Secret Santa
By
Tooki
Edited by
Tonya
Christmas 2021
It was a week until Christmas, Detectives Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson after years of being partners had come to terms with their different opinions on Christmas. Starsky with his over the top Christmas cheer and Hutch with his bah humbug approach.
Monday morning, only five days left until Christmas on Saturday, then things would go back to normal. Hutch couldn’t wait. All the decorations would disappear from the squad room and Starsky would grudgingly pack away his Santa hat.
But for now his partner was in full swing, the red hat perched on his curly locks and constantly humming a carol. The elevator doors slid open and Starsky bounded out telling everyone he saw Merry Christmas. Hutch shuffled along behind him, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
Starsky entered the squad room, stopped for a moment to admire the tree he had of course helped decorate, then proceeded to his desk. There was a white paper bag sitting on his desk. He sat in his chair and stared at the sack, he could see from the logo on the bag it was from his favorite donut shop.
Hutch, finally making it to his desk pulled off his jacket and sat down, he watched as his partner inspected the bag. “What have you got there?” Hutch asked.
Starsky opened the sack and peered inside, “My favorite donuts!” He beamed at Hutch as he pulled one out. “Did you do this?”
Hutch snorted, “Seriously?”
Starsky demolished the first donut, as he was reaching for a second when he saw a small envelope which he pulled out. Licking the sugar from his fingers he opened the envelope and pulled out a card.
“Well?” Hutch asked.
“It says Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa.” Starsky looked around the room but there was no indication as to who the mystery Santa might be.
“Secret what?”
“Secret Santa, you have never heard of it?” Starsky was incredulous. “You know it’s where someone gives you little gifts leading up to Christmas but you don’t know who they are.”
Hutch hiked up an eyebrow and looked at his friend, “Sounds like something kids would do.”
“Anybody can do it. Usually it’s a group of friends that draw names.” Starsky was beginning to get frustrated and Hutch was putting a damper on his fun development.
The next morning Starsky bounded into the squad room and went straight to his desk. There was nothing there, not a bag or a box, not even a note. The disappointment was clear on his face as he flopped in his chair.
“Did your Santa desert you?” Hutch quipped.
Starsky straightened his Santa hat on his head, “Maybe Santa is just late.”
“Hey, I’m sorry!” Hutch said sincerely. “I’m sure that’s it.”
“Oh what do you know?” Starsky mumbled, it had been a few years since they had really butted heads over Christmas.
As the morning wore on Starsky’s disappointment disappeared and his joyous mood returned. It was nearly noon when Starsky looked up from his typewriter where he was hunting and pecking out a report. “How about lunch at Huggy’s, I’m buying.”
“Sure sounds good.”
The two detectives made their way to the parking lot, as they got close to Starsky’s red and white Torino, Starsky could see a white sack sitting on his dashboard. “HEY! Someone has been in my car!” He rushed to his car and looked through the window. Not only was there a sack there were also two drinks in paper cups with lids and straws protruding from them. Starsky pulled on the door handle expecting the door to come open but it was locked. He jammed the key in the lock then jerked the door open. A delicious smell greeted his nose.
Starsky got in the car and pulled the bag from the dash and looked in, two wrapped burritos and a small white envelope. Hutch stood on the passenger side knocking on the window. “Hey, let me in!”
Starsky leaned over and unlocked the door, he opened the envelope and pulled out a card. “Lunch is on me, your Secret Santa.” He read with childlike joy on his face. He grabbed one of the burritos from the bag and held it out to Hutch. To his surprise his partner took it.
Not missing the look of surprise on Starsky’s face, he shrugged, “It's Christmas, who am I to turn down a gift from Santa.” Hutch took one of the drinks and held it up for a toast. Starsky grabbed the other and touched his friend's cup.
Starsky was racking his brain trying to figure out who his Secret Santa was, of course his first thought was Hutch but he dismissed the idea pretty quickly. It wasn’t Hutch’s style at all. He didn't really have a current girlfriend at the moment. Huggy was busy at the bar. Who could have gotten in his car? Did he leave it unlocked? Doubtful. He was rubbing his temples without even realizing it.
“You okay buddy?” Hutch asked. He had been sitting across from his partner at their work desks watching him.
“Yeah, yeah I’m okay,” Starsky said, snapping out of his thoughts. It was Wednesday, nearly at the end of the day, nothing from his Santa had appeared yet.
Dobey opened his office door, “Why don’t you two take off.” It had been a very quiet week, so far it seemed all the criminals had taken a break.
“Are you sure Cap? We still got another hour and a half until the end of shift.” Hutch responded.
“If something comes up I’ll call you.” Dobey glanced over at Starsky, “What’s with him?”
Hutch shrugged, “Nothing from Secret Santa yet.”
“What?” Dobey hadn’t been privy to the goings on.
Starsky sighed, “It’s not that, I’m trying to figure out who it is.”
“Who is what?” Dobey asked, thoroughly confused.
“Starsky has a Secret Santa who has been leaving him things the last couple of days.” Hutch explained.
“I see,” Dobey said as he went back into his office.
Starsky got up staring at Dobey’s closed door. “You don’t think…”
“Dobey?” Hutch laughed. He put his arm around his partner’s shoulder, “Let’s get out of here.”
After dropping off Hutch, Starsky hummed to himself as he was opening his front door. An envelope fluttered to the ground, it had been wedged in the door. It was larger than the two previous envelopes. He snatched it from the ground wondering what it was. Carefully Starsky opened the envelope, there were two tickets inside to a special showing of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. It was an outdoor showing, everyone would bring their own chairs or blankets and sit on the lawn in the park.
Hutch had just gotten out of the shower when the pounding on his apartment door started. “Just a minute,” he yelled as he wrapped his robe around himself.
He opened the door, Starsky bounded in waving the tickets. “My Secret Santa left these in my door!”
“What are the tickets for?” Hutch asked tightening his robe, he was getting a chill and Starsky dancing around waving tickets wasn’t helping.
Starsky quickly explained, “You are coming with me, right?”
Hutch sighed, “When is it?”
“Tonight! It’s been sold out for weeks!”
“Aww Starsky, I just took a hot shower and was going to crawl in bed and read.”
“It’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon and you are ready to go to bed?”
“How often do we get off early?”
“How often do you get to see this movie in the park?” Starsky waved the tickets at Hutch again.
Hutch sighed again, “Fine, let me get dressed.”
Sitting under the stars watching the movie was enough to put anyone in the Christmas spirit. Starsky recited the lines under his breath word for word, “Isn’t it great?”
“Yeah,” Hutch said honestly. “Hey, how about having a little get together at my place on Christmas Eve?”
“Really?”
“Yep, you and me, we’ll do it together. Invite a few people, Huggy, maybe Dobey and his family will drop by. Couple of the guys at work that don’t have family. What do you say?”
“I say yes!” Starsky said loudly, a chorus of shhhhhhh came from the audience. “Sorry!” He moved closer to Hutch and whispered, “If you are going to have a party you are going to need a tree and decorations.” Starsky was sure his friend would balk at the idea.
Hutch just smiled and said “I know, but it might be a bit late for a tree this close to Christmas.”
“I have a guy.”
“A guy, a tree guy?”
“Well yeah, you don’t think I grow my own pine tree do you?” Starsky was looking intently at Hutch getting really to spill a secret he had been keeping for years. He took a deep breath, “Every year l have Billy, my tree guy hold back a tree.”
“For what?” Hutch asked.
“For you dummy, just in case at the last minute you changed your mind.” Starsky waited for the snort or laugh but all he got was a nod.
The nod was all Hutch could manage as his eyes filled with tears, he was glad it was dark, Starsky believed so much in the magic of Christmas he was sure someday a tree would be needed.
With the movie over, they headed to the tree lot, very few trees were left. “Hey Billy!” Starsky called out.
“Be there in a sec.” Billy called back. Billy was at least 70 years old, had white hair and a beard, looking like a cross between Santa and an elf with his short stature. He had inherited the tree lot from his father 50 years earlier, the thought of doing something different never crossed his mind.
Hutch looked sadly at the old guy, “Poor man, what a way to make a living.”
Starsky tilted his head back and laughed, “There is nothing poor about Billy. He owns a tree farm, he could hire people to sell the trees but he loves doing it. Sometimes his wife comes to help and their grown children when they come in for Christmas.
Hutch looked around the simple lot with its poorly strung lights and rocky path that once led through a forest of cut trees waiting for their new homes. There were less than ten trees left now where there were once a hundred or more. He was in total awe.
“Is this him?” Billy asked, walking up to the detectives.
“It is Billy, this is Hutch.”
The old man stretched out a weathered hand from many years of tending trees. “Nice to meet you Hutch.”
Hutch gripped his hand, “The pleasure is all mine.”
“Come on boys, the tree is in the back.” Which meant it was behind the temporary shack set up every season.
The tree was perfect, not too big or too small and smelled wonderful. Hutch pulled out his wallet to pay for the tree but Billy waved away the cash, “It’s already been paid for.”
“You pay for a tree every year?” Hutch looked at Starsky.
“I can’t expect Billy to just hold a tree without payment.” Although Starsky knew the old man would have. “If I haven’t come for the tree by Christmas Eve Billy gives it to someone that can’t afford one.” Fact was, Billy gave away a lot of trees or asked for a lot less if he felt a family was on a tight budget.
Hutch shook the man's hand again, “Merry Christmas Billy!”
Hutch stood and admired the tree he and Starsky had just set up. When they had gotten to his place Starsky had produced a tree stand from his trunk. “You always carry a tree stand in your trunk?” Hutch had asked only half surprised.
“No, just this time of year,” Starsky handed the stand to Hutch so he could untie the tree from the top of the car.
Once inside Starsky expertly set up the tree and Hutch carefully watered it. Then his friend was off on a mysterious errand. Leaving Hutch with a pine scented filled apartment and a joy in his heart for Christmas he hadn’t had in a long time.
It was nearing midnight, when finally there was a knock on the door, “Come on in Starsk!” Hutch called from the kitchen where he was making hot chocolate, his partner's favorite drink this time of year. Another knock, this one followed by a few unsavory words, Hutch crossed the room and opened the door.
Starsky was on his knees wrangling several colorful ornaments that had tumbled from one of the many boxes he had somehow gotten up the stairs to the apartment. He grabbed the last ball and tossed it in one of the boxes. “A little help here?” Starsky got to his feet and handed Hutch a box.
“What did you do, raid Whoville?” Hutch asked, taking the box.
“I’ve been saving decorations for you.”
Hutch just shook his head and helped bring in the rest of the boxes.
It was in the wee hours of the morning they finished decorating the tree. Hutch looked at his watch, “We gotta be at work in a few hours.” Getting no response from his partner he looked around to find Starsky sound asleep on the couch still holding a string of popcorn they had been making.
Hutch took the popcorn and swung Starsky’s legs around so he was laying on the couch then covered him up. “Thank you my friend,” Hutch whispered as he went to his bedroom to grab a little sleep before work.
The next morning two sleepy but happy detectives arrived at work. The day flew by and they invited everyone they saw to Christmas Eve the next evening.
They dropped by Huggy’s after work to extend an invitation to him. When Hutch went to use the facilities, Huggy sidled up to Starsky, “What’s with the blonde?”
“I have no idea but I like it. The party was all his idea and we even put up a tree last night.” Starsky was grinning ear to ear.
“You don’t say.” Huggy said. “I’ll be there, I gotta see this.”
After having a quick dinner at Huggy’s Starsky suggested they hit a grocery store for supplies for the party. Several hours later they arrived at Hutch’s with a car full of goodies.
“I hope we got enough.” Hutch said as he made his third trip up the stairs to his apartment with grocery bags.
“We have enough if the whole department shows up.” Starsky mused, carrying the last few bags to the kitchen. “Do you have room for all this?”
“I’ll make room, you are going to help me, right?”
“You have to ask? I live for this stuff, you know that.” Starsky began emptying the bags. “We are going to be up all night getting stuff ready for tomorrow.”
“Maybe not.” Hutch had talked to Dobey without Starsky knowing. The Captain had agreed to let both of his detectives have the day off. “Dobey gave us tomorrow off.”
“We will have all day to finish decorating! I’ll call Ma and get a couple cookie recipes.”
“You didn’t get anything from your Secret Santa today.”
They had been so busy Starsky hadn’t thought about it, “You are right.” Then he shrugged. “Santa couldn’t match what you have given me.”
Hutch looked confused, he hadn’t given his friend anything. “I haven’t given you anything.”
“Oh yes you have, more than you will ever know.”
“All I did was let you put up a few decorations.” Hutch grinned but he finally understood what his partner was getting at.
“We did! We decorated together for the first time ever!”
Hutch pulled Starsky in for a quick hug. Then they got busy decorating and watching Christmas movies.
Christmas Eve day was spent baking Starsky’s favorite cookies, recipes supplied by his mother. Hutch worked on lunch meat and cheese trays and a vegetable platter. Together they laid out an array of breads, stacked cookies on plates and stocked the fridge with a variety of drinks.
They both stood back and admired their handy work. Now they just had to wait for the first guest to arrive. Starsky went to turn on the tree lights, when he went to plug in the cord he spied a white box tied with a red ribbon under the tree. “Hutch, did you put this package under the tree?”
Hutch bent down to see what Starsky was talking about, “No, where did that come from?”
“Oh come on Hutch, we have been here all day. How could it have gotten there?”
Starsky picked up the box, there was an envelope attached but no name to indicate who the gift was for. “Open it,” Hutch encouraged.
“But it’s your tree.”
“It’s our tree, open it.”
Carefully Starsky slid the red satin ribbon from the box and took the lid off. Inside was the most beautiful Santa hat he had ever seen. It would make Santa himself envious. “Wow,” Was all Starsky could get out as he handed it to Hutch.
Hutch gave it back to him, “It’s beautiful.”
“I already have one,” Starsky touched the one on his head that had seen better days.
“Not like this one,” Hutch turned it around so Starsky could see where his name had been embroidered on it. He took the hat and rubbed his hand over the soft white fur and his name.
Starsky slid his old hat off his head and slipped on the new one. He was looking a little sad that he got such a beautiful hat but there was nothing for Hutch until he noticed there was something under the tissue paper that was lining the box. Starsky pulled the paper away to reveal a second Santa hat, which had Hutch’s name embroidered on it.
Hutch took the hat, after admiring it, put it on his head, “Thank you Starsk.”
“It wasn’t me.”
Hutch pointed to the box, “You didn’t open the envelope.”
Starsky grabbed the small white envelope and carefully opened it. “Merry Christmas! Santa.” Starsky read out loud.
“Well if it wasn’t you and it wasn’t me then…” Hutch stopped mid sentence. They looked at each other as they both heard a faint Ho Ho Ho and maybe the sound of distant jingle bells.
“You don’t think?” Starsky eyes were wide.
“Naw…could it be?” Hutch asked.
They jumped up and ran onto the balcony just in time to see something disappear into the setting sun. And to this day they will both swear it was Santa.
“Merry Christmas Hutch.”
“Merry Christmas Starsky.”
The end.