "I had it once."
Once? Starsky thought as he began working on Mary's tangles. The drinks were gone by the time he had all the snarls combed out of her hair. Now that it was clean he could see that she had beautiful curly red hair that hung half way down her back. "You have beautiful hair Mary."
She smiled shyly at him, "Thank you. My daddy loved my hair too."
"Are you about ready for bed?" Starsky asked noticing that she looked sleepy. She nodded, he took her hand and led her to his bed. He turned down the covers to allow her to get in then he tucked her in.
"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked.
"The couch is real comfortable, don't you worry about me. You just sleep tight ok kiddo?" he said ruffling her curls that were fluffing around her face now that her hair was dry and clean.
As soon as he was sure she was asleep he went to the phone and called the station. He gave them the address that Mary had given him with instructions for the officers that checked it out to give him a call.

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                                                                                        Chapter Two
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Hutch rolled over to find that Bridget had already gotten up. There was a warm breeze blowing off the ocean making the curtains in their room billow out. It was so nice just to be able to lay back in bed and not have to jump up to dress for work. "Bridget?" he called but there was no answer. Slowly stretching Hutch finally got up and went out on to the balcony. He saw his girlfriend running at the waters edge her long blonde hair flowing behind her. Hutch smiled then went to slip on some shorts and tennis shoes so that he could join her.
Just as he finished tying his shoes Hutch decided that he would give Starsky a call to see what happened with the little girl. He dialed Starsky's number he was about to hang up after the tenth ring when Starsky answered. "Hey what's up buddy?" Hutch asked.
"Hutch!" Starsky sounded a bit out of breath. He and Mary had been jumping on the bed when the phone had rung. "How's the mini vacation going?"
"So far so good. Getting ready to join Bridget out on the beach for a run." Hutch answered. "So what happened with the girl?"
"Girl?" Starsky said elusively.
"Yeah you know the girl we found in the alley last night?" Hutch said, then he paused. "Oh Starsk don't tell me you still have her."
"Wel-l-l."
"STARSKY ARE YOU NUTS?"
"Hutch will you calm down?" Starsky said, "You would have done the same thing. Poor little thing she had been out on the streets since Monday."
"All the more reason she needs to be at Child Services. She probably needs a doctor." Hutch grumbled.
"Will you listen." Starsky had gotten a call from the two officers that had checked out the address that Mary had given him. The apartment had reeked when they had entered it and they found the girl's mother dead in the bedroom of an apparent over dose. Sadly nobody missed the woman or the child therefor nobody came to check on them. Most likely the woman would have lay there until her rent was up and the super came to collect. The woman whose name was Nancy Saints from the ID they found in her purse was a part time hooker and a heavy drug user. They had only lived there a month and nobody knew them. Starsky explained all this to Hutch who was still insisting that he take the girl in.
"Starsky somebody might be looking for her." Hutch tried to reason with his partner.
"Hutch the woman has been dead for five days if nobody came looking in those five days nobody is going to. Mary said that her dad left them a long time ago."
"Mary?" Hutch asked.
"Mary, the little girl, she does have a name," Starsky said rather hotly.
Hutch took a deep breath. "Calm down will ya buddy I'm on your side remember?"
"Well it doesn't sound like it right now." Starsky shot back.
"I just don't want you to get in trouble over this girl. You know as well as I do you should have taken her to child services last night." Hutch said.
"But Hutch…" Starsky began.
"You promise me that you'll call them to day. You can't just keep the…Mary."
"Ok Ok, you win." Starsky sighed.
Starsky was sitting on the edge of the couch, Mary padded into the living room still looking flushed from jumping on the bed. Her hair was tousled from sleep and the jumping, she looked unbearably cute standing there in Starsky's tee shirt that came way down past her knees. Mary crawled up in his lap, reached up gave him a kiss on the cheek then snuggled into his lap. Starsky smiled down at her and put his arm around her giving her a hug.
Hutch was talking but Starsky was no longer listening to his partner. "Starsky? Starsky? Are you still there?"
"I'm here," he said into the phone. "What did you say?"
"I said I'll be back late Sunday night." Hutch said wondering what was distracting his partner like he didn't know. "I'll see you first thing Monday morning. Ok buddy?"
"Yeah have a good time," Starsky said and hung up the phone.
Hutch sat there holding the receiver. He knew that Starsky was not going to take Mary to child services, he could tell by his voice that he was already attached to her. Slowly he hung up the phone and contemplated going home. He wasn't heartless, he felt for the little girl too but Starsky just couldn't keep the child like a stay puppy. He didn't want his partner getting in trouble for stashing the girl.
Bridget came in the room about that time. "Hey I thought you would join me out there."
"I had to make a phone call." He answered her.
"Don't tell me we are leaving." She said putting her hands on her hips. It wouldn't be the first time he had ran out on her.
Hutch hung up the receiver that he was still holding in his hand. He knew he really should go home and deal with Starsky but on the other hand Bridget looked nice standing there in her running shorts and tank top. "No, it will wait." He said as he went to her.
Starsky tickled Mary as he asked her about breakfast. "You got Froot Loops?" she inquired. He frowned realizing that he kept very little breakfast stuff and surely nothing a little girl would like.
"How about if we go out for breakfast?" Starsky suggested then looked at Mary standing there in his old tee shirt. "We have a problem. You don't have any clothes." The ones that she had on the night before were totally out of the question. Starsky ponder the problem then picked up the telephone and dialed a number.
Huggy was just ready to open up "The Pits" when the phone rang. He snagged it as he ran a damp rag over the bar. "Pit's Huggy Bear at your service."
"Hey Huggy," Starsky said.
"Hey man, you are up early for your day off." Huggy teased pleased to hear one of his two favorite cops on the other end of the line.
"I got a bit of a problem here," Starsky said and quickly explained to Huggy about Mary.
"Little girls aren't really down my alley but I'll see what I can do for ya," Huggy said. The barkeeper looked around the room until he spied Laura one of his waitresses. "Laura you got kids right?"
"Yeah two of them why?" Laura asked as she finished wiping down the last table.
"I need a favor."
Starsky managed to rustle up some eggs for the two of them and even found a little bacon that wasn't spoiled. They had just finished eating when there was a knock at the door. Mary instantly ran for his bedroom. He wasn't sure if he should go after Mary or get the door. Starsky knew it was Huggy at the door so he opened the door. "Come on in." Starsky said over his shoulder as he went to find Mary.
With a little persuading Starsky finally got Mary to come out to see Huggy. She trembled next to him as he introduced her to Huggy. "It's Ok Mary, Huggy is a good friend of mine. I had him get you some things to wear so that we could get out of the apartment."
"Hi ya Mary," Huggy said holding his hand out to shake her hand. But Mary cringed against Starsky making him wonder just what else had happened to the little girl.
"It's ok really," Starsky said crouching down next to her. Huggy sat down on the couch and held out a sack from a local department store. "See I told you he had something for you."
Very carefully Mary reached for the bag ready to dodge away if the strange man tried to touch her. But he allowed her to take the bag from him. She looked up at Starsky who nodded for her to open it. Mary slowly opened the bag and pulled out a sunny yellow sundress. Her eyes glowed as she looked at the dress, she had never had anything so pretty before. Then she looked back into the sack and found underwear and a pair of white sandals. "Thank you," she said softly looking at Huggy with her big green eyes.
"You are quite welcome little one." Huggy grinned at her.
"Why don’t you go try on the dress?" Starsky suggested. After Mary went into the bathroom and shut the door Starsky smiled at Huggy. "Thanks man I wasn't sure what I was going to do."
"No problem, glad to help." Huggy said then asked. "What are you going to do with her."
Starsky shrugged. "I really should turn her into child services but she is scared to death of people. Took me two kiddie meals to get her to talk to me."
Mary dashed out of the bathroom and spun around in her new dress and shoes then hugged Starsky around the waist. "She doesn’t seem to have a problem with you now." Huggy chuckled.
"Thank you again mister," Mary said from the safety of Starsky's arm which she had dragged around her shoulder. "I have never had a new dress before."
Every time Mary made those kinds of statements it just tore at Starsky's heart. He was very quickly falling in love with the child and would protect her at all costs. "How about if we go out and get you a few more uh?" Starsky winked at her. Huggy shook his head as he watched them. Starsky saw his expression. "Don't even start on me. I have Hutch for that."
"Speaking of Hutch where is he? You two are usually in these messes together." Huggy asked.
"He's in Carmel with Bridget." Starsky said surprised that his partner hadn't turned up on his doorstep after their conversation earlier.
"I take it he doesn’t approve?" Huggy asked glancing at Mary who was spinning around again.
"You know Hutch pretty much by the book." Starsky said as he watched Mary with a smile on his face. Who would have thought that a dress could make a little girl so happy? He was ready to go out and by her a whole store just to see her smile.
"Don't go getting to attached now." Huggy said as he was leaving. "Bye Mary."
"I think it's too late," Starsky grinned at his friend.
As Mary and Starsky started out the door the phone rang again. He started to ignore it but then thought better of it and picked up the receiver. "Starsky."
"What is all hell is going on?" Dobey roared into the phone.
"What do you mean?" Starsky asked trying to sound innocence.
"What do I mean? How about two officers finding a dead woman in her apartment with a tip from an officer who is supposed to be off duty." Dobey stormed. "Would you like to explain to me just how you knew about this woman?"
Starsky stood looking at Mary unsure of how to tell Dobey with out bring Mary into it.
"Well Hutch and I were just finishing up…"
Dobey didn't let his detective finish. "I don't want any of your cock-n-bull stories. Get your ass in my office right now. And where is the report on that shooting?"
Starsky and Mary entered the squad room, he took her to his desk giving her paper and a pen. After telling her to stay put Starsky knocked on Dobey's office door and waited to be invited in. When the detective opened the door Dobey looked up in surprised Starsky rarely knocked and never waited for an answer. "What's going on?" Dobey asked suspiciously. "You don't knock."
"Well…ah..you see it's like this captain." Starsky stammered. He was trying to figure out a way to explain this and get in the least amount of trouble.
Dobey hiked his eyebrows at Starsky waiting for him to get it out. Dobey was about ready to explode when his office door was pushed open and a little red head poked through. "Starsky can I have a drink?"
Starsky closed his eyes for a moment then taking a deep breath he turned and smiled at Mary, "Sure honey. I want you to meet somebody first though."
It was then that Mary noticed the captain behind his desk and she disappeared. Starsky held up his hand for Dobey to wait a minute and he dashed out to get the girl. After some persuading Starsky managed to get Mary back in the office. She was clearly terrified of Dobey as she had been of Huggy.
"Captain this is Mary," Starsky said holding Mary's shoulders firmly between his hands partly to reassure her and partly to keep her from bolting from the room. "Mary this is my boss Captain Dobey." Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "He has a little girl too."
Dobey gave the girl a smile and Starsky a curious look. "Nice to meet you Mary."
"Hi," She said shyly as she pressed her back against Starsky's legs.
"How about if I give you change for the soda machine out in the hall?" Dobey offered digging in his pants pocket. He pulled out a hand full of change. "Here you go he held out his hand with the money in it. There's enough for a drink and a snack. I know Rosie always loves chips or something with her drink."
Starsky pushed the girl toward the captain's desk. "It's ok Mary."
Slowly Mary went to the captain and took the change from him. "Thank you." She smiled then looked at Starsky.
"The machines are out in the hall. Get your stuff and go back to my desk I'll be out in a minute OK?" Starsky said. Mary nodded and went out the door.
Dobey gave a big sigh. "Who's the kid belong too?" Then he held up his hand. "No, no let me guess the daughter of the dead woman. Am I right?" Dobey asked narrowing his eyes.
Starsky flopped down in the chair in front of the captain's desk. "Yeah Mary is her daughter. But we found the girl first in the alley where the shooting happened." Starsky explained the rest of the story to his boss whom sat shaking his head as he listened.
"And why might I ask isn't she in Child Services?" Dobey wanted to know.
"Look at her Cap, she's scared to death." Starsky said.
"What do you expect she has been out on the streets for a week by herself but that's no excuse not to turn her over." Dobey reasoned.
"But Captain…"
"No buts Starsky you either called Child Services or I will." Dobey saw Starsky's face fall as he spoke. "It is Saturday though they might not get her until Monday."
Starsky nodded around the lump in this throat, the thought of turning her over to anybody else made the pit of his stomach hurt. "There isn't any other way?"
Dobey shook his head. Starsky headed forlornly out of his captain's office to talk to Mary. Noticing his expression Dobey said, "You know they do give temporary custody in some cases. Starsky didn't turn around but a small smile formed on his lips.
Mary was at Starsky's desk a can of Pepsi and a bag of chips opened next to her. He leaned over her to see what she was drawing. Mary had made the out line of a house and put two stick people in side one was bigger than the other. Both of them had a head of blue ink curls. She looked up at him she had felt him leaning over her. She smiled at him then pointed to the first smaller stick figure. "That is me." Then she pointed to the larger figure and said. "And that's you Starsky."
He kissed Mary on the top of her head. "Very nice." Then he pulled another chair up next to her. "Mary I need to talk to you."
"My mommy's dead isn't she?" Mary asked sounding more curious than sad.
The question took Starsky by surprise since he was about to tell her that he had to call Child Services. "I'm afraid so honey I'm very sorry."
Mary shrugged. "She wasn't a very nice mommy."
"I'm sure she did the best she could do." Starsky said sorrowfully.
"Where are you?" Bridget asked Hutch as they walked hand and hand down the beach.
Hutch had been thinking of Starsky and the girl wondering if he finally called about her. He knew Dobey was going to have a fit when he found out that Starsky had kept the girl over night. "I'm sorry," he smiled at her. "I hope that Starsky has turned the girl in." He had told her all about it that morning after he had talked to Starsky.
"You want to go home?" she offered. There wasn't much sense in staying anyway he was so preoccupied thinking about Starsky that he had hardly said two words to her all morning.
"No, no of course not. I really am sorry." Hutch apologized for a second time. "I'll keep my mind here I promise."
Bridget rolled her bright blue eyes she knew better. She found out long ago that when you dated Ken Hutchinson, his partner was always there not so much in body but in thought. They had doubled a few times with Starsky and one of his many girl friends but if Hutch wasn't taking about some case they were on he was telling her about something funny or stupid that Starsky had done. Bridget didn't really mind in fact it gave her comfort for she knew that Starsky felt the same way about Hutch so there was always someone out there watching his back. "Really I don't mind."
Hutch brushed off her offer and instead asked, "How about lets find some little seafood place for lunch?"
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                                                                                      Chapter Three

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It had been the hardest thing he had ever done explaining to Mary that he was going to have to call Child Services. Not that she even knew what that was. All Mary knew was that somebody was going to come and take her away from the only person that had been nice to her since she could remember. She had begged and pleaded for him not to call anybody. She said that she wouldn't eat much and that he didn’t have to buy her anything else that the one dress was enough. Mary had gone on and gone, it had broke Starsky's heart listening to her. He wanted to tell her that he was going to try and get temporary custody of her but he didn't want to get her hopes up only to dash them. Finally Mary just broke down in heaving sobs, she was crying so hard it scared the detective. Starsky got up slamming his chair into the desk and stalked toward Dobey's office. The whole squad room was staring at the both of them.
This time Starsky didn't bother knocking, he just pushed open the door. "If you want Child Services called then you do it. I'm not going to." Starsky stated then turned on his heels and walked out of the room.
Dobey heaved himself up from his desk and followed Starsky into the squad room. The detective had pulled the weeping child into his arms and was sitting on the floor with her. Dobey sighed, "I'll see what I can do." The captain didn't like seeing a child in pain any more than his officer.
Twenty minutes later a woman carrying a briefcase pushed her way into the squad room. Starsky was still sitting on the floor cradling the child who had cried her self to sleep. "You must be Detective Starsky." The woman said looking down on the pair. "I'm Sheila Gennings from Child Services."
Starsky shot a look at Dobey's office a door that could have killed multitudes, he had never been so angry at his boss in all his life. "I guess you are here for Mary."
Sheila smiled at him. "Well no I'm here to have you fill out a few forms."
"Forms?" Starsky said confused.
"Yes, your Captain thought you would be an excellent candidate for emergency foster parenting." She answered.
"Emergency foster parenting?"
"Some times we run out of foster parents and from what your captain has told me about this little girl I don’t think she would benefit being ripped away from you and put into a hall. You have to fill out these papers," She pulled out several sheets of paper from her briefcase and handed them to the detective. "And I will accompany you to the emergency room to have the girl check out. I understand she was on the streets for a week."
Starsky nodded. "She is terrified of people. I have a feeling things I don’t even want to think about have happened to her. I think that is the reason she didn't find her way home. She knows her address but I think she was to afraid to talk to any body to ask for help."
"I understand her mother was a drug addict and a hooker." Sheila said making some notes on another form. "How about a father?"
Starsky shook his head, "Mary said that he left along time ago. I'm guessing she is about six since she was in kindergarten last year. That's about all I have gotten out of her. I have been afraid to push to much."
"Sounds like you are handling this just the right way," she complimented. "I think you might just be what Mary needs right now. Seems you are the only one that she trusts."
Starsky hurriedly filled out the papers then gently woke Mary. The moment she saw the woman she began to wail. "Mary," he said trying to calm her. "You get to stay with me." But she was crying so hard that she didn't even hear his words. Finally Starsky took her small face in his hands and made her look at him. "Mary you are staying with me."
"Really?" she said with a hiccuping cry.
"Yep, this nice lady here just wants us to go the hospital to have you checked out and then we can go home." He told her.
A look of pure terror crossed her face at the word hospital. "Noooo…."
"It will be OK I'll stay right with you," Starsky said looking up at Sheila to make sure that was all right. She nodded wondering herself what this poor child had been through in her short life.
Mary cringed against Starsky's side as they entered the hospital. Sheila had tried several times to get the little girl to talk to her but Mary refused to even look at the woman. Sheila went to the front desk and spoke to the nurse who directed them to a room down the hall.
After waiting fifteen minutes another nurse came in. She frowned when she saw Mary sitting on the examining room table. "Oh no Mary, what happened this time?"
Starsky and Sheila looked at each other. "You know this child?" Sheila asked.
"Unfortunately," the nurse shook her head sadly. "Mary has been a patient here several times. Nice to see you Sheila, since she is with you I take it somebody has finally wised up and has removed her from her home."
"This is Detective Starsky, Sara Simmons," Sheila introduced them. "He and his partner found Mary in an alley. Seems she had been out on the streets for about a week."
"Nice to meet you Detective," Sara said giving him a smile. Then she shook her head. "Mary should have been removed from her mothers care long before now."
"Sara," Starsky returned her smile. "So what kinds of things has Mary been in here for?"
"Just a moment and let me get her file." The nurse said and left the room.
Starsky looked furious at Sheila, "Mary is abused and you never took her from her home?"
Sheila shrugged helplessly, "I wasn't on her case. I have no idea who it was but you can believe I'm going to find out damn quick. I'm going to make some phone calls. You stay here with Mary." Like she had to even tell Starsky that.
He looked at Mary no wonder she had been so terrified. "It's ok honey, they are just going to check out those bites."
Nurse Sara came back in the room carrying a thick folder with Mary's name on it. She held it out to the detective. "It isn't pretty." Then she turned to Mary, "Ok Mary we are just going to check you out. I promise I won't hurt you."
Starsky studied the file as Sara checked over Mary. His blood boiled as he read what had brought her to the emergency room each time. Once for burns, by the description they sound like cigarette burns, there as a big 'CLOSED' at the top of the paper. He showed it to Sara, she shook her head with sad eyes and explained that child services had been called but the case had been closed with no action taken. "But why?" Starsky asked.
"Your guess was as good as mine. They were clearly cigarette burns but some how her mother managed to explain her self out of it." Sara said as she looked at one rather large scab on Mary's leg.
Starsky continued reading. Two different times she had been brought in with broken ribs, once with a broken arm and one time with a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. The moment Sheila entered the room he grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her out into the hall then shoved the file into her arms. "What the hell is going on here?" Starsky growled at her. "This child's mother has been torturing her."
Sheila sighed and looked up into the detective's angry blue eyes. "The case worker was a man by the name of Henry Brannen. It was his job I took because he was fired."
"Why was he fired?" Starsky demanded.
"I can't tell you that," Sheila said.
"Well you had better or this is going to be all over the front page of tomorrow's newspaper."
" Detective Starsky please," she said but she could tell by the look in his eyes he wasn't kidding. "OK but if this gets out I'll loose my job. Branner was fired for taking bribes."
"Bribes?" Starsky said confused.
"He had about ten cases that he dismissed. The parents paid him to say that he investigated and found nothing." She said looking embarrassed.
"Why didn't anybody follow up? Especially when somebody like Mary was repeatedly showing up?" Starsky wanted to know.
"We are so over worked it's not even funny. We barely have enough time in the day to handle the cases that belong to us let alone double-checking behind somebody else. It's a sad state but that is the way it is."
"This Brannen should be in jail." Starsky spit out.
"I agree with you," Sheila said. "I really don’t know what happened there, just that he was fired. I got the rest from the grapevine. And not even the grapevine had all the dirt on it. Sound's like there was some sort of deal made."
"Some deal," Starsky grumbled as the examining room door opened and Mary threw her arms around Starsky. He smiled and picked her up. "Well you ready to do some shopping little miss?"
She nodded her head. This time her visit hadn't been painful but the times before it was agony as her wounds had been treated, and her bones shifted back in to place.
"You two have a good time," Sheila smiled as she rubbed the little girls back. Mary drew closer to Starsky.
"It's OK Mary," Starsky said softly in her ear. "She's a friend." Then he turned to the nurse "Clean bill of health?"
She nodded, "Just keep an eye on a few of those bits and rub this on them. She has had enough tetanus shots in the past I think she will be fine." Sara handed him a tub of antibiotic cream "If you have any problems just call."
"Thanks," Starsky said and he and Mary left the hospital.
Hutch stood in the shower with a stream of hot water pouring on his head. He hoped that they would have a quiet morning so that he could get by a florist before noon. Bridget had been more than a little miffed at him when he had dropped her off at her apartment late the night before. The weekend was supposed to be their big get away. It had been the first free weekend either of them had had at the same time in six months. Bridget would be flying out at three p.m. and wouldn't be back in town for a week. Cops and stewardess just didn't mix.
She had been understanding at first but as the weekend wore on and all Hutch could think of was Starsky and that little girl. But Bridget's tolerance had been put to the test when Hutch had accidentally called her Starsky as they walked down the beach in the moonlight. He hadn't even been aware of his slip until she had stop dead in her tracks to stare at him. She had threaten then and there to pack her bags and get a bus home. Hutch had managed to make amends and convinced her to stay promising once again to keep his mind on her.
But once again he had screwed up as he had dropped her off. Bridget had asked him to come in and spend the night since it would be their last together for a long while. Hutch had a bag in each hand while Bridget was opening the security door to her building.
"Sorry Bridg I really got to get home." Hutch had told her. "I need to call Starsky and see how he made out with that kid and the shooting."
Bridget had turned angrily on him. "Fine," she said darkly as she snatched her bags from his hands. "In fact why don't you and Starsk get married. I think the two of you would make a lovely couple." And with that she went in allowing the door to shut in Hutch's face locking him out.
Hutch had pounded on the glass but Bridget never turned to look she just got on the elevator and disappeared. Hutch buzzed her apartment for thirty minutes with out an answer, then hoped somebody would come home and he could slip in. But it was after one p.m. and every one seemed settled in for the night. Finally Hutch gave up and went home. He was going to call her but thought better of it he was sure she wouldn't answer anyway. Then he started to call Starsky but by that time it was going on two and he knew Starsky would be pissed if he woke him up. It was bad enough to have one person mad let alone two especially one that he would have to ride around with all day.
Hutch turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. After drying himself off he dressed, made his usually breakfast of gray goop as Starsky called it and then headed for his partner's apartment.
Starsky was still lying on the couch, his sleeping place since Mary had come to live with him when Hutch knocked on the door. Starsky leaped from the couch in order to get the door before Hutch knocked again and woke Mary.
They had had two big days. Saturday after leaving the hospital he had taken her shopping buying her several more out fits and a pair of tennis shoes. Then they stopped off at a toy store where he got her a baby doll with all the accessories. As they had been checking out the cashier had commented on what a nice Daddy the little girl had. Mary agreed with her as she beamed at Starsky's who's heart filled with so much love that he thought it would explode. On Sunday they had spent the day at the zoo and having a picnic.
Starsky opened the door and put a finger to his lips to keep Hutch quiet. Hutch knew instantly why his partner wanted him to be quiet. "Damnit Starsky you still have her don't you." Hutch said in a hushed whisper. "Dobey is going to throw a fit! He is going to have your head and maybe even your badge for this one. You just can't keep this kid. Are you nuts?" Hutch was about to go on when he noticed that Starsky just standing there silently not even trying to defend his actions as he usually did. "Don't you have anything to say?"
"Dobey knows," Starsky said simply. "And I have the next couple of days off."
"D-Dobey knows?" Hutch sputtered forgetting to keep his voice down.
"In fact he's the one that helped me keep Mary." Starsky said going to sit on the couch.
Hutch flopped down on the couch next to his partner stunned. "Dobey knows?"
"Isn't that just what I said?" Starsky whispered. "And will you keep it down Mary is sleeping."
Hutch got up and went to the door of Starsky's bedroom. He looked in at the sleeping child. She had her arm wrapped protectively around her new baby doll that she had named Sheila in honor of the woman that had allowed her to stay with Starsky. He went back to the couch. "And just what are you going to do with her when you go back to work?" Hutch inquired.
"That's why Dobey gave me a couple extra days off." Starsky explained. "I need to line up a sitter."
"Line up a sitter?" Hutch said open mouthed. "Just how long to you plan on keeping her?"
Starsky sighed. He felt like they were talking about a lost puppy. "Hutch I was made her foster parent." And to strike the final blow he added. "And I'm going to see if I can adopt her."
Foster parent? Adopt? What in hell had happened to his partner in just two days? "What are you going to do with a little girl Starsky? You can't even get to work on time most days and all you eat is donuts and tacos."
"Why don't you stay for breakfast and see," Starsky said feeling a little insulted even if he knew Hutch was right.
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                                                                               Chapter Four

Hutch sat on the couch as Starsky was attempting to prove himself in the kitchen. Hutch wasn't unaware of the small eyes on him until she was standing next to him. Mary had been watching this man from the bedroom door. She vaguely remembered him for the night in the alley when Starsky had rescued her. Mary stood just out of reaching distance as she wondered why he seemed so angry. She knew that he was Starsky's partner for he had told her all about Hutch and how much she would like him. And how they all could go places and do things together but he didn't look too happy as he sat there and stared out into space.
Hutch looked to his left as he felt eyes on him. He was a bit startled to see the girl standing there. Starsky said she was six years old but she looked much younger and was small for her age. She was wearing a Winnie the Pooh nightie and was clutching the doll. "Hi," he said softly not wanting to scare her.
"Hi," she said back.
"So you are Mary, I have heard a lot about you." Hutch smiled at her.
Starsky came in the room with a spatula in his hand. "So you are up finally," He teased her. "I thought you were going to sleep the day away."
Mary giggled and ran to Starsky he bent down and picked her up in his free arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I was tired from all them bears." She giggled again.
"And don’t forget the lions and tigers." Then he chanted. "Lions and tigers and bears oh my!"
Mary joined in and they recited the Wizard of Oz line several times as Hutch watched them in amazement. He had never this side of his partner, ever. He had seen him be kind to little old ladies that had called them just because they were lonely and needed some one to talk to. He had seen him comfort family members who had just lost love ones. He had seen him kid and joke with the children on their beat but he had never seen the love that was over flowing from him as he and Mary marched around the room chanting.
Finally they stopped in front of Hutch. "We watched the Wizard of Oz last night on TV." Proclaimed Mary.
"I would have never guessed," Hutch said. He looked at Mary she was beaming as she had her arm causal hung around Starsky's neck and Starsky was looking at her with such love how could he see anything wrong with this. "So what's up for today?"
"Well partner you have to work," Starsky said sitting Mary on her feet. He told her to go and get dressed then looked back at Hutch. "And like I said I have to find a sitter."
"Sorry partner I can't be much help there," Hutch said.
Starsky looked at his bedroom door to make sure Mary was out of hear shot and he lower his voice. "I need you do some digging for me." Starsky said seriously.
"Sure anything."
"I want you to see what you can dig up on a Henry Brannen," Starsky told him. Mary came running in the room dressed in pink shorts and a white top still carrying her doll and now a hairbrush.
She looked up at Starsky, "Can you bush my hair?"
Starsky sniffed the air. "Shoot my eggs. Get Uncle Hutch to do it." Starsky dashed to the kitchen to save his eggs.
Mary looked up at Hutch unsure if she wanted him to brush her hair or not. Then slowly she held the brush up to him if Starsky said he was all right then that was enough for her. Hutch took the brush he was as uneasy as Mary he had never brushed a little girls hair before.
Hutch and Mary were just walking into the kitchen when Starsky sat three plates of eggs on the table, each plate had four triangles of butter toast laid around the edge. They all sat down.
Hutch looked at the concoction in his plate. "What is this?"
"It's called a breakfast frittata." Starsky said proudly digging into his egg dish.
Hutch poked it suspiciously, then took a bite, "Hey Starsk this is pretty good!"
"Thank you much," Starsky grinned.
Mary leaned over toward Hutch and put her hand in front of her mouth then whispered. "We bought a cook book on the way home from the zoo."
"I heard that," Starsky teased. "How am I suppose to learn to cook with out a cook book."
Out of no where Mary asked. "When can I go to school?"
Starsky looked shocked. She was six and should be in the first grade. It was early May only a month left of school. "Have you been going to school this year?"
Mary shook her head. "Mommy didn't send me back after Kindergarten. She said she had to get up to early."
Starsky closed his eyes how could anyone be so cruel to a child they had brought into the world. "I'll check into it OK?"
Mary nodded happily and went back to eating her eggs. Hutch looked across the table at Starsky he was dying to ask him who this Henry Brannen was but he didn't dare in front of Mary since he assumed it had something to do with her.
"So how was your vacation with Bridget?" Starsky asked around a bite of egg.
"Don't even go there," Hutch said as he put jam on a toast corner.
"Oops do I hear a bit of discontentment?" Starsky asked with raised eyebrows. "What did you do this time? Or should I say didn't do?"
Hutch shot his partner a look. "Didn't I just tell you I don’t want to talk about it."
Starsky grinned at him and got up from the table. He went and got the yellow pages then handed them to Hutch. "Just call it's faster."
"Call who?" Hutch asked.
"The florist." Starsky smirked. "I'm sure they would be glad to take your call you have about worn out their door hinges."
"Very funny smart as…" he looked at Mary. "Smarty pants."
Starsky laughed at Hutch's quick turnabout on words. He winked at his partner. Deciding Starsky's idea wasn't such a bad one he went to make the call.
"I like Hutch, he's funny." Mary said eating the last of her eggs. "He was going to say smart ass wasn’t he?"
"Mary!" Starsky said trying to sound shocked but the more he was leaning about her he was sure she had heard those words and worse. "Little girls shouldn't say words like that."
"I'm sorry," Mary's lip shot out and she looked as if she were going to cry.
Starsky motioned for her to sit in his lap. Mary crawled up on his knee and laid her head on his shoulder. "So what do we do today?"
"Find a school." Mary said with out lifting her head.
Starsky sighed wondering just how to find a school. "Ok then finding a school it is. How about if I ask Hutch to met us in the park for lunch?" Mary nodded.
After Hutch left for work Starsky sat perplexed on the couch how did he go about finding the school Mary should be in. He picked up the phone and dialed Sheila Gennings number from the card she had given him.
"Gennings," said Sheila who was busy filling out paper work at her desk.
"Miss Gennings this is Detective Starsky." He announced.
She put down her pen and smiled. "Well Detective Starsky how did the weekend go with Mary?"
"We had fun and she is opening up more and more." Starsky informed her. "But I have a problem that I need a bit of help with."
"Anything."
"Mary wants to go to school," Starsky said as he smiled at Mary who was sitting on the couch next to him.
"School, there is only about a month left." Sheila said.
"I know but I thought maybe if she could at least go that month it wouldn't be so hard next year." Starsky explained his reasoning. "And besides she wants to go."
"I'll find out what school district you are in and let you know." Sheila said as she looked up the paper work Starsky had filled out for her. "I'll give you a call after lunch."
"That would be great." Starsky said. He hung up the phone and smiled at Mary. "Miss Gennings is going to find you a school."
Hutch knocked on Dobey's office door then poked his head in. "Hey Cap."
Dobey looked up and motioned his detective in. "So how is Starsky doing with the girl?"
Hutch laughed, "She has him wrapped around his little finger. He is even cooking. It's really kind of scary."
Dobey gave Hutch one of his rare smiles, "Love will make you do crazy things."
"He asked me to look up this guy for him, name is Henry Brannen." Hutch took out a slip of paper he had jotted the name down on.
"Who is he?" Dobey asked taking the paper.
Hutch shrugged. "Don't know. Starsky didn't tell me, Mary came back into the room so I'm guessing it has something to do with her."
"I would say it's a good bet. Why don't you run it through R&I and see what they come up with." Dobey suggested. "It's a good place to start."
By the time lunch came around Hutch hadn't had much luck tracking down Henry Brannen. He was carrying a bag with three cans of soda in it he spied Starsky and Mary at the playground. He was pushing her in the swing and she was squealing with delight. A large sack sat on a picnic table close by.
Hutch placed his smaller bag next to it and went to join Starsky behind the swing. "Find out anything about Brannen?"
Hutch shook his head. "You didn't give me much to go on. But he has no record at least not under that name."
Starsky sighed as he gave Mary another push. "Damn, I want to get him."
"Who is he?" Hutch asked.
Starsky filled in his partner what little he know about Brannen. "I want that bastard. Who knows how many children he has allowed to stay in homes where they are being tortured everyday."
Hutch looked totally horrified when Starsky finished. He suddenly saw little Mary in a new light. But at that moment he would have never guessed that she had an unhappy day in her life. "We'll get him Starsky I promise you that."
"Don’t do it for me," Starsky said. "Do it for her and the others."
Mary was giggling then she yelled. "Higher, push me higher Daddy!"
Starsky stopped in mid push and looked at Hutch. Then he grinned ear from ear, "Did you hear what she called me?"
Hutch smiled at his partner and wondered what would happen if this didn't work out. What if Starsky wasn't able to adopt Mary. They would both be broken hearted. He wanted to warn his partner about getting any more attached but he knew it was to late for that.

                                                                                       Chapter Five

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When Starsky returned home with Mary there was a message on his answering machine from Sheila telling him where to go to get Mary in school. Sheila had already called the school to explain the situation and to smooth the way for Starsky. The principal was more than willing to allow Mary to start school with the short time remaining but he told the social worker that Mary would have to repeat first grade the next year since she had miss the entire year. Sheila explained this to Starsky whom in turn told Mary. But the little girl didn't care just as long as she was getting to go to school.
So that afternoon they went to the Elementary school that turned out to be only several blocks from Starsky's apartment. Mary was beside her self with joy as they walked down the long hallway to the principal's office. The word Principal was stenciled on the door, Starsky knocked softly then entered. A secretary was sitting at a desk in the outer office. She was an older woman with gray hair and a friendly smile.
She looked up when they entered. "You must be Mary," the woman said.
"And I'm Dave Starsky," he said as he bent to shake the woman's hand.
"Our principal will be with you in a few moments. Please have a seat." The secretary said still smiling.
As they were waiting for the principal Hutch was back at the squad room doing a little more digging on one Harry Brannen with out much luck. He did find an address on him finally through the license's bureau. Hutch picked up the card that Starsky had given him with Sheila Gennings number on it. He dialed it and waited for the woman to answer. "Miss Gennings this is Detective Hutchinson I'm Detective Starsky's partner."
"Hello Detective Hutchinson. There's nothing wrong I hope." She asked.
"Oh no, Mary and Starsky are getting along wonderfully in fact he's at the school right now getting her registered." Hutch informed her. "What I'm calling about is Henry Brannen." There was dead silence on the other end." Miss Gennings are you still here?"
"Yes I'm here," Sheila said haltingly. "Why do you want to know about Brannen? He is no longer in our employment."
"Yes I realize that, but I would like to see what else he has been up. What he has done is criminal." Hutch said. "Starsky told me about him."
"I told your partner that I could lose my job if it got out that I gave him that information. If you do an investigation my name will be dragged into it." Sheila said in an almost pleading voice. "I need this job Detective Hutchinson."
"Do you need that job so badly you are willing to watch children die?" Hutch growled. "If we hadn't happened along when we did how long do you think Mary would have lasted out on the streets. I'm surprised that she survived. There are people out there that will do unspeakable things to children."
There was silence once again from the other end. Then in a whisper Sheila said, "I'll make copies of all of Brannen's files and get you as much information as I can. Where can we meet?"
Hutch smiled, "How about the Pits a friend of ours owns it."
Hutch was sitting at the bar when Sheila walked in carrying a thick manila envelope under her arm. She looked around for a moment then walked to the bar. She was standing right next to Hutch when she leaned over the bar to inquire if the detective was there yet.
Huggy was filling mugs with beer, "You are standing right next to him." The barkeeper said with a wink.
Hutch turned to see the young woman standing next to him. "Have a seat Miss Gennings. What would you like to drink?"
"That beer looks pretty good," she said rather nervously. "I think you had better call me Sheila if I'm going to be your stoolie. Isn't that what it's called on the streets?"
Hutch laughed. "You don't look like any stoolie I have ever seen." He complimented. Huggy nodded in agreement as he sat a beer in front of her then pushed a bowl of pretzels toward them.
She smiled. "Thank you…I think." She handed Hutch the envelope. "Here are all his case files or the ones that I know he took bribes to close. Mary is in there too. A couple of the children are dead now." Sheila said softly.
"Dead?" Hutch looked mortified.
"I did a bit of checking on my own after you called." Sheila said as she pulled out a pad of paper from her purse. "I called other hospital's to see if they had records of these children. Several of them did and Detective Hutchinson…"
"Please call me Hutch." He said.
She took a deep breath. "Hutch, Mary was taken into another hospital on the other side of town. She was hemorrhaging pretty badly."
Hutch sucked in his breath wondering what could have cause it. "When was this and what happened to her?"
"It was last year she was just five years old. She had been raped." Sheila murmured tears filling her eyes. "I'll help you get Brannen even if it does cost me my job. How he managed to smooth over that one I'll never know but his signature is all over the hospital files. I don't have them but when I heard that I went over and looked at them. I tried to get copies but they wouldn't let me."
"No wonder she is so scared of people." Hutch said appalled at what the social worker had just told him.
"Knowing her mothers back ground I would say it was probably one of her customers with or without her consent." Sheila said wondering if she would shock the detective. But Hutch was nodding he had seen just about everything in his years on the force.
"There are a lot of sick people out on the streets." Hutch said as he thumbed through the files. Two had deceased written in red pen on the top. He looked up with questions in his eyes.
"I wrote that on there today after contacting the other hospitals. I don't know if he suggested that the children should be taken to other hospitals or their parents were just that smart then called him."
"A boy and a girl," Hutch said pulling their files out. He read through them quickly. The boy had supposedly fallen down a flight of stairs breaking his neck and the little girl pulled down a pot of boiling water on her self and died of the burns. Sheila on the edges of the papers in the files penciled all this information in. Hutch felt numb after reading just those two files and knowing about Mary. What was he going to tell Starsky, he knew his partner would be furious about the other children but how he was going to take what had happened to Mary he didn't know.
It was well after ten when Hutch and Sheila finished up. She promised to keep digging hoping to come up with more. Hutch went directly to Starsky's apartment, he had the envelope in hand as he knocked on his partners door softly knowing that Mary would be long asleep.
Starsky opened the door Hutch had to step around several large bags in the living room. "What's all this?"
"Well Mary had to have some school clothes she starts tomorrow." Starsky beamed.
"Starsk there is only about a month of school left." Hutch said shaking his head as he made his way toward the couch.
"So where have you been? I have called your place a couple of times." Starsky asked he went to the kitchen to grab them a couple of beers from the fridge.
"I was talking to Sheila Gennings," Hutch said tossing the envelope on the coffee table. He looked around the room to make sure Mary wasn't there. "Why don't you pull the bed room door close a bit uh buddy?"
Starsky gave his partner a funny look but did as he was told. Then he sat down next to Hutch handing him the open bottle. "So what did our Miss Gennings have to say?"
Hutch examined the label on the bottle for several minutes trying to figure out just how to tell his partner about the little girl he loved so much. "Starsky it's not pretty…none of it."
Starsky didn't like the look on Hutch's face, he almost looked ill. Hutch handed him the envelope containing the files. "What's all this?" Starsky asked sitting his bottle on the table in order to open the envelope.
"Files on the children this Brannen handled or didn't handle." Hutch said hoarsely.
"You got these from Sheila?" Starsky said in surprise. "She said she would loose her job if she helped."
"I think she has changed her mind. Read you'll see why." Hutch said.
Hutch watched the expression on Starsky's face as he read about the two dead children, he had left those on top. And Hutch knew when he got to Mary's file, which Starsky read, in even greater detail than he had when Mary was at the hospital on Saturday. When Starsky finished reading all of them he looked up at his partner. "How did this monster get away with this?"
"He would send them to other hospitals even if it meant them going clear across town. That is the stuff written on the sides on the two dead kids. Sheila couldn't get them to let her make copies so she just wrote down the information." Hutch explained. "And Starsky…there is more about Mary."
Starsky looked at his partner not sure he wanted to hear it. "There was nothing else written on her file."
Hutch hadn't been sure if Sheila had done that to spare Starsky's feelings or what but he took a deep breath and said. "Mary was one of the ones that was taken to a hospital across town."
"For what?"
"She was hemorrhaging," Hutch said then paused. "Starsk she had been raped."
All the color drained from Starsky's face as he sat there staring at his partner in disbelief. "Raped?"
"It was last year, she was only five when it happened." Hutch said softly putting his hand on Starsky's shoulder he could feel him quivering in anger. "Sheila said it was probably one her mothers john's."
"My God," Starsky said completely stunned. "She's just a baby what kind of sick bastard has sex with a baby?" He stood up and tossed the files across the room. The papers flew out of them and fluttered to the floor. "I am going to kill him when I get my hands on him." He shouted forgetting Mary was sleeping in the next room.
"Calm down Starsk, we'll get him." Hutch said. "I have a feeling this isn't a first for him. I'm going to child services tomorrow and see what I can find out about his guy. They are suppose to do police checks on these people. Run them though the FBI before they are hired. I just can't believe he doesn't have some kind of record on him some place."
"Starsky?" said a meek voice from the doorway of the bedroom. He turned to see Mary standing there squinting in the bright light of the living room. She was rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked around the room at the papers strewn all over. Mary could tell Starsky was angry from the look on his face. She had seen angry looks before and it was usually then that she had gotten beat. Mary knew that she hadn't done anything but that had never stopped her mother or the men that came to see her from beating her. "Please don't hit me."
Starsky's face fell and he went to Mary, getting down on his knees he pulled the little girl into his arms hugging her tightly to him. She was trembling with fear. "Oh Mary I would never hit you, never ever." He said in a quivery voice. "I love you."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. "I love you too." He picked her up carrying her back into the bedroom. Hutch could hear Starsky talking to her in soft tones then singing, it was a full thirty minutes before he returned to the living room.
"I swear to go I'm going to kill him," Starsky whispered when he returned.
"Buddy I think you are going to have to stand in line." Hutch answered.

                                                                                                Chapter Six

Starsky felt as if somebody were watching him. His eyes popped open to find Mary sitting on the edge of the coffee table fully dressed with her back pack that they had bought the day before on her back. She had her hairbrush in one hand and her doll in the other. He squinted at his watch then looked at Mary again. "Honey it's only seven a.m. you don't have to be to school until nine."
"I don't want to be late." She said smiling.
Starsky sat up then held his back. "Little one we are going to have to find us a two bedroom apartment this couch is about to killed me." He smiled as she scooped her off the coffee table and into his arms.
Mary giggled and held up her brush. "Would you brush my hair?"
"I give up," Starsky chuckled as he took the brush she was holding out to him.
He fixed Mary breakfast then packed her a lunch in her Scooby-Doo lunch box. Just as they were getting ready to leave there was a knock on the door. Mary shrunk back behind Starsky as he opened the door. Hutch stood there smiling holding a notebook in his hand.
"Hi Hutch," Mary chirped when she saw who it was.
"Hi ya Mary," Hutch said crouching down. "I got this for you for your first day of school." He handed her the notebook.
"Thank you," Mary said taking the notebook.
"What are you doing here?" Starsky asked surprised to see his partner.
"You really don't think I would miss Mary's first day of school do you?" Hutch said winking at her. Although he had tried to resist, it hadn't take Hutch long to fall in love with Mary either. He truly admired her spirit, and how she had managed to live through everything that had happened to her was beyond him.
"Does Dobey know you are here?" Starsky asked.
"Oh yeah," Hutch said snapping his fingers. "He pulled a long box from inside his jacket. "I almost forgot. This is from Captain Dobey, Mary."
Mary took the box and opened it. In side were a dozen or so pencils. "Tell him I said thank you."
"I guess that answers that question," Starsky said shaking his head.
Promptly at nine a.m. the two partners walked Mary to her classroom. A young woman stood in the door as her students entered. She smiled at the two men with the cute little girl. "Are you Mary?" she asked Mary nodded but didn't speak. "I'm Miss Granger."
"Nice to meet you Miss Granger. I’m Dave Starsky Mary's guardian and this is my partner Ken Hutchinson." Starsky said extending his hand to her.
A funny look crossed her face as she grasped his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you both."
Suddenly Starsky realized what he had said sounded like and understood the look from her. "Hutch and I are police detectives." He explained.
Immediately her face went red. "OH! I thought uh…uh…" she blushed even deeper.
The two detectives laughed. "Don't worry about," Hutch said.
"You ready for class Mary," Miss Granger asked glad to talk to the child.
Mary nodded but didn't release Starsky's hand. When he didn't move she pulled on his hand. "Come on we got to go sit down." Mary said.
Starsky got down on one knee and looked at her. "Honey I can't come, this class is just for first graders. I did that a long time ago."
Mary's bottom lip quivered. She hadn't been with out him since the day he had picked her up in the alley. Tears formed in her eyes and then she threw her arms around his neck dropping her lunch box. "But you got to." Mary wailed.
"I'll be right here when the day is over to get you, I promise." Starsky said. Mary clung even tighter. For she had remembered years ago her daddy making the same promise but he had never come back.
Miss Granger bent over. "You'll be just fine." But Mary refused to even look at her.
"I don't think she is ready for this." Starsky said finally as he stood up still holding Mary.
Hutch went behind his partner so he could see Mary's face. Tears were steaming down her cheeks. "Hey Mary I'll make sure he comes back. I'll even come back with him then we can go to dinner how's that sound.
Miss Granger looked sympathetic as she said. "I really have to start class."
"I understand. I guess we'll just have to try this again in the fall." Starsky said as he turned to go with Mary.
"Fall?" Mary said looking at him.
"Yep if you don't start today you can't come back until fall." Starsky told her.
Mary took a deep breath and wiped her hand across her eyes. "You really can't stay?"
Starsky shook his head, "Sorry sweetheart they won't let me do that."
Mary looked first at her teacher then over to Hutch. "You promise you'll make him come back?"
"I swear, cross my heart," Hutch said crossing his chest.
"Ok" She said slowly. Starsky put her on her feet and handed her lunch box to her.
Miss Granger smiled at Mary. "I'll let you sit right up front so you'll be close to me. How's that?" Mary nodded. "She'll be fine." The teacher told Starsky and Hutch.
"You call me if she needs anything." Starsky said and she nodded as she led Mary into the room and shut the door. Starsky waited in the hall for ten minutes before he would leave for fear Mary would change her mind. Finally Hutch pulled him away from the room and out of the school.
Starsky slumped in the driver's seat. "Works better if you turn it on buddy." Hutch said. "She's going to be fine."
"I know," Starsky sighed as he turned on the ignition. "So now what?"
"How about if we do a little digging uh?" Hutch said as they pulled away from the school.
Sheila Gennings was just leaving for work when a man approached her in the hallway of her apartment building. He had on a hat pulled down over his eyes and stayed well to his side of the corridor until he had past Sheila. Then he turned and grabbed her from behind. The man put a sharp knife to her throat as he twisted her right arm behind her. "Scream and you are dead," he growled in her ear.
"W-w-what do you want?" Sheila whispered.
"I want you to stop digging into Brannen's cases," he said press the knife into her flesh. "You got me?"
"Yes, yes I understand," she gasped.
He pulled the knife from her throat and shoved her to the floor. Sheila looked up just in time to see him round the corner and disappear. Her neighbor Mrs. Shelby opened her door and peered out wondering what the noise was in the hall.
"Oh my dear," Mrs. Shelby said as she went to help Sheila up. "Are you alright?"
"I think so a man just attacked me." She managed to get out.
"You come in here and we'll call the police." The older woman said helping Sheila into her apartment. Before shutting the door she glanced up and down the hall then slammed the door putting on the chain.
"Zebra three zebra three see the woman," the radio blared in the car. Starsky jumped at the sound. He had been thinking about Mary wondering how she was doing.
Hutch grabbed the receiver and said. "Zebra three here."
"Zebra three see the woman at Palm Dale Apartment building. Apartment 206." The voice stated.
"Got it." Hutch answered.
"Come on Starsky," Hutch said as he yanked out the red light and slapped it on the top of the car. Since there wasn't much traffic they didn't bother with the siren. In five minutes they pulled up in front of the building. Both got out and went into the building.
"Second floor," Starsky said as they got into the elevator. When the doors slid open the detectives walked down the hall until the reached apartment 206.
Hutch knocked on the door a voice from inside said, "Who is it?"
"Police ma'am." Starsky said. The door opened a crack the chain was still on. An older woman peer out at them. Starsky held up his badge for her to see.
"Ok just a second," the woman closed the door. They could hear the chain slide off then she opened up the door. "Please come in.
Both Starsky and Hutch were shocked to see Sheila Gennings sitting on the woman's couch. Her hair was a mess, her hose were ripped and her shirt was untucked. Sheila had a frighten look on her face as she looked up at them.
"What the hell happened?" Starsky said going to sit next to her.
"Some man attacked me in the hall on my way to work. He walked past me then turned grabbed me from behind and put a knife to my neck." She explained in a shaky voice.
'What did he want?" Hutch asked.
"He told me to forget about digging into Henry Brannen's cases."
The two detectives looked at each other. "Are you alright?" Starsky asked with concern in his voice.
"I think so," Sheila said rubbing her neck.
"Let me see," Starsky told her Sheila held up her chin so that he detective could look at her neck. There was a very thin line of blood on the side of her neck where the man had pressed the knife. "I think you are fine but I would still get that cut cleaned."
Sheila nodded as huge tears welled up in her eyes. "I thought he was going to kill me," she said softly.
Starsky put his arm around her. "Do you have any idea who it was?"
Sheila shook her head no. Hutch said, "I have a guess." Starsky nodded knowing just what his partner was going to say. "Brannen."
"Do you know what he looks like?" Starsky asked.
"I have never met him." She said. "I must have stumbled onto something if I being threaten.
Both detectives agreed. "I think you had just let us take care of this from here on out Sheila. It's too dangerous." Hutch said.
"There is no way you can get some of the things you need without a court order and you know how long that can take." Sheila said bravely. "I'm not giving up that easy."
"Why don't you come down to the station with us." Hutch suggested. "I think I might have a idea."
Twenty minutes later Sheila Gennings sat in a chair next to the detective's desks looking at a mug book. Several more were stacked next to her. When they had left her apartment building they had taken her to work where she had managed to get a hold Brannen's employee file and his picture had been attached to it.
The two detectives stood by the coffee machine. Starsky poured three cups took one to Sheila who looked up at him gratfully then he rejoined Hutch. "This is a stroke of genius Hutch having Sheila look at the pedophiles."
Hutch shrugged off the compliment. "I don't know I just have a very bad feeling about this guy. I think there is a lot more to him than just some fraud or even blackmail. Just call it gut instinct."
"This guy is a piece of scum that doesn't deserve to live." Starsky spit out.
Dobey opened his office door. "Any luck?" he asked looking over at the social worker.
"Not yet but she is only in the first book." Starsky said.
"Is she all right?" Dobey wanted to know. They had filed the report of her attack before starting with the books.
"I think so just a little shaken." Hutch said. He looked at his watch. "I think it's about time to knock off for lunch."
Starsky nodded in agreement. "I think I'll run over to the school to check on Mary."
Hutch was going to suggest it might be easier if he didn't show his face but he knew it wouldn't stop his partner. "I'll stay here with Sheila and grab something in the cafeteria."
"I won't be long," And knowing what his partner was thinking. "I'm not going to let her see me."
Hutch just shook his head and went to ask Sheila if she was hungry.
Sheila laid the heavy book in her lap she had been through three books already. She rubbed her eyes then stretched. When she did the book slid to the floor loosing her place. Sheila sighed and leaned over to retrieve it from the floor. A photo of a man caught her eye. He looked a bit younger and his hair was a bit longer but she was sure. She picked up the photo from his records that was lying on the desk and compared the two. "Hutch," She called. "Starsky."
Hutch was talking on the photo and Starsky was apartment hunting in the newspaper trying to find a bigger place for him and Mary. They both got up at the same time and came to look over her shoulder. "What have you got?" Hutch asked
"You tell me," Sheila said holding the photo next to the mug book picture.
They both looked closely. "I would say we have a match." Starsky said as he took the mug book from her to get the information under the picture.

                                                                                     Chapter Seven

​​
Hutch walked into the office of Dugan McRay, the head of child services and slammed down a flyer with Malcolm Hayen printed on it. Mr. McRay jumped and looked up at the detective. "What is the meaning of this?" sputtered the man.
Starsky who had been right behind Hutch went around the desk and grabbed McRay out of his chair pressing him against the office wall. "I'll tell you the meaning," Starsky growled. "You hired a child molester as one of your social workers.
Hutch went around the desk and grabbed his partners arm that he had the man pinned against the wall with. "Ease up Starsk." Hutch said calmly. He knew that Starsky was seeing red right now and he himself wasn't any happier but the last thing they needed to do was screw up things so that there was no way to prosecute Henry Brannen.
Starsky with a final glare at McRay released the man going to stand by the door. McRay put his hand to this throat and rubbed his neck. "I'm calling the police," he gasped as he leaned toward his desk.
"We are the police, " Hutch said taking out and showing the man his badge.
"Oh," McRay plopped down in his chair.
"Now would you like to answer my question or I could let my partner ask you." Hutch threatened.
McRay picked up the paper on his desk and looked at it. "I have never heard of this man." McRay said as he read the information under the photo. Malcolm Hayen had been in prison for molesting several children once he had gotten out he had gone right back to coaching little league, working in a school as a janitor and crossing guard. He had changed his name many many times. Seemingly anytime somebody got close to figuring him out he would move on.
"Does the name Henry Brannen ring a bell?" Starsky snarled at him.
"Yes but we fired him several weeks ago." McRay told them.
"You know what we know all that." Starsky said shaking with rage. "What we want to know is why wasn't there a back ground check done on this man? He has a rap sheet as long as your arm and every charge has to do with children. Is that the type of person you allow to work for you?"
McRay looked visibly shaken. He stared at the face on the flier. Then he looked up at the detectives. "Listen I'm not a bad man. Sometimes we are lax on checking out people that apply for this job. Only because we have such a shortage and we are glad to get anybody who is willing to do this thankless job."
"So desperate that you allow a child molester work for you? That's like giving the prisoners the key to the jail." Hutch glared at the man.
"I fired him because he was falsifying records." McRay said in a stronger voice.
"Well how gallant of you. Only after two children died and countless others were condemned to live with parents that beat and tortured them." Starsky said coming closer to McRay. "I happen to have one of those children in my care. She was raped when she was five years old. Five years old Mr. McRay. Do you have children?" McRay nodded. "How would you feel if your daughter was raped uh?"
Hutch stepped between McRay and his partner. He could tell Starsky was becoming a bit unhinged. "Mr. McRay all we are really here for is some information on Brannen. The state will be looking into why you let this man work for you."
McRay was now visibly sweating. "I-I don't know where he is now."
"Well how about an address we could start there uh?" Hutch asked.
The two detectives left the building after getting what they wanted from McRay and leaving him in a panic over what was going to happen to him when the state got done. Sheila was sitting in the back seat of Starsky's car. She had wanted to go in with them but they had both insisted that she wait in the car and keep out of site.
"Well?" she asked as they got in.
Hutch held up a slip of paper, "Got his address although I'm sure he has beat it out of there by now.
Starsky looked at his watch. "Man it's almost time to pick up Mary."
"I'll get my car and pay a visit to Brannen." Hutch said
But Starsky shook his head. "I want to confront this bastard."
Sheila leaned over the seat. "I'll watch Mary if you guys want to go look for Brannen."
Starsky looked at Sheila and then nodded slowly. "I think she might stay with you."
Starsky was waiting right out side Mary's class room when the final bell of the day rang. All the kids piled out of the room except for Mary. Starsky looked worriedly into the room but his worry was soon put to rest as he saw Mary standing at her teacher's desk.
He stepped into the room and both Mary and Miss Granger looked up. The teacher motioned for him. Starsky walked to her desk, Mary was smiling brightly at Starsky as she held up a paper with an A on it. "Look what I got."
Starsky got down on one knee and took the paper from Mary. "Spelling words?" She nodded happily. "You did this all by yourself?" He looked over the top of Mary's head at Miss Granger who nodded at him. "Wow I'm impressed kiddo."
Mary hugged him tightly. "I did it for you."
"Detective Starsky you have a very bright little girl here. She is reading at a second grade level, which is remarkable for a child that has only been in kindergarten." Miss Granger smiled at Mary. "I'm going to recommend that she be tested and if she passes those tests she might be advance with this class to second grade."
Starsky picked up Mary who was glowing. "Is there anything that I can do to help her prepare for the test?"
Miss Granger nodded and handed him several of books. "See how she does with these. We only have a month to get her caught up but if she catches on as quickly as she did to day I don’t think she will have any problems."
As they were leaving the building Mary said, "My Mommy did use to read to me all the time."
Well at least she had done one thing right Starsky thought as they headed to the car. "Mary Hutch and I have something really important to do. Would you stay with Miss. Gennings?"
Mary frowned for as she looked at Starsky. "But you said that we would go to dinner."
"We will maybe Miss Gennings will even join us how about that?" Starsky suggested.
"I want just you and Hutch," Mary said poking her lip out.
Starsky hugged her tightly, "I know but we really need to do something important. Please?"
Mary thought for a few moments then nodded. "You going looking for a bad man?"
"Oh yes that is exactly what we are going to do."
"Ok but no dinner with her deal?" Mary said so seriously that Starsky had to laugh.
"I guess but that's not really very nice since she is giving up her time to help us out." Starsky said looking sternly at his small charge.
"I'll think about it then." Mary conceded just a bit.
"Ok deal!" Starsky pronounced as they arrived at the car.
The apartment building of Henry Brannen was a small dingy looking place. The two detectives had to step around several bums in order to enter the building. They looked around the lobby then spied an elevator; Brannen's apartment was on the sixth floor. As they headed toward the elevator an old man sitting on a ratty couch called out to them. "Hey I wouldn't use that unless you have a couple of hours to kill."
"Why's that?" Hutch asked stopping in front of the man.
"Well last week that was how look it took to get the people out. No body has been in it since." He said giving them a toothless smile.
"Don't you think an out of order sign would be a good idea?" Starsky asked.
The old man shrugged. "All the tenants know better."
The two detectives looked at each other shrugged and took the stairs. When they reached Brannen's apartment they were both slightly out of breath. Just as Hutch was about to knock on the door a voice said, "He ain't home."
They turned to see the old man standing in the hall behind them that they had been talking to down stairs. "How the hell…?" Starsky began.
"Took the elevator," the man said.
"I thought you said it was broken," Hutch said totally confused.
"Yep, it is. Works when it wants to," he said ambling up to where they were standing.
"You know the man that lives here?" Starsky inquired.
"Yep."
Hutch sighed. "Do you know where he is?"
"Yep."
Starsky closed his eyes took a deep breath then opened them again. "Do you know when he'll be back?"
"Nope."
"Ahhh…a different answer," Hutch said sarcastically.
"You don't have to get snippy boy," the old man grouched.
"Listen pal…" Starsky began.
"Names Buddy."
Starsky looked at Hutch he wasn't sure if the old geezer was putting them on or not. "OK Buddy, we are the police we are looking for Henry Brannen. We really need to talk to him. Could you call us if you see him come back?"
"Sure," He said. Hutch handed him a card with their numbers on it. "You want to see the apartment?" They looked at each other again. "I'm the super."
Biting back another smart remark Hutch said. "Sure we would be delight to see his apartment."
Buddy opened to door with his passkey; he wandered around the room as the two detectives searched the room. "Don't suppose you two have a warrant?"
"You supposed right Buddy." Starsky said as he slammed the drawer to the bedside table.
The old man shrugged, "The guy is an asshole anyway."
Hutch smiled as he opened the closet door. On the top shelf he found a shoe box which he drug down and out into the light. He opened the box, Buddy whistled loudly as they both view the contents. The box was full of one hundred-dollar bills. "Starsky look at this," Hutch called to his partner.
Starsky crossed the room to peer into the box. "Holy shit," Starsky exclaimed. "Guess he doesn’t believe in First National."
"Not when its bribery money." Hutch said putting the lid back on the box. He slid it back where he found it. Then he looked at Buddy. "You stay out of it."
"Sure no problem," Buddy said.
"Hey you said earlier you knew where he went." Starsky said.
"Yep."
Hutch rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."
"Do you want to know or not?" Buddy said staring at Hutch.
"Sorry," Hutch apologized.
"He said he had to leave town for a few days." Buddy said. "I suspect he's gone to his mother's."
" And that is where?" Hutch asked.
"How should I know you are the cops. Lock up when you leave." Buddy said and shuffled out of the room.
"Brother, he's a piece of work." Hutch said when the old man was out of sight.
"I heard that," came Buddy's voice from the hall. There was the ding of the elevator as it opened on the sixth floor.
Starsky and Hutch looked at each other. "Well where ever Brannen has gone he plans on coming back if he left all that money there." Starsky said. "How much you think is there?"
Hutch shrugged. "Few thousand at least."
Starsky closed and locked the door, they stood in the hall eyeing the elevator then thought better of it and headed for the stairs.


                                                                                        Chapter Eight

Mary and Sheila were playing a game of Hi Ho Cherry-O when the detectives arrived at Starsky's apartment. Mary flung herself into Starsky's arms as soon as he opened the door. She clung to him tightly as he picked her up. Mary whispered in his hear. "I guess it's ok if Miss Gennings comes with us. She's pretty nice."
"Good girl," he said softly to Mary then so that they all could hear. "You guys ready for some dinner?"
"I think I'm going to go back to the office and do some more digging." Hutch answered.
"Oh come on man you got to eat?" Starsky said as he sat Mary on her feet.
She went to Hutch. "Yeah Hutch you got to eat," Mary piped up.
Hutch crouched down so he was eye level with the little girl. "I'll just grab something and take it to the office. There is some work I need to do. Next time okay?"
"Still trying to get that bad man?" Mary inquired.
Hutch laughed, "Yep still trying."
"I guess it's okay then uh Starsky?" Mary said looking back and forth between the two men.
"Yeah I guess we can left him off the hook." Starsky said giving Mary a grin. "Just as long as Miss Gennings' doesn't bail out on us."
"Never," Sheila said winking at Mary. She felt that she had come a long way with Mary in the few hours that they had spent together. Mary was very weary of people and at first had sat cross the room from Sheila watching her saying very little even when questioned about her first day of school.
Finally Sheila had seen the game Hi Ho Cherry-O; she took it out of the box and began placing the cherries around on the board. Mary watched and eased toward Sheila until she was sitting across the coffee table from her. The woman asked Mary if she knew how to play. Mary promptly told her that Starsky had taught her the night before. Sheila pretended she didn't know how to play and by the end of the first game had Mary laughing and talking to her. Mary was finally learning that all adults weren't out to hurt her.
"So where should we go?" Starsky asked after Hutch left.
"How about pizza," Mary said jumping up and down.
"Ahhh a girl after my own heart," Starsky said. "Ok with you Sheila?"
"How could I say no," Sheila grinned at both of them.
After dinner Starsky dropped Sheila off at her sisters house thinking she would be much safer there than at her own apartment for the time being.
Starsky sat bolt right up off the couch he had heard a noise but couldn't place it. Then he heard it again it was a small scream and moan coming from his bedroom. He jumped up from the couch and hurried into his bedroom. Mary was thrashing around, mumbling in her sleep; every now and then she would let out a small cry and a moan. Starsky sat down on the edge of the bed and flipped on the light next to the bed. Gently he took Mary by the shoulders and shook her gently. Mary shook her head back and forth still mumbling words he couldn't understand.
"Mary," Starsky whispered not wanting to startle the child. "Mary wake up you are having a bad dream."
But Mary continued to thrash about, "No, no please," she mumbled. "That hurts please don't."
Starsky bit his lip, what could she be dreaming about? Then the report flashed in his head and he knew what she was dreaming about. Starsky raised his voice a bit this time wanting to wake her from her nightmare. "Mary wake up it's Starsky."
Mary's eyes fluttered open and she sucked in her breath then lashed out at him hitting him with her tiny fists as she screamed. "Leave me alone, leave me alone!"
"MARY!" Starsky almost roared at her.
Mary stopped and blinked as if she had just been broken from a trance. "Daddy?" she asked as Starsky pulled her into his arms.
"I'm here baby I'm here." Starsky cooed at her as he stoked her hair. "Everything is going to be okay honey. No body is ever going to hurt you again."
"I'm sorry," Mary whimpered against his bare shoulder.
"You didn't do anything wrong sweetie," Starsky said as he rocked her back and forth. "Do you have bad dreams often?"
Mary nodded her head. "All the time. Those friends of mommy's were always coming into my room. And they…they do…do things I don't like. I tried to tell mommy but she didn't care. She said that it gave us more money to eat."
Starsky closed his eyes willing the tears not to fall. "You don't have to worry about any of that anymore Mary."
When her heart stopped racing and her tears had dried Starsky suggested that she try to get back to sleep since there was school in the morning. Mary looked at him with her big eyes and asked. "Would you sleep here with me?"
Starsky was unsure of what to do but she looked so frighten that he couldn’t turn her down. "Sure just a minute. He went out and got his pillow and blanket. When he returned to the room Mary was snuggled the covers waiting for him. He smoothed out the covers then laid down on top of them pulling the blanket over him.
Mary reached up and turned out the light then snuggled up against Starsky. In a sleepy voice Mary said. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetheart." Starsky said smiling in the darkness.
The next morning Starsky awoke to find Mary curled up against him, he had his arm protectively around her. He glanced at the clock it was only 7 a.m. it was too early to get her up for school and since she had had a rough night he decided to allow her to sleep. He tried to figure out a way to disengage himself with out waking her but after surveying the situation Starsky realized that Mary was hanging on to him tightly and he would surely disturb her if he moved, so he just lay back.
The day before he had began searching the newspapers for a bigger apartment. He wished that he could afford a house for them with a nice yard. He wanted to stay where she could continue on at the school he had enrolled her in, Mary seemed to like it and they were willing to work with her. Starsky looked at he little girl sleeping next to him and wondered just how much she had really been through, what things that he didn't know about. It amazed him at what a wonderful child she was after all that had happened to her. He only wanted the best for her and would stop at nothing to get it.
Suddenly the phone rang, Mary stirred in her sleep and woke as Starsky reached across her for the phone. He grinned at her as he answered the phone. "Starsky."
"Hey Starsk," said Hutch on the other end.
"Kind of early," Starsky said. He had already made arrangements with Dobey to be a work later so that he could get Mary to school.
"Sorry buddy but I found out a few things about our friend Brannen." Hutch explained.
"He's no friend of mine," Starsky growled into the phone.
"I found more aliases on him. This guy has a warrant out on him in almost every state on the East Coast." Hutch said thumbing through a thick file he had put together over night.
"Same type of charges?" Starsky wanted to know.
"Unfortunately," Hutch said as he yawned.
"Where are you?" Starsky asked.
"Office."
"Have you been there all night?" Starsky inquired.
"Well…uh…"
"You have haven't you?" Starsky said smiling.
"I want this bastard as much as you do Starsky. Who knows how many lives of children he has destroyed over the years. My God some of these warrants are ten years old." Hutch said shaking his head. "How does he get away with it?"
"I don't know but it ends here and now." Starsky answered. "As soon as I get Mary off to school I'll be in."
"No hurry," Hutch yawned again. "I'm going to do some more digging. By the time we get done with this guy he will never get out of jail."
Mary had gotten up while Starsky talked to Hutch and got herself dressed for school. She was in the kitchen mulling over the contents of the refrigerator when Starsky caught up with her. "What sounds good this morning?" Starsky asked smiling at Mary.
She shrugged her small shoulders and looked up at him. "Why does there have to be bad people?"
Starsky sighed and squatted down next to her. "Honey I really don't know."
"I guess if everybody was good then you won't have a job." Mary said seriously.
Starsky replied, "That is one job I would gladly give up if nobody needed policeman."
"What would you do?" she asked curiously.
"Hummm…" Starsky pondered the question for a moment then grabbed Mary hugging her. "I would just stay at home and take care of little girls."
"I would like that," she giggled.
"Would you mind if Hutch watched you for a little while tonight?" Starsky asked as he stood up. He searched the cabinet for the cereal he had bought the day before. Finding it he pulled out two boxes one of Froot Loops and the other Cherrio's.
Mary pointed to the box of Froot Loops, "I guess so where are you going?"
"Well I thought I would ask Miss Gennings out," Starsky said casually as he poured the colorful circles in a bowl.
"You mean like a date?" Mary asked opened mouthed. Then she smiled slyly at him. "Are you trying to find me a new Mommy?"
Starsky almost spilled the milk he was just about to pour on the cereal. "I hadn't really thought of it that way. I really don't know her so I think it's a little early to worry about that."
"If you do decided to marry her it's okay she's nice and pretty too." Mary said taking the bowl to the table.
After dropping Mary at school Starsky headed to work. He found Hutch surrounded by files, they were stacked on both their desks and there was even a stack on the floor. "This isn't all Brannen is it?" Starsky asked appalled.
"'Fraid so buddy. There are over fifty different aliases that I have found so far." Hutch said as he looked at another file. "Make that fifty-one." He slammed down the file on the ever-growing pile on the floor.
"Busy man," Starsky said picking up one of the files. "Hey Hutch would you mind looking after Mary for a while tonight?"
"Sure but why?" Hutch asked surprised. Starsky hardly let the little girl out of his sight except when he was at work.
"I thought I would give Sheila a call and see if she would like to have a little dinner." Starsky said over the file he was looking at.
"Ahhh mother hunting uh?" Hutch teased.
Starsky shot him a look, "You sound like Mary." Starsky said shaking his head. "But she approved of Sheila."
"So do I very nice lady and pretty too."
"Did Mary call you before I got here?" Starsky asked suspiciously.
"No why?" Hutch asked.
"Never mind."
Both detectives had advised Sheila to call in sick until her attacker had been found. They didn't want her anywhere near her office. Starsky picked up the phone and dialed her sisters number that Sheila had given him the evening before. A female voice answered. "Is Sheila there?" Starsky asked.
"Speaking," she said. "Starsky is anything wrong?"
"Hi Sheila," Starsky said he suddenly lost his nerve. "I-I well I was calling to see if you would like to go out to dinner with me?"
"Have you found out something on Branner?" she inquired. "Or is this to do with Mary?"
"Well neither, I was more thinking along the lines of a date." Starsky said.
"Oh," Sheila answered in a surprised voice.
"It's okay bad idea," Starsky said ready to hang up.
"No, no it's just that…Starsky I'm engaged. In fact I'm getting married next month." Sheila explained.
"I'm sorry. Ahh not that you are getting married but uh…" Starsky sputtered.
Sheila laughed, "Stop sweating Starsky I know what you meant. But I'm really flattered that you asked."
Starsky sighed, "Oh well you win some you lose some. Beside it would have been to much pressure."
"Pressure?"
"Yeah both Mary and Hutch think I'm mother hunting." Starsky chuckled. After promising to call her if they found out anything more Starsky hung up and plopped down in his desk chair.
Hutch pushed open the squad room door carrying a tray from the cafeteria. There was a hamburger and fries for his partner and a carton of yogurt for himself. "What's the matter buddy? Shot down in flames?"
Starsky shook his head. "She is getting married next month."
"You need to remember to check that left hand."
"Did you?"
"Nope I wasn't looking. I'm still hoping that when Bridget gets back in down on Friday I still have a girlfriend." Hutch said sitting down.

                                                                                    Chapter Nine


Hutch tapped on Henry Brannen's door. He and Starsky had decided to swing by the apartment building just in case the man happened to have returned. There was no answer so Hutch knocked a bit lower.
"He's still not home," said a voice behind them making both the detectives jump. "Didn't I tell you I would call when he got back?"
Buddy was standing there in an old ratty bathrobe with equally looking ratty slippers. "We were just in the neighborhood and thought we would drop in.
"Uh uh you just don't trust me," the old man sniffed wrapping his robe tightly around him acting as if he were insulted.
Starsky and Hutch looked at each other. "Buddy, it's just that we really want this guy bad." Starsky tried to explain.
"He's an asshole," Buddy informed them.
"So you have said," Hutch said. "So you will call if you see him right."
"Didn't I tell you I would?" Buddy said perturbed.
"Yeah you did, thanks," Starsky said patting the old man on the back as they left.
The two detectives had been gone only about thirty minutes when Henry Brannen walked through the front door of the shabby apartment building. Buddy was dozing on the couch in the lobby. "Elevator fixed yet," Brannen asked waking the old man from his sleep.
Buddy's eyes popped open at the sound of Brannen's voice he knew instantly who it was. "Nah not yet," Buddy answered in what he hoped was a casual voice but his palms had started sweating. He wasn’t sure why the two cops wanted Brannen but it couldn’t be for anything good.
"Anybody been poking around here?" Brannen asked.
"Poking around?" Buddy repeated.
"Yeah you know like cops anybody looking for me?" Brannen wanted to know.
"Been quiet around here," Buddy answered he could now feel the sweat running down his back. He wished the man would just go on to his room. Buddy had no great love for the police himself but he had even less for the man standing before him. There was something evil about Henry Brannen and Buddy would love to see him gone from the apartments.
"Well if anybody comes nosing around you let me know uh?" Brannen said as he tossed a twenty toward the old man.
"What's this for," Buddy asked as the bill fluttered to the floor next to him.
Brannen shrugged his shoulders, "Just keep an eye out old man." With that Brannen headed for the stairs.
As soon as he was out of sight Buddy went straight to his own apartment. He pulled the card that Hutch had given him and dialed the number on it.
"Zebra three, zebra three patch through." The radio blared.
Hutch grabbed the microphone, "Go ahead."
A gravelly voice came over the radio. "This is Buddy, Brannen is back. Just walked in."
"Got ya Buddy we will be right there. You stay out of sight." Hutch advised as he slammed down the microphone.
Starsky looked over at his partner, "Lets get this bastard." Starsky made screeching U-Turn in the middle of an intersection and headed back toward the apartments they had come from.
When they arrived nobody was in sight. Buddy having taken their advice had left for the corner coffee shot clutching the twenty that Brannen had tossed at him. The two detectives made their way quickly but quietly up the six flights of stairs. They each took a side of the door when they reach Brannen's apartment. Hutch knocked on the door with the butt of his gun.
"Who is it?" said a voice from inside.
"Pizza," Starsky said shrugging his shoulders. He knew if they said police Brannen would bolt.
"I didn’t order any p…" he began then the detectives heard a window sliding open from inside.
"Oh no you don't," Starsky yelled as he kicked the door.
"Starsky wait!" Hutch exclaimed but it was too late Starsky had already kicked the door open and headed in the room.
There was a loud pop and Starsky fell to the floor in front of Hutch. Angrily Hutch leveled his gun at Brannen who was trying to slip out the window. "HOLD IT." Hutch shouted.
Brannen wheeled around gun in hand ready to fire at Hutch. But Hutch was quicker and opened fired on Brannen hitting him square in the chest. The momentum of the bullet sent Brannen out the window and down to his death six flights below. Hutch rushed to the window and looked down on the broken body of the child molester then back to his partner.
Hutch dropped to his knees next to Starsky, he cradled his head in his lap. "Starsky," Hutch almost whispered as his hands roamed over Starsky's body trying to determine where he had been shot.
Starsky opened his eyes, "Did we get him?"
"Yeah we got him." Hutch answered as he found the wound in Starsky's shoulder. Hutch grabbed a towel that happened to be lying on the bed and pressed it to the gunshot wound. They could both hear sirens in the background. "You just take it easy. Lay still."
"What time is it?" Starsky asked in a panicky voice.
"I don't know," Hutch answered more concerned with his partner's condition. "Almost three I think."
"Hutch…Mary, we got to get Mary." Starsky said trying to get up.
"You stay put," Hutch ordered just as the paramedics came through the door. "Take good care of him." Hutch looked around the room for a phone not finding one he dashed down the six flights of stairs.
Two hours later Starsky was resting comfortably in a hospital bed and threatening to get up and leave. He still wanted to get to Mary even though Hutch had gotten a hold of Sheila and had the little girl pick up by her. "But she's going to be scared." Starsky said hotly. "I'm always there for her."
"Sheila has her, Mary is fine," Hutch said as he forced his partner to lay back.
"I am not staying here." Starsky said.
"The doc said over night." Hutch informed his partner.
"What about Mary?" Starsky asked trying to get up again.
"I told you Sheila has her. She took Mary back to her apartment, now that Brannen is dead she is safe." Hutch told him.
"But…but," Starsky leaned back groggily. The nurse had come ten minutes ago to give him something for the pain.
There as a soft knock at the door and Sheila pushed it open. She peered in, "Hey Starsky you up for some company?"
"Come on in Sheila," Hutch said.
Sheila entered followed by a tall handsome man who was carrying Mary. "Guy's this is my fiancé Greg. Greg this is Detective Hutchinson and Starsky."
Greg smiled at them as he put Mary down so was straining to get at Starsky. "Nice to finally meet you. Sheila has done nothing but talk about you two."
Mary ran to Starsky's bedside and looked at him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just fine sweetie," Starsky said as he patted the bed next to him.
Mary clamored up and threw her arms around him. "I was so scared." She said sniffing a bit.
"I'm okay really. I'll get to go home tomorrow but you'll have to stay with Sheila tonight is that okay?" Starsky asked giving her a hug.
"Yeah I guess but I get to come home tomorrow right?" Mary asked.
"You bet kiddo." Starsky smiled at her. "I should get some sleep so I can go home tomorrow."
Mary kissed his cheek and hopped down off the bed. "Night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite." She giggled as she went to stand next to Sheila who wrapped her arms around her.
"We'll take good care of her," Sheila promised as they left.
After they were gone, Hutch commented, "They sure made a nice looking family."
"Yeah they did," Starsky said glumly. He wanted nothing more than Mary to be his little girl but as time went on he was beginning to realize that he might not be really equipped to handle her. No wife, living in a small one bedroom apartment, his sometimes crazy hours and what if he would get shot again or even killed who would take Mary, she would become a orphan again if something happened to him.
"You okay partner? Should I call the nurse?" Hutch asked concerned by the quietness of his friend.
"I'm fine. I just need to sleep," Starsky answered.
​

                                                                                   Chapter Ten

Starsky sat in his empty apartment; Hutch had picked him up at the hospital and at his insistence just dropped him off. Starsky knew that Hutch would have a mountain of paper work to fill out to do with the shooting of Henry Brannen. It had been a clean shoot but still there were procedures that had to be followed. He knew he would have to go in and do his share but that would have to wait a couple of days. Starsky looked around the room, there was a half done puzzle laying on the coffee table, a Barbie doll sitting on the end table and he was sitting on Mary's hair brush. He pulled the brush from under him and stared at it. Mary was off to school taken by Sheila and probably her fiancée. Starsky felt a twinge of jealously, he loved taking Mary to school and watching her wake up in the morning and her asking him to brush her hair.
Starsky gently laid the brush on the table near the puzzle. He wanted to go to school to see the little girl but he knew that would not only disrupt Mary but her whole class. He would just have to wait until school was over. Slowly grimacing a bit and holding his right arm, which was in a sling, he got up from the couch and went into the bedroom. The medicine they had given him at the hospital was making him sleepy. He lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep only to dream that he and Mary were at the park.
It was after lunchtime when a knock on Starsky's apartment door roused him. He was a bit groggy when he opened the door. Sheila and Greg were standing there smiling at him. "Is Mary okay?" Was the first thing out of Starsky's mouth.
"She is just fine," Sheila assured him. "Greg and I would like to talk to you."
"Sure," Starsky said opening the door wider to allow them to enter. "Have a seat." He motioned at the couch.
They both sat; Sheila smiled as she looked at the puzzle laying on the coffee table. "Mary sure loves puzzles doesn't she?" Starsky just nodded but didn't answer he sat down in an over stuff chair across from the couple. "Starsky we would like to ask you something."
Starsky felt like all the air had been knocked out of him. She was here to take Mary from him he just knew it. How could he care for her now with his arm in a sling? "Anything."
Sheila looked at Greg who just smiled at her. "Starsky we would like Mary to be our flower girl in our wedding next month."
Starsky sat stunned looking at her. He had been sure she was taking Mary. He took a deep breath and grinned. "I think Mary would love that." Starsky answered.
"Of course you and Hutch will be invited also." Sheila added.
"We would be very honored." Starsky said trying to calm his pounding heart.
"There is something else too." She took her finesse's hand as she said it. "Greg and I would like to adopt Mary. The look of devastation that crossed Starsky's heart broke her heart for she knew how much he loved Mary. "I know you have your heart set on adopting her yourself and if that is really what you want to do we won't stand in your way. But I have just fallen in love with Mary Greg has too. You know Mary she is very easy to love."
Starsky nodded numbly.
"We don't mean to hit you with all this right as you have gotten out of the hospital." Greg apologized. "But if you will let us have Mary we need to change some of our plans. Like where we are going to live and our honeymoon."
"We don't need to know right now." Sheila said soothingly. "You think about it for a couple of days we aren't in that big of a hurry. But no matter what you decide we want Mary in our wedding."
Mary was beside herself with joy when she saw it was Starsky who came to pick her up. She talked nonstop all the way home showing him all her papers she had done for the day. Starsky was unusually quite that afternoon, Mary was so exited to be back with him that she didn't even notice.
But Hutch did when he came directly to the apartment after work. Mary had been the one to answer the door silverware in hand when he had knocked. "Hi Uncle Hutch," Mary bubbled. "I'm setting the table. Are you going to stay for dinner?" She ran to finish placing the cutlery around the table.
"Sure thing," Hutch said ruffling her hair as he passed by her on the way to the kitchen. Starsky was standing over a pot of boiling water wondering how he was going to get its contents into the strainer in the sink. "Here let me help you with that partner."
Hutch dumped the boiling water and spaghetti into the strainer. "Looks good Starsk," Hutch said as he opened the lid to a pan containing spaghetti sauce with meatballs floating around in it. Then he sniffed the air. "Garlic bread too? Man you are going all out."
"Salad is in the fridge." Starsky said sullenly.
"You feeling okay?" Hutch quizzed and he opened the refrigerator door. He took out the salad and sat it on the table as Mary came in a got the dressing.
"Yeah I'm fine," Starsky answered as he handed plates to Hutch.
The meal was a lively a fair with Hutch and Mary doing most of the talking as Starsky pushed his food around on his plate. His appetite had seemed to have left him. Several times Hutch had given him worried looks but Starsky avoided his gaze. After dinner and a few games Starsky put Mary to bed. He spent much longer with her than he usually did but Hutch waited patiently for him in the living room. He sensed something was up.
When Starsky finally emerged from the bedroom Hutch said. "Okay partner spill it."
Starsky sat down on the couch and looked at Hutch. "Sheila and Greg want Mary to be their flower girl in their wedding."
"That's great so why the glum face?" Hutch asked.
"They also want to adopt her." Starsky said almost inaudibly.
"But I thought you were going to." Hutch said frowning he knew how much his partner wanted Mary. And he had planned on helping out as much as he could.
"I am…I was…Damn I don't know." Starsky sighed and adjusted the sling on his arm his shoulder was throbbing badly and he needed his medicine. "Mary deserves the best she has been through so much and I'm not sure if I am the best. She needs a Daddy and a Mommy I can't give that to her right now. Who knows if I ever will get married and what if I get hurt again or killed then what? Are you going to take her?"
"You know I will do anything for you Starsky." Hutch said.
Starsky smiled at his partner. "I know I know but I have to do what is best for Mary not me."
"You sound like you have maybe already made up your mind." Hutch said.
"I think I have and it wasn't even that hard of a decision you know." Starsky sadly. "I want Mary to have it all mom, dad, the dog running in the back yard, the white picket fence, brothers and sisters. There is no way I could ever do all that."
"You don't know that." Hutch responded.
"Oh come on Hutch," Starsky gave him a half smile. "Stop trying to make me feel better. We both know you would make a terrible mother."
Hutch would have punched his partner if it weren't for the gunshot wound so instead he just settled for saying. "I'll get you for that one Starsk. And I don't know I have learned to brush hair with out pulling." They both grinned at each other.
The wedding was beautiful. Sheila made a stunning bride and Mary looked like an angel as she walked down the isle spreading white rose petals for Sheila to walk on. Greg stood waiting for his new family at the end of the isle and instead of Mary going to stand with the bridesmaids Sheila took the little girl with her to meet her future husband. When the ceremony was over Greg picked up Mary and arm in arm with Sheila they walked back down the isle.
The couple had decided that a honeymoon in Florida with Mickey Mouse would be just the ticket for their new family. All their guests were waiting out side for them to toss rice and wish them well. When the bride and groom exited the church cheers went up from the crowd and they were bombarded with rice. Mary giggled from her new father's arms as she tried to catch the rice. When they got to the bottom of the steps Sheila turned and tossed her wedding bouquet and it landed into a very surprised Hutch's arms. Hutch immediately took it and tossed it over his shoulder into the waiting arms of the young women behind him.
A white limo was waiting for the new family in the street in front of the church. Greg got in then Mary crawled in next to him, just as Sheila started to get in she stopped. Going over to Starsky she hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much. You will always be apart of Mary's life you know."
Starsky nodded but was unable to speak.
Sheila then got into the limo it started off then screeched to a halt. The door opened and Mary got out running after Starsky and Hutch who had already turned to leave. "Wait!" She cried.
Starsky knowing Mary's voice turned to see the little girl running toward him. He scooped her up into his arms and she wrapped hers around his neck hugging him tightly. "I'll always love you," She cried with tears in her eyes.
"I'll always love you too Mary." Starsky said around the lump in his throat. "You better get going Mickey is waiting for you. I'll see you when you get home."
With a final hug Starsky set her on her feet and Mary ran back to the car she turned to wave just before she disappeared into the back seat.
Hutch patted Starsky on the back. "You okay partner?"
"No," Starsky said. "But I will be."
​
~The End~