"I don't think he does any more.  They used to work it out as traded labor.  Johnny would go work over there on some of his days off." "So?" "So now all his days off belong to Coty, right?  When would he have time to pay Dale back?" "Joanne, that's Johnny's business." "I know that but--" "He's gonna know if you've been nosing around.  You can't just come to him with some hair brained notion that Chris should be some sort of a babysitter for Coty." "I NEVER SAID--" "Coty's twice as mature as Chris is anyway.  To be honest, I don't know if Chris is ready to be out there for long periods of time without supervision." "Oh come on Roy, he's almost ten." "Yeah, he is.  And four months ago out almost ten year old decided to throw rocks at a little boy half his size.  I'm sorry, but he hasn't completely re-earned my trust yet, especially when it comes to leaving him alone with that same little boy.  Yes, he's shown he's sorry.  And yes he's trying to make amends, but he's not there yet.  Not with me anyway." "And how is he gonna get there?" "I'll let you know once it does." "So your answer is no, absolutely not." "If you wanna see if he wants to take reading in summer school, go ahead.  But he's not gonna start spending the afternoons unsupervised over at Johnny's." "And we can't even ask Johnny what HE thinks." Roy's expression gave her her answer. "By the way," she added trying to sound casual, "I have something else to tell you."                        ~/~/~/~/~ Roy put down the manual he was reading at the station's table to take another sip of coffee.  He felt extra nervous that morning, happy and sad at the same time.  He became convinced that the coffee was part of the problem.  Standing to dump it out into the sink and grab a glass of milk instead, he saw Johnny join him in the room. "Coty get to school okay?" Johnny nodded and took the carton from Roy's hand.  "You finished?" he asked before pouring his own glass. "Well no, I only just--" "Oh, here," Johnny said handing it back.  "Sorry, I just--" "Nah, you finish it," Roy offered knowing there wasn't that much left.  "We'll pick up some more on our way back from re-supplying." "Fair's fair, you had it first." "Drink it Junior, it's good for your growing bones." Johnny smiled and took the carton, "well thanks Pally, I appreciate it." Roy smiled as he watched Johnny down the rest of the carton in three large gulps. "Man that hits the spot," Johnny smiled. "Hey uh, I've got to talk to you about something.  Joanne told me yesterday that--" The tones sounded interrupting his voice.  Five minutes later, the two of them found themselves about to deliver a baby. "Hey...let me do this one, okay?" Roy asked. It had been a few months since their last delivery, and despite the fact that it was now suppose to be Johnny's turn, the tone in the other man's voice made him happily step aside. Back at the station an hour later, Roy was still grinning. "What's with you today?" Johnny asked with a smile, gulping at one of the quarts of milk they'd just bought. "Use a glass pal, okay?" Cap requested. "Sure Cap," Johnny agreed, pouring the remainder of the carton into a glass and finishing it off. "Like THAT was necessary," Cap muttered to himself helplessly.  "Should have just let him finish drinking it out of the carton instead of dirtying a glass." "So out with it," Johnny prodded Roy again. The smile left Roy's face as sadness took over. "Now what's the matter?" Johnny asked worried. "Nothing bad really it's just..." "What's just what?" Chet asked leading the other two men into the kitchen to raid the food the two paramedics had just bought. "Mine," Marco said slapping Chet's hand off a roll of salami. "Well it's nothing really it's just...well it's pretty big actually when you think about it but...well it's gonna start out pretty small." "He's completely lost it," Marco whispered into Chet's ear to Chet's agreeing nod. "Out with it already," Cap ordered. "Well, I'm gonna be a daddy." "What?!" Cap exclaimed happily. "Again!" Chet asked in dismay. "Yeah again," Roy answered defensively.  "Joanne's been wanting another one since Beth and Mike here had their little one last year...or so." "Thirteen months," Mike smiled. "Well I think it's WONDERFUL!" Johnny grinned patting him on the back. "Yeah...uh...there's something else I've been meaning to talk to you about too," Roy added quietly, motioning for Johnny to follow him out into the bay. "Stay Chet," Cap ordered when he began to follow as well. "What?" Johnny asked after shooting Chet a sneer back into the kitchen. "I uh...well you know I've been studying a lot lately." "Yeah, you're always studying something." "I've been studying for the Captain's exam." "Oh," Johnny said trying not to sound too surprised.  "What ah...what happened to engineer?" "Captains make more money and--" "Yeah...yeah you're right.  They do." "I was thinking I'd take the test this time as just a...well you know, maybe just a practice run.  When I told her okay, I was kinda hoping it would take a little while, you know?  But now ah..." "You'll do fine Roy," Johnny said patting him on the back, "and you'll make a good Captain too." Johnny bit his lip as he moved away to go into the locker room.  Roy took several deep breaths before he followed.  Peering through the small window in the door, he could see Johnny standing in front of his open locker, seeing something that was not in front of him.  He watched his best friend take a shaky breath, drag his hand across his eyes, and sit down. "You okay?" Roy asked pushing the door open. "Course I'm okay.  Why wouldn't I be okay?" Johnny asked nonchalantly, as he quickly wiped at his face again. "No reason," Roy shrugged sitting down next to him. "A Captain huh?" Johnny asked forcing a smile. "Yeah, gotta try anyway." "Yeah...you'll do it." Roy frowned not feeling so sure.  "Maybe." "Hey Roy, you gotta minute?" Cap called from the bay. Johnny watched him go.  "He will," Johnny thought to himself, "he will."                        ~/~/~/~/~ Before she knew it, it was Chris' birthday.  Since things had been settled, Joanne had sent out short notice invitations to everyone she could think of.  Despite her protestations, Johnny had become more and more involved.  She just hoped his ideas weren't costing him any money.  Jenny begged to come along when Joanne said she was leaving to get things ready.  She agreed if Jenny promised to do only what she told her, which she did.  "Well we're going now," Joanne announced to her husband and son watching something on the television. Roy jumped up to kiss her good bye. "I wish he looked more excited," Joanne whispered in his ear. "He's probably just nervous." "I don't think he likes the idea anymore.  He sure didn't seem happy about it when I reminded him of what we'd decided last year and that it was still on.  But after everything we went through on Johnny's side of it--" "It'll be fine Joanne, trust me.  He's going to have a blast." "Travis and Eddie won't be there." "No, but Davis will, and half a dozen of his cousins will...what time is Kathleen getting here anyway." "Four o'clock.  There should be plenty of food in the fridge.  Beth said she could come over if we need reinforcements so don't be shy about calling her.  I still can't believe she agreed to bring Lucy's and Millie's kids along too.  We are gonna have a house full." "Well Johnny said they could all just throw sleeping bags on the floor of the barn.  They are all bringing their own sleeping bags, aren't they?" "Yes, but do you really think those girls are gonna like that idea?" "Why?" "The smell Roy." "Johnny has one of the cleanest barns around, and the horses will be in the pasture." "I know that but still.  We can't have half the kids out there and half of them here and we can't expect Johnny to just let a pack of them sleep on the floor in the living room.  I think we should just nix the whole sleeping in the barn idea all together." "Well let's just play it by ear, okay?" "Fine." Joanne pulled into the long driveway and was already regretting the imposition they'd made on Johnny.  Along both side of the drive, and apparently around the barn area as well, she saw several outdoor oil torches ready to be lit that night. "I hope he worked out some sort of a trade," she muttered to himself, "if he put those things on a credit card I'll--" "Those are his mommy," Jenny reminded her. Joanne thought for a minute and realized she was right.  Johnny had bought those lamps years ago when he'd first got the place.  Still, the oil to fill them cost money as well. Just as they had been before when she'd come by, every door and window in the house was wide open.  Stepping up on to the porch, she immediately saw Johnny in the kitchen. "Hello," she smiled breathlessly, struggling to carry in all the bags of groceries she would need. "Joanny!  Why didn't you tell me you were here!  I'll help you with all of that," he remarked grabbing as many of the bags as he could. "There are probably a hundred more in the wagon." "How many people did you invite to this thing?" "A lot.  I hope I didn't--" "Don't be ridiculous.  How many times does a kid turn ten anyway?" "Only once." "That's right." "Coty should be having a birthday soon too, huh?" "He already did in April." "He did?  You didn't say a word!" "Well, we just...I don't think he really got the idea and it was still kinda early.  I took him camping.  He had fun.  That was enough.  Oh...and I framed his birth certificate for him," Johnny grinned picking it up off the mantle. "Coty McConneley," she read aloud.  "Johnny, this says September." "What?" "His was born September twenty third not April." "Where do you see that!" Johnny frowned snatching it back. "That's a nine Johnny, not a four...it just got the top part of it smeared is all...see?" "Oh man that IS a nine.  He's still only eight years old." "Umm...not to be nosey but...you said you and the mother only did it the once.  Couldn't you have kinda figured that one--" "Oh MAN!  I know what I did!  I was thinking I went back after high school graduation!  I didn't!  It was after I finished the academy!  I guessed I just...well you'd have thought I would have remembered considering how cold it was when we...well, never mind," he blushed.  "I came back to work for a while until I could afford a decent place for both of us to live and then...well you know the rest." "You realize what else this means don't you?" Joanne teased. "What do you mean?" "Coty?  School?  He'd have missed the cut off for kindergarten that year by a couple of weeks at least.  I don't know of any school that doesn't start at least by labor day, and he'd still have been four." "Oh no...he should have been in second grade!" "Well he'd have just missed it by a few weeks.  It's really not THAT big of a deal." "But I put him in the wrong grade and then I INSISTED that he STAY there!" "He did fine though, didn't he?" "Yeah but...well know.  He flunked math." "But only math.  He did fine in everything else." "But I put him in the wrong grade!  Do you think they'll make him take third again when they find out?" "He already took third grade Johnny.  I don't think--" "Only half of it.  He missed the first half of the year.  What if they want him to just take the whole thing now cause that's where he should have been.  How am I going to explain it to him.  How do I explain to him he's still eight years old?!" "Johnny, it's not that big of a deal!  You're talking missing the cut off by a few weeks, not a year or more.  They do they because of the general levels of maturity of kids at those ages anyway.  Chris got held back a year because mainly he just wasn't mature enough yet for the first grade.  Roy warned me I was babying him but, well it's really not that big of a deal.  Nobodies gonna do anything but maybe laugh a little bit.  After all, you're the father and you did catch the fact that...that's really the only joke.  As far as telling Coty he's still eight for another couple of months, he doesn't really strike me as someone who would really care that much either way.  Besides, now he'll get another birthday, right?  That's not such a bad deal!" "You really don't think the school will do anything?" "They'd be silly if they did." "Maybe I should just do it myself so he'll be more even with the rest of the kids when it comes to math." "Look, he's in summer school.  You don't have to tell anyone anything until the next year starts anyway.  Wait and see how he does and THEN decide what's best for him." "But I've been pushing him so hard in math and he's just--" "It's okay to push kids a little Johnny.  He's learning it isn't he?" "Yes." "Then what are you so worried about?" "Nothing I guess." "Good, not go get the groceries out of the car Mister can't remember his but was freezing off when he--" "JO-ANNE!" "I don't get it," Jenny laughed try to figure out what the adults were going on about. "Never you mind," Joanne warned her.  "Help your forgetful uncle get the groceries in while I get started on the cake." "It's gonna be chocolate, right?" "Right." "Come on Joanne," Johnny grinned mischievously, "why don't you just explain it to her?" "Out!" she ordered with a smile. "Boy, she's gettin bossy in her old age, isn't she?" Johnny muttered to Jenny just loud enough for Joanne to hear. Joanne laughed and started to look for a mixing bowl.  Again she encountered the bareness in his kitchen.  Putting the hamburgers and hotdogs away for the time being, she discovered there wasn't even a carton of milk. "By the way," Johnny called as he cam back in with his arm loaded with her groceries, "you have to come out into the barn for a minute." Joanne quickly shut the fridge and pretending to be absorbed in a recipe.  "What?" she asked absent mindedly. "The barn," he repeated setting the bags on the table.  "Aahhh, I didn't do it...Chet and Marco did.  I hope you didn't buy a lot of streamers." "Oh dear...what did they do?" Johnny lead the way out to the barn with Joanne and a very curious Jenny in tow. "Chet uh...couple years ago he got a really great deal on Halloween decorations it seems and...well I told him no on the skeletons and stuff but..." As they got closer, Joanne could see all of the fence posts and the entire inside of the barn had been decorated with bright orange streamers. "Oh my God, it looks like a giant pumpkin!" Joanne laughed. "If you hate it, Coty and I'll tear it down as soon as he--" "No!  No!  It's great!  Chris'll love it!  I'll have to change the colors on the cake though." "Huh?" "So it doesn't clash." "What?" "The icing silly." "Clash, oh dear yes.  We wouldn't want the icing to clash now would we?!" "If I didn't have a party to get ready, I'd take you down and sit on you!" "Yeah, and I've gotta go get Coty.  Besides, you'd never be able to catch me." "I'd wait till you were sleeping and then--" "Oh yeah, that reminds me.  Chet want's to know if they can have water balloons." "Water balloons?  I never thought of that one." "Well, leave it to Chet." "I suppose if he has some--" "He does." "Tell him sure, why not.  BUT NO SHAVING CREAM!  The last time you guy did that, half of you ended up getting sick." "Don't remind me.  Who'd of thought breathing in that stuff could make you feel so lousy." "I suppose he'll bring squirt guns too." "Uh uh...no...not with Coty here.  I already told him.  I know half the world or more would tell me I'm wrong for that but I don't really care." "Squirt guns are a little different that a regular toy gun Johnny.  With the regular toy guns, they'll pretend to shoot and kill each other, with squirt guns they just end up focusing on getting each other as wet as possible." "It's all the same to me.  If just one kid pretended to kill another...no.  I'm not gonna have that around Coty.  Don't you still have that water toy?" "The Slip-N-Slide?" "Yeah.  THAT'S a good water toy.  Why don't you--" "That's NOT a good water toy.  The kids end up killing themselves on rocks and tree roots and everything else you can imagine." "Huh...what if I put a bunch of hay under it on the hill?" "That might work!" "At the very least I can turn the sprinklers on, is that enough?" "Plenty.  When it comes down to it, we can give them plastic cups and just let them THROW water at each other...okay?" Johnny smiled.  "Yeah...THAT sounds fine." "Good, now don't you think you better get going?" "Oh man you're right!" he exclaimed looking at his watch.  "He's been uh...never mind," he told her racing off to try to get to the school before the class let out. As he pulled up, the teacher had apparently let the kids out a little early. "GET OFF OF ME!" Coty screamed at the kid sitting on top of him. "Make me!" the bigger boy taunted as a number of other kids stood around watching. Johnny squealed to a stop and jumped out of the Rover with out taking the time to close the door.  In no more than three long strides, Johnny reached the middle of the yard and yanked the surprised kid off of his son by his shirt. "What do you think you're doing!" Johnny shouted at him, trying for all he was worth to keep from shaking the kid senseless. "Is there a problem here?" a teacher asked hearing his loud voice and coming out side. "YES there's a problem here!  Where were you ten seconds ago!" "I was correcting papers I--" "Just forget it!" Johnny hissed picking up his son and putting him in the car. As he walked away a couple girls that had been watching filled the teacher in. "Mr. Gage?  We're very sorry!  It's won't happen again!" the teacher shouted after him. Johnny revved his engine and pulled away.  Coty kept his face to the door, not wanting to look at him. "I don't believe," Johnny muttered over and over on the way to the hospital, "I just don't believe it." "I'm SORRY!" Coty shouted when he could stand it no more. "What?" "I said I'm SORRY!" "Coty, YOU didn't do anything!" The boy turned away and hid his face in his arm. "Coty..." Johnny said stopping the car.  "You didn't do ANYTHING!  It's not your fault half those kids are mental.  It's THEM, not you." "Then why do they always pick on me!" "I don't know.  I wish I did.  But you've got to believe me...it's nothing you did, okay?  And I an NOT mad at you.  Not at all!  Okay?" "Okay." "Come on," Johnny said restarting the engine, "let's get you checked out."                          ~/~/~/~/~ "What are you gonna wear tonight?" Roy asked his son, blocking the TV to make sure he'd be heard. Chris shrugged and tried to see between his father's legs. "Your mom said to wear swim clothes so you guys can get wet, and to bring the Slip-N-Slide, but you'll--" "I HATE that thing." "Johnny's gonna put some hay down so--" "He doesn't have to do that!" "Well I think he kind of WANTS to, you know.  It is your birthday." "So." "So he likes to make sure you get to some things special as much as you mom and I do.  This whole cowboy party was his idea last year, remember?" "It's dumb." "You didn't think so when he brought it up last year." "I was only nine." "Oh...all right, well nobodies saying you have to do the slip and slide.  You've got plenty of younger cousins coming that will enjoy it.  You can just spend the time riding the horses." Chris didn't answer. "Now since when don't you like to ride the horses?" Chris shrugged and picked at his shoelace. "Look.  You did a lot of wrong things last year...or a few months ago...and yeah...it hurt Johnny a lot.  Coty's his son you know...and for you...who he's always loved as a son, to...to do some of the things you did...you can't blame him for feeling betrayed." "At the picnic, he didn't even talk to me." "I don't remember you being around that much where he COULD talk to you." Chris shrugged again, not wanting to admit his father was right. "I don't think he likes me anymore." "That's not true Chris.  Your mom told me they've got that barn decked out with streamers, and Johnny's put out a bunch of oil lamps to light up the night, and it was his idea for the Slip-N-Slide.  It's not HIS fault he doesn't know you hate it.  He's still going through with this whole thing isn't?" Chris didn't answer. "He didn't have to you know!" His blond-headed son shrugged and bit his lip. "You're going to have fun tonight Chris, I promise.  Johnny likes you just fine, you'll see."                        ~/~/~/~/~ "How is he doc," Johnny asked from the hall where he had been banned after getting the way one too many times. Dr. Brackett reminded himself that at the moment Johnny was not a paramedic but a parent, and he had just as much right to be obnoxious over his kid as anybody else.  "He'll be fine Johnny," the good doctor told him as he pulled him the rest of the way out into the hall.  "It wasn't those same kids was it?" "No.  The school has plenty of other bullies to take up their slack." "You should report it Johnny." "I already have.  The cops don't do much besides talk the parents.  The school says they'll watch out for him, then I come to pick him up and..." "Maybe if you did what you mentioned when you got here, go ahead and put him back a grade, maybe he wouldn't stand out as much." "No.  That kid had to have been in fifth at least.  I don't think it would make a bit of difference." "Well you have my sympathy John.  And if there is ever anything I can do..." "Thanks doc.  Will he be staying here tonight or..." "No no.  He can go." "What about his nose.  It was bleeding again?" "No, his nose is fine, and healing nicely.  It don't think it'll darken up again.  The blood was from a little cut on his lip.  We cleaned it up.  You can barely see it now.  His arms are a little bruised...I figure from the other kids knees digging into them.  He tough, as usual.  You can take him home." "Home," Johnny muttered picturing the amount of people that would soon be swarming all over it, "right."                          ~/~/~/~/~ People began showing up an hour before sunset.  Joanne had more kids and adults than she knew what to do with.  The cake was finished and the food was started on the grill, but she had no idea what had happened to Johnny.  Roy soon arrived with Chris, and decided he had better set up the Slip-N Slide himself rather than waiting to Johnny to turn up again in order to help get the kids out of his wife's hair.  He climbed the ladder to loft in order to throw down some clean hay, and found himself grabbing on to a beam to regain his balance and the loft shook beneath him.  To the side he noticed the one nail keeping the loft still in place. "He better fix THAT soon," Roy muttered as he grabbed the nearest bale and climbed down as quickly as he could. The children continued their water games well after dark while the parents shagged them from time to time to get them to eat or drink.  The invitation had said horseback rides, but none of the adults felt it would be polite to ask.  Every minute that ticked by felt like an hour to Joanne.  She was long passed worried and decided to start calling the hospitals.  As went into the house and reached for the phone, she saw Johnny coming down the stairs. "Where have you been?!" she shouted at him. "Not now Joanne.  Are the kids ready to start riding?" "They've BEEN ready.  Where WERE you?  I was worried half to death!" "I'm sorry.  I figured you'd be so busy you wouldn't notice.  If I'd of thought--" "WHY wouldn't I NOTICE!  You weren't HERE were you?!  How could I not notice?!  I thought you were going to pick up Coty and come straight back!  That was BEFORE NOON!  It's after DARK now!" "I know." "Do I get ANY explanation at all?!" Johnny narrowed his eyes and let out a breath.  He'd had all he could take.  "NO!" he answered her before heading out into his back yard toward the barn. As he left the phone rang.  Dr. Brackett was calling to check up on Coty, and Joanne got the explanation she wanted. Out by the barn, Johnny had started with the horseback rides.  He lifted one of Chris' cousins into a saddle, and made sure the squealing little girl took a good grip. "Johnny," Joanne whispered touching his elbow, "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have yelled at you." "If I thought you were gonna--" "I know." "But with all this," he added nodding his head at the party, "I honestly didn't--" "I know Johnny.  I'm sorry.  Where's Coty?" "Inside in his room.  I told him I had some things I had to do." "Don't you think you should get him?!" "He knows what's going on.  If he wants to come down he can.  I certainly won't stop him, but I'm not gonna force him either." "He does know he's invited though, right?  Not just by you but by me and Chris too.  He got the invitation didn't he?  I know it seems silly to invite him to a party at his own house but--" "He got it Joanne." Joanne bit her lip and let Johnny get on with the rides. She figured she'd give him an hour or more before she'd bring out the cake.  Thinking of it though, she decided to go in and make sure it was still there.  Once inside, she found herself going up the stairs.  Coty laid his stomach on his bed, and she wasn't sure if he was asleep.  She watched him breathing for several minutes trying to decide what to do.  Coty startled her when he suddenly flopped over to his back and looked at her. "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to intrude but...I was wondering if you'd like to come down to the party.  We're having cake and ice cream in a little while and since it's a special occasion, I'm sure Joh...your dad will let you have some.  Whadydo you think?" Coty cocked his head toward his open window where he could hear the crowd noises coming in from outside. "MOMMY?" Jenny called from somewhere down stair. "Well you think about it, okay?" Joanne said before she hurried to head her daughter off before she headed up the stairs herself.  "What honey," she asked as she reached the bottom step. "How many rides can we have each?" "Well my darling, that's up to Johnny." "Oh," the little girl spoke before racing off back to the barn. At the top of the stairs, she could see Coty peeking out of his door down at her.  She pretended not to see, and went back outside.  A short time later she could see his shadowy form standing in the back doorway of the house.  Again she pretended not to see, and struck up a conversation with Beth that she only half listened to. "Joanne," Beth spoke again. "I'm sorry, what?" "He's by the barn now I said.  He is what you've been trying not to stare at, isn't he?" "Who?" "Coty, who else.  I overhead Johnny tell Mike why he'd been so late.  He hadn't been sure he should bring Coty here now, but then he didn't want to ruin Chris' party either so--" "He ended up coming back anyway." "Right.  I guess he took him to the beach for a while." "I suppose that was a good idea.  It probably helped them both calm down a little.  Are you sure he's by the barn now?" "Yeah...well he was.  I don't see him now." Joanne felt herself panicking until she spotted him leaning against his father's leg as the man put another of Chris' cousins on one of the horses. Johnny knelt down to whisper something in the boy's ear to which he shook his head.  He was turning down a ride of his own she supposed.  Johnny picked him up and set him on the fence to watch as Johnny got on behind the child and rode the horse quickly for a while by request.  Ten minutes of all out galloping, safely sitting on Johnny's lap, and the boy could not have been happier. "Did you see me mom?!" the boy exclaimed as Johnny helped him down Johnny smiled feeling his chore for the evening wasn't any longer so bad.  The fact that his son was now sitting on the fence watching helped him greatly. After seeing what her brother had just done, yet another cousin wanted the same kind of ride.  Moments later, Johnny was off into the field again, fulfilling the request. "Hey Coty," Marco drawled handing the boy a plate of refried bean and some corn chips, "try some of this!" Coty eyed the man cautiously, but accepted the plate and tried the food, dipping a chip into the beans as he should. "Hey you do that like a pro...what do you think?  It's good isn't it." Coty gave him a strong agreeable nod and continued to eat. "You got good taste Coty," Marco smiled giving his knee a pat just as Johnny reigned the horse to a stop. 'Careful Marco,' he thought watching Coty's face for a reaction.  When none came he let out a breath and helped the little girl down. "Hey Johnny, your boy here likes good Mexican food." "What didja give him?" "Just some refried beans." "Oh yeah?  Did ah...did you know he likes jalapeno's too?" "He does?!  Boy, he REALLY has good taste.  Oh, I got the pineata here when you can get a chance to help me put it up." "That's a donkey Marco." "That's very good John, now can you tell me what that is," Marco teased pointing at Johnny's horse. "I don't know if...I don't know how some of the kids might feel about...doing what they do to a pineata with...when it looks like a real...or has the shape of...I mean," Johnny tried to explain as he looked nervously at his son to see how much he was paying attention to the conversation. "Oh...I get it...I got a Star in the car.  How bout I switch the candy into that?" Johnny shook his head, now feeling uncertain about the whole thing.  His kid had just come down, and the idea of any bad memories being brought into his sons mind as he watched the kids beating the star with a stick made him scared.  "Okay Marco.  I'll help you get it up and then Coty and I will--" "But I want Coty to see the pineata?  Every kid should have at least one!  In my family, they get one every birthday!" Johnny looked at his some who seemed to be staring at one of the torch lamps in the distance.  "All right.  If he doesn't like it we can always--" "It'll be fine Johnny.  Trust me.  I'll get Chet to help me switch the candy." Ten minutes later and two grown men sat in the middle of Johnny's living room, trying to saw the but off a donkey with a hacksaw.  The very young boy that their extreme efforts were working to protect soon cam wandering into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water.  Chet and Marco spun around to sit on the donkey and conceal what they were doing from the boy's eyes, effectively crushing it.  Coty looked at the two men who appeared to be staring off into space and swatting at flies that only the two of them could see.  Grabbing his glass, the boy quickly retreated back outside. "He thinks we're bonkers you know," Chet remarked as he stood and looked at the mutilated donkey. "I know." Shortly there after, the two shortest men of Station 51 were entertaining the crowd by their pathetic attempt and hanging the pineata in the middle of the barn from a rafter.  Chet climbed up on Marco's shoulders, but he was still several feet too short. "Stand up taller Marco," Chet complained as he tried to reach up with one hand and reach toward the beam with the other.  A flying rope which landed over the beam, and only centimeters from Chet's head caused a cheer to erupt in the crowd. "Show off," Chet grumbled at Johnny as he tied the pineata to it and Johnny tied off the other end to a nail in the wall. Being the birthday boy, Chris went after the pineata first.  Johnny watched his son carefully and was happy that the scene didn't seem to effect him in any extra way.  Three swings later, and Chris had hardly made a dent.  Pulling off his blindfold he looked around until he saw the one he wanted to go next.  "Here Coty," he offered handing over the blindfold. Coty, sitting on a sawhorse next to Marco, shook his head no. Johnny worried his Hispanic friend would be crushed, but the fact that the boy sat eating another plate of the man's refried beans seemed to greatly soften any blow. Chris handed the blindfold to his sister, trying hard not to feel offended himself. After a full round of Cousin's and friends, it became obvious that the children were going to need some help.  As usual, Marco's pineata appeared to be made more from concrete than paper mache'.  Roy grabbed his own stick, prepared to help Chris break the thing open with his next try.  Chris shook his head and whispered something in his father's ear.  After his three swings, it was again his sister's turn.  The little girl was blind folded and spun in her circles.  On her third blow, with her daddy's unseen help, the star blew apart dropping candy, glitter, and confetti all around her and into the air. Coty's mouth dropped open in amazement at the sparkling things floating all around them in the air.  He held out his hand to catch some as the rest of the children dove to the ground for the candy.  Adult after adult nudged each other and pointed at Johnny's look alike son.  A huge grin had spread across his face that showed beyond a doubt that he also had his father's great big dimples.  Aside from Johnny, it was the first time any of them had ever seen him smile.                         ~/~/~/~/~ Monday morning, back at work, Mike hung up the phone with a frown. "Johnny?  Beth can't make it today to take Coty home.  She got tied up again." "Oh man.  Roy could we--" The tones sounded cutting him off as the squad was called out for a run.  Mike paced the floor for a few minutes thinking. "Cap?" he asked. "Yeah Mike." "Could ah...could we take the engine out for a test drive?" "A test drive?" Cap asked playing naive, "now?" "Yes Sir, please Sir?" "I don't suppose we'd be going by a certain school would we?" "It's as good of a route as any Sir." "Can the Sir stuff and get your coat on.  I hope I don't regret this." The engine pulled to a stop in front of the school.  Through an open window, they could here the teacher finishing up.  As soon as she was through, the windows filled up with curious eyes.  Coty looked at the grass below the window, and in one quick move, slid through it to the outside and began running toward the engine. "Coty McConneley?" the teacher called after him, "next time use the door?" Coty hung his head slightly embarrassed as Mike stepped off the rig to meet him.  "Need a lift?" "No Beth?" "Not today, will this do?" Mike asked pointing at the engine. Coty smiled openly and allowed Mike to lift him on board. "Hi Coty," Chet smiled giving him a wink. "Hi," the boy answered making Chet feel quite special. "Hey he likes my beans you know," Marco reminded him. "Yeah, but I got a 'Hi'." Marco shook his head refusing to be jealous. "Squad 51 this is Engine 51, we have picked up your uh...package and are heading back to the station." "Ten four Engine 51," they heard Johnny giggle a little unprofessionally.  The relief in his voice was obvious. "Home James," Cap ordered fluttering his hand in the air. They could see Coty was enjoying the ride and the wind wiping through his hair, but Cap remembered not to try to muss up his bangs.  Before they got back to the station, they heard the squad get called out again from the hospital. "Looks like they might me a while," Cap remarked as Mike backed in, "any idea what to do with him?" "He can help me cook Cap," Marco offered. Cap shrugged, "sounds fine by me." Marco lead the boy into the kitchen and pointed at all the cupboards and the fridge.  "Tell you what, you make anything you like, okay?" Marco started on enchilada and Coty looked around.  In no time, the boy started grabbing a bowl, a flat pan, and a number of ingredients. "What's he making," Cap asked as he saw him grabbed a canister of oatmeal. "No idea," Marco answered. "He doesn't need a bowl and a pan to make oatmeal, does he?" Marco shrugged as the two of them saw Coty pull a bag of chocolate chips out of the refrigerator. "Chocolate chips in oatmeal.  Johnny's teaching him some weird habits," Cap hissed into Marco's ear. "Oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies," Mike informed them from the couch without looking up from a book he was reading. Cap raised his eyebrow, impressed. "Guess that's what the pan is for," Marco snickered at they previous thoughts. "Oh...can I lick the bowl when you're done?  Can I?  Can I? Can I?" Chet begged as he came in the room and realized what Coty was up to. "Come on Chet, leave the kid alone," Marco complained. "He can lick it," Coty told him handing Chet his mixing spoon. "There are worms in oatmeal you know," Mike told him after his first lick. "No there isn't!" Chet sneered back. "Yeah there is Chet," Cap said agreeing with Mike. "If there's worms in oatmeal, how come I've never seen any?!" "Cause their small Chet, very tiny.  Let it sit long enough though and they'll get bigger," Marco told him. "Oh yeah, well how come people eat oatmeal all the time then?" "Cause most people cook it first you twit," Cap remarked bopping him one with a newspaper in his hand. Chet stared closely at his spoon, trying to spot a worm. "They won't hurt you though," Coty told him quietly, "so long as you don't try to eat too much of it." "Yeah! There! See?" he asked them all, "I'll lick the spoon if I want to!" Coty rubbed his eye as another smile spread across his face. "What are you guys doing?" Johnny asked hustling into the room. "Coty here is making us some cookie's," Cap told him happily. '"Oh yeah?  Huh.  I see Chet stole the spoon." "He GAVE it to me Gage," Chet informed him. "Yeah, well, you can have it.  Everybody knows raw oatmeal has worms!  I'd rather eat these!" he remarked popping some chocolate chips into his mouth. "Hey I didn't SEE those!" Chet squawked as he reached for the bag. "Leave them for the cookie's Chet," Cap order before he could reach them. "But Cap, Johnny just--" "No more Johnny," Cap told him as Chet grinned. Johnny raised his hands in surrender.  "What, you think I'm going to steal ALL of my own boy's ingredients?  I only ever steal a few.  Right Coty?" Coty shook his head 'no' much to the laughter of the other men. "All right, but when I do eat too many of them, I get you another bag, right?" To this Coty had to give some thought.  It had been a while since they'd been able to afford the ingredients for cookies.  After a short pause though, he nodded his head in agreement.  Johnny blushed realizing the problem. "Anyway, how did school go?" he asked to change the subject. Coty frowned as he started to dropped cookies on to the pan. "That bad huh?  You get homework?" Coty nodded. "Well get it out when your done here and we'll take a look at it." Coty shook his head sadly. "What?" "I just don't get it," he appealed. "Don't get what?" Coty shook his head again, "Look, multiplying is just adding over and over." Coty sighed in frustration making Roy grin. "Okay, look," Johnny said grabbing the full pan and popping it into the oven.  "Like three times three.  All that is adding three, three times, see?" Again Coty sighed. "All right.  Take cereal, how many times did we have cereal for breakfast last week...bad example.  Potatoes.  How many times did you eat potatoes last week?" "Four." "Okay, and each time you made potatoes, how many potatoes did you peal" Coty shrugged, "maybe three?" "So you ate three potatoes four times last week.  How many potatoes did you eat ALL last week together?" Coty thought for a minute before answering, "twelve." "Right!  Now, how did you figure that out?" "I just added three potatoes for four different day." "Exactly!  That's multiplying!" "I added." "But that's what multiplying is!  It's just adding things however many TIMES!  Get it?!" "No," Coty mumbled rubbing his eyes. "You had three potatoes, four TIMES last week.  Three potatoes four TIMES is twelve!  Twelve potatoes.  All multiplying is adding up how many times you did something, see?" Coty looked at him but said nothing. "What if next week you wanted to eat five potatoes on three different days next week.  How many potatoes would we have to buy." "They come in a bag." "But if we had to buy them one at a time." "They're too expensive that way, remember?" Johnny blushed, but was unwilling to give up his math lesson when he felt so close to getting through to him.  "So you're working for the richest man in the world and he can buy any kind he wants, how many would you have to buy for him?" "How many does he want?" "He wants to eat five potatoes on three different days next week, how many do you buy." "Ummm, fifteen." "Right!" "I added again." "But what did you add?" "Potatoes." "You added three fives together, right?" "Yeah." "That's it!  That's multiplying!" "Just adding?" "Exactly!" "Then why is it so hard?" "Well it's not when you know how!  What we just did wasn't hard, was it?" "No." "And it gets even easier once you memorize the times tables." "Why if it's just adding." "Because it makes it a lot easier when it comes to really big numbers.  You wouldn't want to have to add seven hundred and thirty seven sixty four times, would you?" "No." "So go ahead and memorize it.  Just while you do, keep in mind that all it is  adding something, that many times." Coty thought for a minute and Johnny wondered if he'd lost him.  "Okay," Coty agreed, "I just thought it was harder than that." Johnny grinned and started to giggle.  "No, it's not, it's just adding faster." "You ever think about being a teacher?" Cap laughed patting him on the back. "Are you kidding?  I can't even remember what all I just told him!" Mike frowned at the paper he'd just picked up and started to stare at Johnny.  After finally catching his eyes, he motioned for Johnny to follow him outside.  After walking over to lean on his car, Mike handed him the paper without a word. Johnny scratched his head and didn't bother to look at it.  "It's no big deal Mike." "How are you going to keep breeding them if you sell your--" "I'll get another one someday.  I don't have time to be a rancher too lately anyway." "You love that ranch.  You love those horses." "I love my boy more, okay?" "Is it really that bad?" "It won't be once I sell the horse.  It's not like I'm selling all of them you know...I can get a lot of money for that horse." "What if I--" "No Mike, I never borrow money from a friend.  I'd have to sell it in order to pay you back anyway." "Johnny--" "Look, it's not that big of a deal.  Once I sell it I'll have enough money to pay off the bills and I'll be even again.  It was the nanny stuff that did it, and I'm not using them anymore.  I just want to get on a level playing field again.  I'm not saying having a kid and the rest of the horses is going to be cheap but...at least I'll be able to get caught up.  The ranch can wait for now." "Johnny, you went on for months about how you lucked into getting such a great stallion.  Once in a life time deal you said." "I know." "What if you got an investor." "No way Mike, I don't need charity." "Who said anything about charity!  What if I bought the horse and paid you to keep it out there and breed it.  The foal would be both of ours because the mare is yours, right?" "Then what?  You wouldn't see a profit for years cause I wouldn't want to sell the second foal either.  Besides, you could never afford him.  Not now." "I make more money that you do, remember?  If I want to buy him, are you going to refuse to sell him to me?" "Fine Mike, he costs fifty thousand, can you write me a check?" "I'm not trying to make you mad here.  I think your ranch is a great investment, but not if you go selling your stallion." Johnny frowned deeply and started to walk away. "Just think about it some more, okay?  Give it some more time to work out." It had taken Johnny weeks to get himself to put the ad in the paper, and now Mike was making him question the idea again.  When the calls started to come in, he ignored them, feeling he could always put out another ad later.                      ~/~/~/~/~ In a hurry the morning of his next shift, Johnny grabbed a stack of mail and his checkbook, hoping to figure out how to juggle his last paycheck to make it go as far a he possibly could and hold off on selling his stallion a little longer.  After all the morning check and duties, he sat down to plow though it. The first thing he decided to do was open everything so he'd have an idea what he was looking at.  The junk mail he chucked over his shoulder and into a waste basket, the bills he smoothed out and stacked neatly.  As he neared the bottom of the pile he found a large manila envelope.  With out reading the return address, and fearing the worst...a legal letter from his bank...he tore it open.  A huge grin split his face from ear to ear. "What's that, a nudy picture?" Chet asked from across the table. "NO it's not a NUDY picture!" "Then what are you smiling at?" "Nothin YOU'D understand." "Try me." "It's Coty's legal name change.  He is now officially, and legally a GAGE!" "Oh how could you do that to the pour kid, let me see!" he said yanking it out of his hand. "CHET!" "Let's see...it says here...John Coty Gage?" "So." "So you gave him your first name too?" "I think its great!" Cap announced from the couch. "Does he know about this?" Chet asked. onto part 14