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Cheryl T

   "Hey Starsky, I been thinking maybe we should take the day off tomorrow. Better yet I think it might be a good idea to not even get out of bed."

   Starsky turned to look at his partner, a puzzled look on his face. "What're you talkin about? Take the day off, stay in bed all day." The look on Starsky's face turned serious. "Are you sick? Is there something you're not telling me?" Starsky reached out, and placed his hand on Hutch's forehead.

   "What are you doing?" Hutch pulled away from Starsky's hand. This time he was the one with a puzzled look on his face.

   "I'm checking to see if you have a fever. Where do you feel sick?"

   "Starsk, I'm not sick!"

   "Then what's going on? Why are we taking the day off, and staying in bed?"

   Hutch sighed deeply. "Starsky, think about it. Think about all that we've been through lately. I just don't think it's safe for us to even get out of bed anymore."

   "Yeah, we have been through more than our share lately." Starsky said thoughtfully.

   "That's putting it pretty mildly don't you think?" Hutch shuddered just thinking about it. I mean we just barely survived a plane crash, and then there was the time we were hijacked. And lets not forget that trip we took on my sister's boat."

   Starsky nodded, as he started remembering some of the events of the last month or two. "I thought that boat trip was the end of me for sure. And you know, I lost count of the number of times I've been shot."

   "Boy, I know what you mean. "I never thought I would get out of that basement alive. That Jimmy sure had it in for me." Hutch patted Starsky's shoulder. "See what I mean about not getting out of bed. "It's just not worth it." I mean that's not even half of what we've been put through."

   "Hutch, who is doing all these horrible things to us?"

   "Fans...Starsky...our fans."

   "I thought fans were supposed to love you?" Starsky looked at Hutch intently. "What kind of people do we have for fans?"

   Hutch shook his head sadly. "We've got the most sadistic bunch of fans. I mean their not happy unless we're hurt. They get some kind of thrill out of hurting us. They call it hurt/comfort. They seem to thrive on it."

   "I think you're right Hutch. We better take tomorrow off, and just stay in bed."

   "Starsk, I just thought of something."

   "Heart attacks."

   "Heart attacks?"

   "Yeah, I don't think those sadistic writers have thought of that yet."

   "So what you're saying is we might not even be safe in our own beds?" Starsky paused. "They wouldn't. Would they?"

   "As much as I hate to say this buddy, we have to face it, we're not safe anywhere." Hutch tried his best to force a smile.

   "Sometimes I just hate this job." Starsky said.

   "Well, just remember what we always say, Starsky."

   Starsky grinned "Yeah, me and thee!"

   "You got it partner. Together we can even survive those darn fanfic writers." Hutch draped his arm across Starsky's shoulder and returned the grin.

THE END