This Mission Thing by JoJo (General Audiences)
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch
Pairing: none
Length: 3,044 words
Author on LJ: solosundance
Author Website: JoJo at AO3
Why this must be read:
The author describes this as "probably... a sequel to A Day Less Ordinary, but could also maybe be read as post-Sweet Revenge." I admit, I tend to think of it as the latter, and it's among my most beloved PSR stories. In it, Starsky has bounced back from his injuries and has returned to the job, to the streets again with Hutch, and everything appears to be back to normal... but appearances are deceiving, and the reality is much more complicated than that. Starsky's doctor lays it on the line:
All I know is that you have recovered from what should have been a fatal attack, and that we were able to put you back together... imperfectly. What I think I'm trying to tell you, David, is that you will not get better than you are now.
To have to face the fact that your life has been irrevocably altered-and not for the better-is sobering and frightening; not just for yourself, but for the people that love you. The situation, how Starsky and Hutch deal with it, the dialogue and the emotions that drive it, the sadness and the hope: all ring true, both to the canon and to how real life works.
This authenticity, if you will, is very much a hallmark of JoJo's work in all the fandoms she writes in, and makes her stories accessible and moving. So why are you still here? Go, get moved :)
This Mission Thing