| |
Agent With Style
(www.agentwithstyle.com)
is proud to announce a brand new slash Starsky and Hutch novel is available
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Written by Mystic Whim and Hutchlover, with a beautiful cover by Judi Jones, the six tales in this *thick,* full-sized zine begin in the early days before Starsky and Hutch joined the police academy, continue to where they become partners on the force, and follow up through to end of the series and after -- and while life is happening, so is love. The two men discover they have more than brotherly feelings for one another, and after a few false starts, they truly become partners in all things. Weaving in and out of our heroes' lives are a strong and loyal group of friends who color their days with humor, wit and courage, in good times and devastatingly bad times, and whom Starsky and Hutch couldn't imagine themselves without. Join these two authors as they allow their love for these men to shine forth in the love Starsky and Hutch have for each other. A not-to-be-missed novel!
* * *
MICE AND MEN by Hutchlover and Mystic Whim
"Why don't we come back on Monday?" Starsky suggested. "There's a new kid performing that I've been hearing good things about. His name's Steve Goodman, and he's a folk singer."
"I can't make it then," Hutch declined. "I have a mid-term in BioSciences on Tuesday, and I'll need to study."
"Who are you taking for Bio?" Gino questioned.
"Franklin," Hutch said, less than enthusiastically.
"I had him last semester," Gino complained. "I had to drop it, man. He wanted us to test these chemicals on those poor mice. I couldn't do it."
"He didn't do that this semester. He got so many complaints, he dropped that requirement for Bio. But he still has all the lab animals in there. I hear he still experiments with them in other classes, though."
"That's not right, man," Gino announced sadly. "How can you do that to those poor helpless creatures?"
"Little Mickeys and Minnies?" Starsky squeaked out, unintentionally mimicking the objects of their discussion. "Drugging them with chemicals and making them suffer?"
They continued to voice their disgust about the cruel treatment to the lab animals until Gino suggested they sneak into the Keck lab building and set them free.
"We can't do that, Gino!" Hutch laughed. "What if we got caught?"
"So what are they going to do to us?" he asked, mischievous eyes twinkling. "Arrest us for aiding mice in a jailbreak? Who would blame us when they hear what they do to those animals? Come on! It'll be fun! Wouldn't you just love to see the look on Franklin's face when he sees the empty cages in the morning?"
Hutch laughed again. "So what is this? Operation Rodent Rescue?"
"No -- Mousecapade '67." Starsky's eyes twinkled with a reflection much like the North Star in a clear midnight sky.
Gino laughed with him. "Far out! Let's do it! Now all we need is someone to help us; someone who would know how to break into the lab."
"Ahem."
Both Hutch and Gino looked to Starsky, who tilted his head and unobtrusively pointed a finger to himself.
"No way, Starsk." Hutch shook his head at his friend, who had been listening to their rants about the mice with silent amusement. "You can't. You can't afford to get caught if you want to enter the academy."
"Sorry, Hutch, but my stint in the Army prepared me for this type of mission. Besides, you have a fiancee and can't afford to get caught, either. You need my experience in undercover operations to back you up."
Hoping to head off an argument, Gino spoke in a rather poor imitation of Peter Grave's voice, thereby giving his agreement to Starsky's accompanying them. "Your mission, Starsky, should you choose to accept it...."
"This isn't exactly 'Mission: Impossible,'" Starsky giggled. "More like Mission: Mickey Mouse."
"Now, see?" Hutch cocked a thumb in Starsky's direction. "Nothing scares this guy. He's a born hero." He saluted his friend in mock seriousness. "General Starsky? Private Hutchinson reporting for duty."
"Yes, sir." Gino saluted. "Me, too, sir."
"You guys are nuts, you know that?" Starsky laughed. "You really want to do this?" The other two nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go."
BORROWED TIME by Hutchlover and Mystic Whim
The drive back was tense, as each man drove home in his own car.
Starsky pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine, but Hutch sat in in his car with the engine running. Getting out, Starsky walked over to the Ford and opened the driver's side door. "Hutch? Hey, you gonna sit here or come inside with me?"
When Hutch turned toward his lover, Starsky was taken aback by the bleakness in his eyes.
"Come on, babe, let's go in and talk," Starsky said gently.
Once inside, not wanting to push him, Starsky waited, let Hutch take off his jacket and followed him into the kitchen, where Hutch grabbed a can of ice tea.
"Okay, you're scaring me, Hutch. What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"
Hutch wrapped his arms around Starsky, burying his face in his neck. "Cancer, Starsk," he whispered. "I've got cancer...."
Starsky pulled himself back, stunned, "C-C...Cancer? Are...Are you sure?"
"Hell, no, I'm not sure, but the doctor's pretty sure."
Hutch waited and watched as the truth sunk in, as Starsky kept looking his partner up and down for confirmation. Denial, disbelief, fear, anger.
"How? I don't understand." He ran a hand through his abundance of curls and began pacing. "I mean, goddamn it. This isn't fair!"
"I know." A whisper of frustration.
Starsky ignored the remark as his anger grew. "I survived Gunther's hit; we've started a life together, dealt with prejudice when we bought this house, and then -- blam!" Starsky slammed his fist into an open palm. "Why the hell can't we *for once* have a
simple, normal life?!" He looked up at Hutch as the other man leaned against the counter watching him. "Aw, babe, I'm sorry. How are you doing? Tell me what's going on?"
"You mean besides the fact that my own body's turning against me?" Hutch was angry now, too. He didn't want to go through this. He didn't want Starsky to have to go through it. He was sick, but Starsky would have to watch as he fought this greatest of fights. And he knew from past experience how much harder that could be. "I don't know what I'm feeling, to be honest. I'm angry, I'm scared." Hutch sighed and closed his eyes.
Starsky gathered him in his arms. "Tell me what I can do for you, babe."
"Just be here. Just love me." The plaintive blue eyes spoke louder than words.
"Always." Starsky leaned in and gently kissed Hutch's eyelids and smoothed a flushed, pale cheek with his fingers.
Hutch reached up to grasp onto the hand that soothed him and held on tightly as if grasping for a lifeline while drowning at sea.
Pulling away, but not releasing the hand that held his, Starsky led his partner into the living room and onto the couch. "Tell me. Tell me everything the doctor said...."
We guarantee a happy ending, but to find out how it gets there, get this great zine! WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS now available at Agent With Style's webpage (www.agentwithstyle.com).
Dozens of fandoms. Thousands of zines.
Check us out! www.agentwithstyle.com
Click to go to With a Little Help From My Friends
|
