Rebuilding The Future With The Past by Maquis Leader (R)

[nickygabriel]

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: none
Length: long
Author on LJ: maquisleader
Author Website: HERE
Why this must be read:

My last rec for this month is a happy one. There is a lot of humor, there is their usual banter, they are happy and they will be even happier at the end of the story. Of course they are older, wiser and definitely more careful with their decisions. And what it is about?
Well, when Starsky could not come back to work after what happened in SR, they had to reevaluate their careers and priorities but somehow they managed to find a place on Earth and go on with their lives. But they had to give up something. Something really, really important. Now – after a decade, with pure luck, Hutch had found the lacking piece and decided to give it back to the owner. On the road they would find more surprises, fight many remaining demons and realize that what they really possess is the most precious gift they could ever ask for.

“It’s supposed to be red!”
“First she has to be black.” Merle explained. “There’s a black edge to the stripe, remember?”
“No – yes – I don’t know!”
“There’s a black edge around the stripe – to help it stand out.”
“It needed help to stand out?” The damn thing could be spotted a mile away. How had they ever tailed anybody in it? “You had to paint the whole car?”
“Starskinson, you can’t just paint part of the car. It has to go on in layers – so it’s smooth.” Merle rubbed his hands over the fender. “If you don’t – then it ain’t smooth.”
“And people can tell?” Hutch glared at the car, but it was still black.
“Maybe you can’t tell. But I can tell. And Starsky?” He laughed. “He’d sure be able to tell.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Lifting the camera, Hutch began taking pictures of the not red Torino. “I’m sure he’ll be able to tell how many coats of paint are there when he sees it.”
“Yep.”
A thought struck him. “You’re not going to paint it all white now, are you?”
“Of course not!” Merle smiled and posed by the driver’s door. “Why the hell would I paint it white?”
“The stripe is white – “
“And only the stripe.” He shook his head. “We tape off and paint it white – nothing goes on top of it but more white and then the clear coat. Paint it all white and we lose the black edges.”
“That makes sense.” It didn’t, but the theory was giving him a headache. “It’ll end up red and white, right?”
“Get out of my garage!” Merle threw a shop towel at him.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Finale