Chapter 20

The Torino drew into the parking lot and stopped. Starsky got out of the driver's side of the car and leaned in through the open doorway to retrieve a huge bunch of a dozen blood red roses wrapped in cellophane and tied with a big red ribbon. He plunged his nose into the midst of them and inhaled the perfume.

'Do you think she'll like 'em?' he asked.

'She's sure to buddy, they cost you a small fortune. Why don't you go up there on your own? I'll catch up with you in a little while huh? You two should have some time alone.'

'I should have stopped at that jewellers we saw' Starsky said, patting his back jeans pocket where his bill fold was. 'I wanted to do this right. I wanted to give her a ring, ya know?'

Hutch smiled. 'I'm sure she'll appreciate the sentiment, even if you don't have a sparkler for her finger. She'd be crazy to pass you up.'

'Ya think?' the brunet grinned almost shyly.

'Uh huh. Apart from anythin' else, what other crazy chick would have ya?'

'Oh gee thanks buddy. I can always rely on you to burst my bubble. Gimme half an hour and then come up huh?'

The flaxen haired cop nodded and watched his partner walk towards the entrance to the hospital with an exaggerated strut in his step. He'd never seen Starsky happier, not even when Terri had been around. That vivacious brunette had been charming, fun loving, independent and a great match for Starsky, but Mel was all that and so much more and Hutch snickered to himself. My God! The great Dave Starsky finally making moves to settle down and start a family! Would wonders never cease? Slowly, the blond walked on over to the big building. There was a coffee shop on the ground floor. He'd while away time with a cup of coffee and a magazine until the two love birds had had time to hatch their wedding plans.

Starsky made his way into the hospital, through the main entrance and stopped at the enquiry desk. The receptionist looked up at the handsome man who was partly obscured by the roses and smiled.

'Melanie Monaghan? Can you tell me which room she's in please?' he asked impatiently.

The young woman looked through her list. 'Your wife is in room 203 on the second floor Mr Monaghan.'

'Oh um, I'm not Mr Monaghan, but thanks anyway' the brunet grinned and looked around for the elevator. He saw the sign in the corner of the entrance hall and walked towards it, pushing the "up" button as he whistled tunelessly under his breath. In truth, he felt a little light headed, even a little nervous now that he'd made the decision, but nothing was going to stop him. Melanie was the woman for him, he knew that for a fact and despite the butterflies in the pit of his stomach, Starsky knew that there would be no regrets; he was doing the right thing. There was a ping from the elevator car as it landed on the ground floor and as the door opened and he got in, the second car also landed and Irene Robertson walked out, a case file under her arm.

Starsky stood in the elevator staring at his reflection in the polished metal. Self consciously he ran his fingers through his unruly curls, trying to coax them into some kind of order. He wasn't a vain man, but on this occasion, he thought he should try to look his best. The elevator car came to a rest and the door opened out onto a broad, pale green painted corridor. Starsky looked left and right, looking for the numbers on the various doors leading off and headed to his right, counting off the rooms. 200, 201, 202. This was it. Room 203. The brunet hesitated, his hand on the door handle. He took a deep breath, checked the bunch of roses again and opened the door slowly.

The room was in darkness, the blinds drawn and the lights off. It took a few moments for the brunet's eyes to become accustomed to the dark.

'Mel?' he called softly. 'Mel honey?'

There was no answer and Starsky crossed to the sideboard at the back of the room and flicked on the table lamp there. He turned and looked quizzically at the empty bed. Not just empty, it had been stripped of its sheets and blankets and stood waiting to be made up again. There were no other trappings in the room showing that it was inhabited and on impulse, Starsky rushed to the door and checked the number again. 203. That's what the receptionist had said.

Rushing out into the corridor, the brunet headed for the nurses station. A woman in a dark blue uniform looked up and smiled.

'Melanie. Melanie Monaghan. Which room is she in please?' the curly haired cop asked quickly.

'You are?.....'

'Starsky. Dave Starsky. I'm a friend.'

The nurse fumbled in a drawer in the desk for a moment and brought out an envelope with his name written on it. 'Mrs Monaghan isn't at this hospital any more' she explained. 'A police officer came by this afternoon and spent some time with her. She thought you may be coming back and she asked me to give you this.'

Stunned, Starsky put the flowers down on the desk and took the envelope with a shaking hand. He turned it over and saw the police crest embossed on the back of the paper. Quickly he slit the seal with his thumb nail and took out the single sheet of white paper.

Detective Starsky,

Melanie Monaghan has been accepted into the women's refuge relocation program.

She asked me to leave this note to explain to you that she has had no chance to say goodbye and that you should make no attempt, official or unofficial to try to find her.

Signed

Sergeant Irene Robertson

Underneath it, in a shaky hand was written six stark words.

Dave. I love you. I'm sorry.

Starsky stared at the paper as though somehow the words would change if he concentrated on them for long enough.

'How long?' he asked softly, his throat dry.

'Sorry?'

'Since she left. How long?'

The blue uniformed woman saw the pain in this man's eyes. 'She left a couple of hours ago in a private ambulance. Sergeant Robertson has only just gone. I'm surprised you didn't see her on your way up here. I'm very sorry Detective.'

The brunet pocketed the letter, left the flowers on the desk where he'd dropped them and turned swiftly back towards the elevator. He jabbed at the call button, waited no more than a second and then ran for the stair well, bounding down the steps three at a time, hitting the walls on the corners in his haste to get down to the ground floor again, his only intent being on getting a hold of Robertson to find out where she'd sent Melanie.

Back in the reception area, Hutch had walked into the building and was making his way over to the coffee shop when he saw Irene Robertson walking purposefully towards the door. He stopped and smiled.

'Irene! What brings you here?' he asked. 'Can I buy you a coffee?' Hutch and Starsky had worked with the sergeant on a couple of violence cases and the blond liked Robertson's no nonsense approach to her work and her ability to put the female victims at their ease. She was one of the few women Judges would listen to and several lawyers had been known to change their advice to their male clients once they knew she was on the case. The sergeant stopped.

'Hutch. Is Starsky with you?' she asked.

'Huh? No, he's pursuing his love interest' the blond grinned. 'He's gone up to her room to make an honest woman of her. Can you believe it? Romeo Starsky?'

'He's gone to see Melanie Monaghan hasn't he?' Irene said quietly.

A fleeting look of fear crossed Hutch's handsome face. 'Yeah, how did you….'

'Hutch I think you should prepare yourself. He's not gonna be too happy when he….'

At that moment, Starsky burst through the door to the stair well, looking wildly around him. He saw Hutch and a second later he saw Robertson and ran over to her, grabbing her arm and almost spinning her off her feet. He took the note from his pocket and waved it under the woman's nose.

'What the fuck is this all about?' he snapped, his face inches from Irene's.

Robertson fixed him with an unflinching stare. 'Not here Starsky. I'll explain but let's go somewhere shall we?'

'No! Right here, right now. You tell me what you've done with my girl.'

'Starsk? Irene? What's this all about?' Hutch asked.

'Ask her! Ask that meddlin' son-of-a…… She sent Mel away. She's put Mel on a relocation program.' Starsky's face was red, the sinews on his neck standing out like cords as he glared at the woman cop.

'I did what I needed to do to keep her safe and you know it' Irene said gently. She looked around and spotted a small conference room with its door open. She headed for it and the two detectives followed. As she sat down at the small table, Starsky stood ramrod straight and stiff with indignation as Hutch closed the door.

'Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?' the blond asked.

'She's sent Mel away' Starsky raged.

'For her own good Dave. I didn't make her. She chose to go' Irene said calmly. 'You know I would never force anyone to give up their previous life but there are times when safety is an issue and….'

'I could've kept her safe. I'm a cop for Christ's sake, that's what I do.'

'And what if she didn't want you to? It looks like you've been on the rough end of the deal already.' Robertson nodded at the strapping still on Starsky's wrist and the healing scars on his face.

'I can handle that. I can handle Monaghan, especially when he gets put away.'

Irene sighed. 'Two things. First, Monaghan isn't gonna be going anywhere. There was no evidence to say he assaulted his wife, at least none that would stick in a court of law. And two, she didn't want you to get hurt. She told me she couldn't allow that to happen, it would be too painful for her.'

'I wouldn't get hurt. I have Hutch to watch my back and….'

Irene raised her hand. 'Mel is a smart woman, and compassionate. She loves you more than I think you will ever know. She told me that she knows her husband. She knows what he's capable of and she couldn't live with having to wait for you to come home at night, worrying if you were gonna be ok. She needed to know that you were safe. Dave, she cared for you so much she was willing to give up everything for you. The least you can do is honour her wishes.'

'Wishes? What about my wishes?' Starsky asked quietly, sinking down onto the other chair in the small room. He suddenly looked small, broken almost and Irene felt a desperate need to comfort him some way. Instead, she drew on all her professional detachment and sighed.

'She knew you loved her too, that's why she took the decision. She asked me to ask you not to go looking for her. Starsky, this was a difficult decision for her, and one she didn't take lightly, especially so soon after she'd lost a baby. She needed time, but there wasn't any. She also asked that you stay away from Monaghan and I second that. Facing him would only make things all the harder for you and for her. Can you do that?'

Numbly, the curly haired man nodded. Starsky felt empty, as though every light in his world had suddenly been extinguished and he would remain in constant darkness for the rest of his life. He'd only just come to terms with the fact that he was going to propose to Mel; he'd only just assimilated the fact that he'd been a prospective Dad, if only for a short time, and yet the prospect had filled him with a joy he'd never thought possible. Now there was nothing but cold, and dark and a great aching void that he felt nothing would ever fill.

Irene stood and shuffled her papers. 'I can't say any more. I suggest you go home and get some rest, it's been traumatic for you, I know.'

Starsky barely raised his head in acknowledgment, but Hutch smiled briefly. 'I'll take care of him' he said as he opened the door for the woman. 'And thanks, you did the right thing and I know it's always tough.'

Sergeant Robertson looked back at the brunet, who was staring at the wooden top of the table. 'More than you could possibly now' she said with feeling.

Hutch turned back to his partner after the woman had gone. 'Starsk, come on buddy. There's nothing for you here now. Let me take you home.'

'She's gone.' The words were barely more than a whisper.

'I know buddy, I know. C'mon, let's get you home huh?' Gently but firmly Hutch got hold of Starsky's arm and pulled him to his feet, almost holding him up as they walked slowly out to the car. Once again, Hutch took the driver's seat and once again, Starsky made no comment as they drove through the late evening streets. His eyes were fixed on the dashboard, unblinking and his silence was almost painful in its intensity.

When they finally drew to a halt and Hutch switched off the engine, the brunet finally looked up and blinked. 'Thought you were taking me home' he said softly.

'You looked like you needed a friend and I didn't want you being on your own tonight. You can even have the bed if you want' Hutch said as he got out of the car and opened the door to Venice Place. He watched as Starsky got out and walked to the door like an old man, the strut in his step gone and his shoulders bowed as though the weight of the world were on his shoulders. Together they went into the small apartment and Hutch took out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He handed one to his partner and poured a heafty slug of amber fluid into each one.

'To one very brave woman' he said, raising the glass in salute.

'To the woman I'll always love' Starsky whispered and downed the fiery liquid in one.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Two days later.

That night two days ago, the two men had demolished the bottle of bourbon and had finally fallen asleep in the living room on Hutch's sofa. They'd rung into the Metro the next day, but Irene Robertson had beaten them to it and had spoken to Dobey long before they got a chance. The Captain, not known for displays of sentimentalism had given the two men a leave of absence for three days. His excuse to Hutch was that he didn't want a moping cop littering his office. The blond read the meaning behind the words and was eternally grateful to his boss.

The first day after Mel's departure was the worst. Starsky could barely raise his head and spoke so little that Hutch worried whether he need some help from a doctor to get through his pain. The next day, the blond decided that they both needed to get out of the house and so he packed a bag and drove Starsky down to the beach.

Now they were sat on the warm sand, looking out to the ocean and the never ending waves crashing onto the shore. They'd been there since lunchtime and had drunk the six pack of beers and eaten the sandwiches Hutch had made. Now the sun was beginning to set, colouring the sky with orange, magenta and scarlet. The kids had gone, taken home to bed by their parents and the two men were finally alone with their thoughts.

Starsky had begun to talk a little more as the salt air and the soothing sounds of the ocean had eased his heartache a little and Hutch had been happy just to sit back and let his partner unburden himself. With the rapidly gathering darkness, Hutch finally made a move and got to his feet, brushing the sand from his bare legs.

'Time to go home buddy' he said.

Starsky looked up at him and sighed. 'Back to reality huh?'

'Sooner or later you've got to face it partner.'

'I know, I know. Ma always used to say a good dose of work takes your mind of your troubles.'

'She's a wise woman, your Ma.'

'I guess.' The brunet got to his feet, brushed the sand off of his back and pulled his tee shirt back over his head. He stood for a moment looking as a child on the boardwalk ran up to her Father and asked for a ride. The man laughed, hoisted the youngster onto his shoulders and walked off. As Starsky started to pack up the picnic things Hutch tapped him on the shoulder.

'Huh?'

'For what it's worth Gordo, I think you'd have made a great Dad.'

Starsky grinned fleetingly. 'You gettin' soapy on me Hutchinson?'

Hutch grinned back. 'Shuddup mushbrain' he said gently and swallowed down the lump in his own throat.

Epilogue – 7 months later.

The nurse arrived, carrying a tiny bundle wrapped in a small pink blanket. Carefully she handed the sleeping baby to Melanie who looked down at it tiredly. It had been a long labour and she'd been on her own, in Baltimore, a long way from her real home in California, but now the pain all seemed worth it. She smiled at the tiny bundle and gently pulled the blanket away to better see the perfect, sweet face.

'Hello you. I'm your Mommy' she whispered to the sleeping child.

'And a very special one too. It's quite rare to lose one twin whilst the other survives' the midwife said as she bustled around the small room. 'She's perfect in every way and what a riot of dark curls! Have you thought of a name yet?'

Melanie looked up with a wistful look in her eyes. 'Oh yes, I've thought of one. Meet my daughter. She's called Star.'

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