Dobey held his breath.

The call had come in at the end of the day and tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Most of the cops were already finding unused leave to make up to finish their Christmas shopping.

Hutch had taken the call from his car. “I’m on my way to Starsky’s place and that’s about midway. Call him and tell him I’ll be late could you please Captain?”
Dobey called Starsky and wasn’t surprised to hear his flat answer. “Tell him I’m on my way – I’m closer.”

That was the last anyone heard from either of them.

The next day Dobey stayed at Metro as long as he could but when Edith had called him for the sixth time to remind him that he was singing a solo in the Carol Service he finally accepted that he might as well wait for news at home as in his office. As he left the building he made sure that dispatch knew where to find him and he picked up a beeper that worked.

Edith Dobey watched her husband as he greeted Cal and Rosie; chiding them for not being ready for the Carol Service and trying his best to hide his worry. She whispered to him.
“They’ll be alright dear; I’m sure David has a guardian angel.”
“After all that boy’s been through if he doesn’t have a guardian angel then he made a pact with the devil.” They laughed.

Dobey sang his solo…but he wasn’t really aware of doing so. He was praying with all his heart that Starsky and Hutch had dealt with the call and gone home without turning in their reports. After all they did that often enough when it wasn’t Christmas the next day

As soon as they were home Dobey slipped the beeper out of his pocket to check that he hadn’t received a message and not heard it inside the church. Nothing.
Sighing and running a hand across his face he went into his den and picked up the ‘phone.
The dispatcher on duty recognized his voice immediately. “Nothing Captain. No-one’s heard anything.”
“What about back up units?”
“There was nobody there when they arrived – and Captain – Blake says that it didn’t look like there had been any kind of incident there either.”

Edith called him from the living room. “Harold; come and decorate the tree.”
Rosie’s voice piped up. “Come on daddy we need you to put the star on.”
He heaved himself out of his chair and joined the rest of his family. Edith whispered “Don’t worry dear – no news is good news – and we don’t want to upset the kids.”

He looked at the star in his hand. A perfect six pointed star like the one David had worn around his neck when he first met him all those years ago. Now the boy wore some kind of Chinese things that Dobey didn’t understand and found a bit too hippie for a cop. Hutch wore a moon and stars and what looked like a silver tooth around his neck so Dobey knew that he couldn’t complain about that.
“Daddy!” Rosie was staring up at her father, he big brown eyes wide with worry “What’s the matter daddy?”
He put the star on the tree and lifted his pretty little daughter up and kissed her. “Nothing sweetheart” He patted her on the butt and put her down. “Cal, take Rosie and go see where the candy canes are.”
“Yes dad.”

The phone rang around nine that evening, but it was Edith’s mother wishing them a Happy Christmas because the next day she would be flying to Atlanta to visit her sister.
Night fell. Rosie and Cal were sent to bed and Dobey and his wife sat staring at the fire flickering in the hearth.
“So you remember when David talked you into having that gas log fitted. I thought Hutch was going to have a conniption; he was so shocked that anyone would have a fake fire.” Edith smiled at her husband.
“Yes, and Starsky as so excited because he’d dreamed of a real fireplace all his life but he doesn’t have a wall suitable in his house.”
His voice shook and she took his pudgy hand in hers and stroked it. “They always seem to come through dear.”
“But this time it’s Christmas.”
“I know.”

Edith finally decided to go to bed. “Harold?”
“No, I want to be awake if…if there’s any news.”
She sat down again beside him and curled up in his arms.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Rosie’s voice interrupted them. Edith grinned. “Rosie you should be asleep!”
“But mommy, Santa’s outside! I can hear him”
“Rosie!” her father shouted. “If you don’t go to sleep he wo…”
Edith put her finger to her lips. “Listen.”
He listened. Outside the house he could hear…no it couldn’t be…it sounded like….sleighbells.

Edith and her husband went to the window and pulled the drapes aside.
Outside on the front lawn two oversized elves were hauling a sack of packages up to the doorstep. The scene was eerily lit by the glow of…..

…..two mars lights flashing!

Dobey and Edith hugged each other. Starsky and Hutch were safe and well.