crack_van | Novena, by Susan (PG)

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch (could be gen, could be preslash, I vote for preslash)
Author on LJ:sjames-centre
Author Website: http://kassidyrae.com/shslash/ (scroll down)
Why this must be read:

I have a soft spot for stories written from either a secondary character's POV, or from an original character's POV. This story, written from the POV of an original female character, is one of my favorites. This story, related to the S1 ep, The Fix, of course, the reader watches Hutch's slide back into addiction and Starsky's struggle to get him out again. We come to an amazing understanding of Hutch's pain, Starsky's love and concern, and most of all, what they're both in for in the future, all through Brandy's thoughts, observations, judgments, behavior, and most of all, her compassion. Her understanding of what she's seeing in Hutch and Starsky come from her own experiences in a world that she knows Hutch doesn't belong to. She's an amazingly appealing character, thanks to her flaws and her good heart, and her distinctive voice that's clear and true.

There are a million other reasons why you should read this story. I don't have to list them. You'll know them once you've read it. But pay special attention to the period details, the brilliance of the characterizations of both the known and the new characters, the descriptive passages, and sad/funny tone throughout. This story is flawless.

I specifically wanted to drive the crackvan this month, because I knew this story would be timing out and available online. It's a true work of art, and I wanted to be the one to rec it. It was originally published in the zine Blood and Destiny, produced by Kassidyrae.

I sat on the bed, drank one of the bottles of root beer I found in the fridge, and tried to picture Ken living there, but I couldn’t. Not the strung-out, chain-smoking junkie I knew. But Hutch? The guy Starsky was looking for? The one I caught a glimpse of earlier? That was easier to imagine. Hutch was the one that chose the furniture and the books and the pictures on the wall. He probably hauled home that huge piece of driftwood from the beach himself and spent hours finding the perfect place for it. I think I’d like Hutch. It’s junkies like Ken I’m not so crazy about.

The bathroom was so neat it was scary. There was two of everything, two brands of deodorant, two kinds of toothpaste, only one toothbrush though. I looked in the closet, nothing fancy. And there were a few pairs of old jeans and T-shirts hanging at one end of the closet separate from all the others. I found an old gym bag on the floor in the corner and threw it on the bed. There were a couple leather jackets in the closet I knew I could get good money for.

I was in the kitchen getting another drink from the fridge when I heard the front door open. Shit shit shit. If it was Ken, I had a lot of ’splaining to do.

“Hutch?” the voice said.

It was Starsky. I could hear the relief in his voice and I almost felt guilty.

“Hutch?” he repeated a minute later. He sounded a little worried now.

I figured it was time to face the music. I took a breath, plastered a smile on my face and walked into the living room.

“Hey, Starsky. Fancy meeting you here.” Heavy on the surprised. Light on the guilt.

I would’ve felt a lot better about things if he didn’t have a gun pointed at me.

Novena