Dear friends: due to personal circumstances it took me longer than I expected to post the final chapter. I needed some time as I lost my dog while on vacation. At this point I want to thank everyone who've been so supportive to me this last week, especially Elisa Valero and her family, and Starsky's Strut.
Onto some happy thoughts: finally, the last chapter is here. This story felt like taking forever to write, and even though I'm going to miss the fun I had with it, I will not miss writing a crossover. (Never say never again, however.)
A huge thank you goes to my beta Kate. Tempus Fugit taught me more about writing than all my other stories put together and I have her to thank for that. Also, thank you Monika and Jenny and of course, a big hug for Kirby! Thanks to all those who reviewed and who cared enough to try and read this crossover while not knowing anything of one of the two shows. You know who you are. That really means a lot to me.
Enough talk.
Enjoy!
Chapter 24
The Torino stood gleaming in the sunlight, exactly where he'd left it: in front of the house near the tree line. He should be bouncing with joy, but that spark of life had disappeared along with his partner. With a heavy heart Starsky made his way toward the car.
Maybe there were other mirrors, other ways to get to Hutch. He opened the door and sat down in the passenger's seat. Staring through the windshield, his mind started to run in ever smaller circles. Who was he kidding? If those ways existed, they'd be guarded. Top Secret and all. He sighed. It would take a lifetime for a simple Bay City cop like him to gain access to them. And even then…
He looked at his watch. According to the date, this was the same day they had headed into that godforsaken house, only later in the afternoon. Starsky's surroundings seemed surreal; home, yet utterly empty. Closing his eyes, he did some soul searching. The connection he shared with his partner was still there, but the distance between them, the cold feeling that he'd lost Hutch along the way, drove him to the brink of despair. Biting his lip, he forced himself to open his eyes again and look reality in the face.
"Whatever it takes, Hutch. One lifetime… ten lifetimes… I'll find a way. I'll find another mirror… Maybe this Stargate project Daniel talked about-" His thoughts halted midway when in front of the Torino a small light appeared. At first he thought it was a firefly or something. But seeing as it was the middle of the day, that was kind of weird. Besides, the light was blue.
Since in his present state of mind he didn't care whether this phenomenon would swallow him whole or not, Starsky simply watched as the round form grew larger, until it could easily encompass the Torino a couple of times over. Within the shape of the huge flat vertical circle, the light congealed into what seemed like a liquid substance. It plopped as a figure stepped out of it.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
Only when Hutch stumbled onto his knees, did his legs start working again. One second he was in the car and the other he was hugging his partner so tight that he swore he heard bones crush. Tears stung his eyes.
"Uhm… Starsk," Hutch's muffled cry came from his shoulder region. "I can't breathe…"
Starsky backed off, holding his partner at arm's length. "God, Hutch. I was sure…"
Behind them the blue circle disappeared with a whooshing sound.
"I know," Hutch whispered hoarsely. "Me too." He pulled his legs underneath him and stood up. Then reached out, pulling up his partner.
"Care to tell me what happened?" Starsky asked, feeling a bit miffed that he'd been worried for nothing.
Hutch wiped the sand from his trousers. "Don't ask me to explain it," his partner started. "But Cerberus used the Stargate to get me back here."
"The Stargate," Starsky repeated incredulously. "So it's not just a code-name then? It really exists."
Hutch nodded. "Aw, you should've seen it, Starsk. It's a huge… round… gate, located beneath some mountain. We were miles underground. Don't ask me where it is. All I know is that it took forever to get there and I was blind folded the whole way."
Starsky walked back to the Torino, listening to his chattering friend. He grinned. It didn't matter that what Hutch was telling him seemed incredulous at best. The fact that he was able to hear him at all returned the bounce in his step.
"Oh, and there was this cute blond, Carter. You know, Jack's second in command. And a brunette I know you would've liked. Her name was Janet, I think," his voice drifted off.
"Hutch."
"Right, anyway," his partner continued, entering the Torino. Starsky followed, placing himself behind the wheel. "So the gate is this huge metallic ring, which is covered with symbols. You would've loved it. Cerberus told Jack to power it up without dialling out, whatever that may mean. Then our good dog took over. The ring started to glow and a puddle of liquid light appeared in the middle."
"The one you just stepped through."
"Uh-huh," Hutch confirmed. He fell silent for a few seconds, then his tone grew serious. "Cerberus was lethally exhausted Starsk." Hutch turned toward him, his eyes relaying that the dog had taken a huge risk, one that might have cost him his life. Starsky could only guess why the dog had been in such a state, but the explanation could wait. "He told me to hurry," Hutch continued. "Said that getting me to the right time and place was easy, since all I had to do was to concentrate on you. Using the Stargate's energy to do it was the hard part." He took a deep breath. "I take it he succeeded, since I'm here."
Starsky slapped Hutch on his back. "I'm sure he made it, partner." He started the engine, put the car in first gear and drove off. "He's a tough little dog."
"Little?" Hutch grinned. Then the smile died on his face. "I don't know, Starsk." He looked worriedly over his shoulder toward the house disappearing in the distance. "We're going to have to list Templeton as missing, though. Even though we know he's dead."
"He is?"
Hutch looked at him. "I think he was dead the moment Helios took over."
"And Helios?"
"Cerberus killed him."
Hutch's voice was strained, and laced with hidden memories he was not prepared to share, yet. Their recent adventure was enough to give anybody nightmares and Starsky kept quiet. Knowing that when the time came he would listen. "What about Daniel?" he asked instead.
His partner grinned. "Surprisingly hard to kill. Or so Jack kept telling me."
Relieved, Starsky nodded.
For a while they watched the trees fly by, then a soft smile appeared on Hutch's face. "We won the look a-like-contest you know."
Starsky snapped his head sideways at the casual remark, careful to keep the Torino from slipping off the dirt road. "We did?"
"First prize was meeting the actors. Jack said I could go."
"Did you?"
Hutch smile died on his face. "No."
He didn't need to ask Hutch why not. Meeting another Starsky would've been too painful. Especially if his partner hadn't been able to return here. He nodded in understanding. "You're lucky Cerberus pulled off the rescue."
Turning the Torino onto the main road, Starsky noticed with satisfaction that the phone booth, bench and bus stop had disappeared.
"According to the hellhound, luck's got nothing to do with it, partner."
Raising one eyebrow in question, Starsky focused his attention on Hutch again.
"Me and thee, buddy," his partner answered. "Cerberus said our close connection made it a hell of a lot easier to send me to… wherever you were."
Starsky grinned. With Hutch beside him, it was like nothing had happened. Still, the memory of Jack and Daniel, of people out there fighting for more than just personal gain, whether it had been real or not, burned vividly behind his inner mind's eye. It wasn't just Hutch and him. In the battle between good and evil, they were part of something so much bigger. Right now, however, he couldn't care less. He laughed, elated.
Finally, the roads were theirs again.
Epilogue
A loud voice pulled him out his much needed sleep.
"No! I don't care. You're not getting up from that bed until Doctor Fraser says you can!"
Registering that he was still in the infirmary, Daniel turned his head sideways and noticed Jack standing a couple of feet away. He sighed. Ever since Cerberus had collapsed at the foot of the Stargate, the Colonel had been hovering over the beast like a mother hen.
Jack whipped around. "Daniel, will you tell him to stay put!"
Trying desperately to wake up, Daniel wiped a hand over his tired eyes. "What makes you think he'll listen to me?" he yawned and blinked, taking in the sight of Jack glaring at him. The sickbay of Stargate command wasn't that large to begin with. Being inside a mountain really did put a cramp on spatial requirements. But now a large portion of the infirmary was taken up by a huge tanning bed.
After two weeks, Daniel wasn't released from the infirmary yet. He'd been allowed to walk around the base, but that was it. Luckily his wound healed well. God, how he longed for his own room again. Jack was driving him crazy. After making sure Daniel was all right -by being there his every waking moment- his commanding officer had turned his attention toward the dog.
Doctor Fraser had put Cerberus underneath this tanning bed with huge lamps in its ceiling. Looking at it, Daniel was sure Stargate Command's electrical bill next month would shoot through the roof. For two weeks, the dog had lain there, quietly. Recharging. Or so Daniel hoped. Now, Cerberus was awake and made some poor attempts to sit up.
Jack firmly held him down by the scruff of his neck.
"Jack, I don't think-" Daniel started, but was interrupted by the dog giving a sudden whine.
Startled, Jack let go. "Sorry," he whispered, petting Cerberus' head.
Daniel frowned. "How come he takes all this… bullying from you?"
Jack turned, feathers ruffled. "I'm not bullying him! Oh… okay. Sit up if you like. See if I care."
"Thank you," Cerberus sounded genuinely grateful. He carefully stepped off the sun bed and went to sit beside Jack.
Straightening, Daniel stared at the homey scene. "Look at that, Jack! You've domesticated him."
"Turns out, Cerberus and I share this connection," his friend explained like an excited child. "Sort of like Starsky and Hutch only different. Neat huh?"
"Oh Yes, very neat," the dog's voice dripped with sarcasm. "In all my centuries of existence, I'd never have seen this coming, and now he's as protective over me as he is over you."
"Tell me about it," Daniel muttered.
Jack looked from one to the other. "Will you two please cut it out." He tapped Cerberus on the head. "Now that you're among the living again. Would you mind telling us what you did with all those Goa'uld? We tried to locate the burial ground Daniel spoke of, but couldn't find it."
"No, I took it all away when I took the Goa'uld. Don't worry, you won't see them again. Or me for a while."
Jack's face fell. "You're leaving?"
"As much as I enjoy your company," he grimaced, "I need to revert back into my original form."
"You're sure that you're strong enough to dimension jump on your own now, without the use of the Stargate?"Daniel asked a bit worried.
Jack crouched and petted the dog's ears. Unexpectedly Cerberus' tongue lashed out and caught him full in the face. The colonel fell backward. "Oh yuck," he yelled, frantically trying to rid himself of the dog drool. "Okay, I say it's definitely time for you to go."
"My sentiments exactly," Cerberus spoke, a grin in his voice.
"Where are you going?"Daniel asked curiously.
"Oh…there's lots of places… listen, Jack. If you need me, all you have to do is call out. Our connection is so strong I'll even be able to hear you across realities. Don't make a habit of it though!"
"I'll try to resist the temptation," Jack spoke sarcastically.
"Doctor Jackson?"
"Yeah?"
"The balance has been restored. I owe you a debt of gratitude, so I give you a warning. I'm neither good nor bad, I'm in between. Watch yourself when all is well, when you think you've defeated the Goa'uld forever. Because evil will be allowed to stir then, and I won't stop it. Make sure you're on your guard, or your show will be over." Cerberus winked and suddenly blinked out of existence.
"Wait, what d'you mean by-"
There was a flash, and the dog blinked into their midst again, gave Jack a firm lick and once more disappeared. Goodbye, Colonel!" Cerberus' voice echoed in their heads.
Smiling, Daniel handed his cursing friend a towel and lowered his head in thought.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked, having wiped his face clean.
"It's nothing. Just something Cerberus said." He hesitated. "Jack, do you think there could be a reality out there in which WE are nothing but a t.v. show?"
Jack went to sit on his bedside and stared at him. "Who'd be the lead actor? You? Me?"
"Me, of course," Daniel teased. He looked at Jack.
Then the absurdness of that statement sank in. For one thing, the special effects alone would cost a fortune! The colonel shook his head, and a smile formed on Daniel's face .
"Nah," They said together and laughed. For now… no matter what reality, all was well with the world.
The end.
That's it. Thank you for reading and I hope you'll leave a review. After this there's a Starsky & Hutch I'm going to co-write. There's 'Specimen' I still need to complete and there's a few Doctor Who stories I'm working on. Hope to see you again soon!
Kreek