Money Can't Buy You Everything by Icecat62 Walking through the kitchen, Roy went to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. Yawning, he shuffled through the house and out the front door. Looking around the yard he grew frustrated when he couldn't find the morning paper. Making his way across the lawn, he spotted it stuck in one of the rose bushes. Carefully threading his hand through the thorny mass, he worked the paper out. With a satisfied smile, he made his way back into the house. Not one nick or scratch marred the skin on his hand. It was going to be a good day. Going back to the kitchen, he continued his normal morning routine. Spreading the paper on the table, he read the headlines, then on to page two for the highlights. He continued through the paper until he was done. As he went to fold it back up, he remembered the lottery ticket his had bought on a whim the other day when Joanne had sent him out to pick up some milk and bread. Opening the paper back up, he found the page with the lottery numbers. He remembered the numbers he picked. Five, one, six, eight, nine and twenty. The station he worked at, Jennifer and Chris' ages, the years he and Joanne had been married and the age he had been when he got married. Reaching in his back pocket, he took out his wallet and retrieved the ticket. Setting the ticket down on the paper, he sighed. Why did he bother buying lottery tickets? The most he had ever won was twenty dollars and that had been a few years ago. As he glanced at the winning numbers, he froze. No. It couldn't be. Reading each number in the paper, he could feel his heart rate picking up. It wasn't possible. He read the numbers out loud, not believing what he was hearing. "Five. One. Six. Eight. Nine. Twenty." He stared at the paper. Slowly picking up the lottery ticket, he stared at it. Then at the numbers again. Then at the ticket. Jumping to his feet he started to run out of the kitchen, then stopped, spun around and grabbed the newspaper. As he bolted out of the kitchen, he started screaming at the top of his lungs. "Jo! We won! We won!" Racing up the stairs, he burst into the bedroom and jumped on the bed, yelling again. "We won!" Joanne had been sleeping soundly and had been jolted awake by the sound of someone screaming. Just as she was about to get out of bed to see what was wrong, Roy ran in and jumped on top of the bed. She'd never seen him this excited about anything. "Roy, what is it?!" He thrust the paper into her hands and held the ticket out so she could read the numbers. He lowered his voice to a normal level, all the while staring into her eyes. He was like one of the kids on Christmas morning. He began rambling. "Jo, we won. I can't believe we won. When you sent me out for milk and bread yesterday, I bought it. You know if Chris didn't eat so many peanut butter sandwiches, I wouldn't have had to go out and buy it, but I did." Joanne looked at the ticket in his shaking hand and slowly read the numbers listed in the paper. Then she looked at the ticket again, her eyes growing wide. She couldn't believe it. Nothing ever came easy to them. This had to be a dream. That was it. She was still asleep and would wake up to her normal hectic life any moment. "We won? Are you sure?" Roy smiled at her and waved the ticket excitedly in her face. "I checked the numbers and the dates over and over again. Jo we won. We won a 'million' dollars." Tears of joy formed in her eyes and a wavering image of Roy lurched forward to hug her. Without thinking, they climbed to their feet and began jumping up and down on the bed, chanting over and over again. "We won! We won! We won!" Chris and Jennifer stood in the doorway to their parent's room with their mouths hanging open not understanding what would make them act this way. Very soon their little world would change drastically. ************************************************************** Pulling into the lot, Gage jumped out of the Rover and raced toward the station. Dashing through the kitchen, he skidded to a stop in front of his locker. Pulling the door open, he yanked off the flannel shirt he was wearing and shoved it in the locker. Pulling out a work shirt he pulled it on and began to frantically button it. Looking around the room, he knew he was beyond late. He dressed in record time and dashed out of the locker room and into the bay. Cap was holding the duty clipboard in front of him, looking not in the least bit peeved. In fact, he had a smile on his face. Mike, Marco, Chet and…Dale? They were all smiles as well. Skidding to a stop, he stepped in line, all thoughts of his being in trouble for arriving late to work forgotten. "Where's Roy?" Everyone looked at him with silly shit eating grins. Chet's smile grew wider and a devilish sparkle lit up his eyes. He knew something that would bother him some how. A slow feeling of trepidation began to build in the pit of his stomach. Cap looked like he was about to break into song, but at the same time he seemed a bit sad as well. "John, Roy tried to contact you, but you weren't at home and no one knew where you had gone." Gage grinned. "I went camping with Christy…" Chet's eyes bugged out. "The reporter?!" Gage grimaced in distaste. "No not her! This is the Christy that I told you about last week. The gym teacher I met jogging about a month ago. We've been seeing each other and she finally went camping with me and…" He turned to Cap. "I'm realllllly sorry I was late, but we got stuck in traffic coming back to LA and by the time I dropped her off at her place and headed here the traffic got even worse and…" He looked at Dale again, his mind switching tracks. "Just where is Roy anyway? Nothing happened did it?" The guys all smiled again. Chet seemed too smug like he had some big secret. "John my boy, Roy is the luckiest man in the world." Cap cut Chet off before he could say anything more. He was the captain and as the captain, he wanted to be the one who gave the good news. "Roy won the lottery." Gage smiled. "That's cool. How much did he win? I guess by the way you're all smilin', he must have won a few thousand dollars." Cap shook his head and laughed. "He won more than a few thousand. He won a 'million' dollars." Gage did a double take. "Did you say a million dollars?" Cap nodded his head yes. Chet smirked. "He's already turned his ticket in and the accounting's done. After taxes and stuff, he ended up with over six hundred thousand dollars." Chet still had that smug look on his face like he knew he wasn't going to like something. He gave Cap a wary look. "So I guess he'll be taking the next few shifts off until he…" Chet began to slowly move his head back and forth no. Cap gave him an apologetic look. "That's why he was trying to get a hold of you. He's…Roy decided that he's going to take a leave of absence. From what he said, I doubt he'll be coming back." "You mean he's quitting?" Chet gave Gage a sickening sweet smile. "Come on John if you won a million dollars, wouldn't you quit?" Gage felt like he had been sucker punched. He had left work for three well deserved days of rest…well, not exactly rest from what he and Christy had ended up doing…and he returned to find out that Roy quit. Without even talking to him about it? The remainder of roll call went by in a blur. As soon as it was over, he headed to the phone and dialed Roy's number. All he got was a busy signal. It was like that all day and into the night. After each run he'd call Roy and each time he'd get a busy signal. He desperately wanted to talk to him. One part of him was ecstatic that Roy had won, but another part of him was scared to death that he had some how just lost his best friend. By the time the shift ended, he had worked himself into a state of depression. Everyone knew why he was acting like he was, but no one…save for Chet... would say anything. He had to put on an act. Pretend he was his normal happy go lucky self. He ignored Chet's little digs and quickly changed. Jumping into the Rover, he made his way to the DeSoto's. Even though he was dead on his feet, he had to stop and see them. He needed to talk to Roy in the worst way. Pulling into the driveway, he noticed the wagon was missing. Getting out of the Rover, he walked up to the garage and peered in. The Porsche was there, covered and safe. Making he way to the back door, he knocked on it, not expecting an answer. They must have gone somewhere to get away from the media that he knew must have descended on them. More than likely, they had gone to Roy's parents. With a sigh of defeat, he headed back home. Making his way into the house, he went straight to the answering machine. Pushing the play button, he listen to Roy's excited voice. "Johnny you are 'not' going to believe this! We…Jo and I…we won the lottery! Can you believe it?! We won a million dollars! Well…I have to go. Jo and I are going to the lottery headquarters to turn in our ticket. I'll try and get a hold of you later. If you get this message, call me back right away!" The next message started. "Johnny, I don't know where you are, but if you get this message, call me as soon as you can. I told you we won the lottery and Jo and I have been talking…well…just call me when you get this." Another message played. "Johnny, we're at my parent's. The reporters were driving us crazy. The phone hasn't stopped ringing so we unplugged it and…well we were going nuts so we came here. When you get this message give me a call. I'll talk to you soon." The next message was from Christy. He smiled slightly as he listened to it. "Hi Johnny, it's me. I had a really good time…camping. I hope you didn't get into too much trouble for being late. I know it's my fault…but you looked too cute lying there and I couldn't help myself." She giggled and his smile grew wider. He hadn't minded the way she had woken him up. "Well, I have to go and get ready for work. Call me when you get home. Maybe after you get up we can do something. Miss you. 'Bye." As the message ended, Gage reached for the address book. Flipping the pages, he found Roy's parents number. Dialing it, he wasn't surprised when he got a busy signal. Hanging the phone up, he trudged up the stairs. He was too tired to worry about it any longer. Stripping his clothes off, he climbed into bed. He was asleep in less than a minute. ************************************************************** Pulling in front of the house Roy sat in the car and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He felt bad that he hadn't been able to talk to Gage, but it couldn't be helped. The reporters had driven him crazy, first at his house and then at his parents. He never thought that winning a million dollars would also be a pain in the ass. Between the calls, the lawyer and all the paperwork, he had enough of it. He'd commandeered the wagon and headed to Gage's home without even thinking. It wasn't until he'd pulled in front of the house that he remembered that Gage had only gotten off shift a few hours ago. He almost left then and there, but he figured that Gage would want to talk to him no matter what. Getting out of the car he made his way to the front porch and knocked on the door. He knew it would take a few times to wake his friend up, so he kept at it until he heard a muzzy cranky voice yell from inside the house. "Okay! Okay! I heard ya' already!" The door flung open and Gage stood before him in a pair of worn denim cut offs, his expression at first pissed, then it changed to one of surprise. "Roy?" "I figured since you couldn't get a hold of me, I'd come see you." "Sure, sure. Come on in." He ran a hand through his hair, then over his face, trying to wipe the sleep away. As he ushered Roy into the living room, he had mixed feelings. Yes he was happy for his friend, but if Roy was here to tell him he was leaving the department, then he knew he'd have a hard time not showing how upset he was at the prospect of their partnership dissolving. "Uh…I don't have any coffee made. Do you maybe want a soda or a beer?" "That's okay, I'm not thirsty." They stood looking at one another and Gage broke the ice. "Congratulations on winning." He paused for a second. He didn't want to be a downer, but he had to talk about it. "Cap said you're leaving the department." "I'm not really quitting, I'm taking a leave of absence. Jo and I talked it over and we decided that with the money I wouldn't need to work. I figured I wouldn't quit out right in case I wanted to become involved later with maybe teaching some classes. This way I wouldn't have to worry about retraining." "That makes sense." He felt uneasy which was something he wasn't use to feeling around Roy. Roy gave him a weak smile. "Joanne said if I didn't do it right away I might change my mind." "Yeah, I see how she'd think that." He held out his hand to Roy. "Well…congratulations again. If anyone deserved to win you did." Roy clasped his hand and shook it, his grip hard. He tried to smile again, but failed miserably. "Just because we're not going to be working together, it's not like we won't see each other." Backing away from him, Gage ran his hands through his hair again and shook his head no. "Ya' know I'd like to believe ya' Roy, but you know it's not going to happen." "Johnny…" Gage's voice wasn't harsh, it was matter of fact. "Roy, you know I'm right. Do you see the guys you worked with before we were partnered?" He gave Roy a pointed look. "Be honest with yourself. We'll sit here and say we'll keep in touch, but you'll get busy with your life and I'll be doing my thing. At first we'll talk on the phone once in a while, maybe stop over to see each other, but after a few months we'll find ourselves too busy or on a different schedule. The next thing ya' know it'll come down to seeing each other at the occasional holiday. Then…" He waved a hand in the air, not wanting to say what he was really thinking. 'You'll get so busy, you'll forget me.' "Johnny it won't be like that. You're family." Too Roy's surprise Gage snorted derisively. "Roy…I'm your partner at work, I'm not family. I'm 'like' family. There's a big difference. Like family means that if you stop working together you drift apart. Real family goes to picnics, birthdays and the holidays no matter what. They don't have to worry about being invited or feeling like they don't belong there." Roy started feeling a little miffed. Gage was wrong. "That isn't going to happen." "Yeah it will. You won't mean for it to happen, but I know from previous experience that it will." "It happened to you at 10s?" "No…I wasn't really close to anyone there. I didn't want to be. Back home…after my mom and dad died…I was placed in a home while they looked for my mom's aunt." "Your mom's aunt? I thought she was your aunt?" "Same thing. Either way it took them over a year for them to find her. I lived with this family and when they found my aunt and sent me to live with her, they promised to keep in touch…promised me I could come back and visit. You know the spiel. I got a few phone calls at first. Some letters. After a while they stopped all contact with me. I wasn't there and I wasn't really family." Roy was a bit stunned. Gage never told him much of anything about his family and now he had gotten an earful. 'That's how I know how this'll turn out. I really wish you weren't quitting, but I can see why you'd want to. I know if I won all that money, I wouldn't stick around. Heck, I'd travel the world." "Johnny it won't happen, I promise." "Yeah…I guess. Look you can stay if you want. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry. I need to get some sleep." "I'd really like to, but I need to get back. We're going out to dinner to celebrate…" His voice trailed off when he realized he'd made all sorts of plans without including Gage in them. "You want to come?" Gage gave him a wane smile. "Nah, that's okay. Look, I'll talk to you sometime. Don't be a stranger if you can help it." Gage walked him to the door and they said their good-byes like they normally would, but as Gage closed the door, he leaned his forehead against it. He knew that in closing that door, he had just seen the beginning of the end of their friendship. ************************************************************** Seven weeks had flown by. Roy had called him. He stopped by the house a few times. He even made an appearance at the station, but it wasn't the same. They no longer saw one another each shift. With a heavy sigh, he pinned his badge to his shirt and made his way to roll call. Standing in line, he noticed that Cap was giving him a funny look. Something was up. He listened to him read off their duties and a few memos. Then came the bomb. "John…headquarters is sending a replacement for Roy next shift." He knew it would happen and he'd been surprised that it had taken so long, but having it happen made everything more real. Roy was gone and was never coming back. "Who is it?" Cap seemed a bit reluctant to say the name, which worried him. "Craig Brice." He was stunned. Craig Brice? The walking talking paramedic encyclopedia? The man that Roy wanted to punch out? The man that every other paramedic dreaded working with? The man he had never worked a shift with. For some reason he had lucked out in never having worked with him before. It looked like his luck had soured in the worst way. Dale Mathers who was considered his 'partner of the day' snickered and smiled at Gage. "What in the heck did you do wrong to get stuck with Brice?" Gage frowned, wondering how his life had changed so much in such a short time. He'd gone from having the perfect partner, to being teamed up with the partner from hell. ************************************************************** Roy lay back in the hammock and sighed in contentment. Normally he'd be at work, but not any more. It was a beautiful summer afternoon and he was able to relax after mowing the lawn. There was no rush to get things done now that he had all the time in the world to do things. He felt a twinge of guilt as he thought of work. Right now the guys were probably on a run, sweating in the combined heat of a fire and the mid-day sun. The guilt vanished as Joanne walked out to him with a tall glass of cold lemonade. Sitting up, he took the glass and thanked her. It was strange being home all the time, but at the same time it was great. Looking across the yard, he watched Jennifer and Chris as they splashed around in the pool they'd bought. A pool that until a few weeks ago they couldn't have afforded. Scooting over he made room on the hammock for Joanne. Smiling, she sat down beside him. They contentedly watching their children at play. Life was good. Life was better than they had ever thought possible all due to a tiny scrap of paper with six little numbers on it. ************************************************************** Racing up the stairs, Gage began a methodical search of the rooms in the house. He knew that time was running out. The flames were fast overtaking every room and if he were to find the missing child, he had better do it quickly. Pushing open a door, he rushed into a bedroom, calling for the child to come out. The roar of the fire was becoming louder as it grew in intensity and he worried that the child wouldn't hear him. Pulling his air mask down, he yelled again. "Timmy! Timmy if you can hear me come out! I'm a fireman…your mom said you know it's okay to talk to a fireman!" A small movement near the bottom of the bed caught his attention. As he made his way over, a small boy barely four years old came partially out from under the bed. Grabbing him by a leg, he pulled the boy out and scooped him up. There wasn't time for niceties, they had to get out of there. Racing out of the room, he ran down the stairs and into the lower level of the house. "Dale, I got 'em, let's go!" The other paramedic on duty ran along side of him, shoving the door aside as they dashed out of the building. Heading directly to the squad, they went about checking the boy out, both of them relieved to find that he was suffering from only a minor case of smoke inhalation. Stepping back, he felt a sense of relief and elation. Death didn't claim this little boy, his mother did. He watched as she followed Dale and the ambulance attendants as they took Timmy to the hospital to be double-checked. Taking his helmet off, Gage wiped the sweat from his face. Taking a deep breath he felt the slight burn in his throat from the smoke and smiled again. The physical irritation was worth it. The sweat and grime he was coated in was worth it. His thoughts briefly shifted to Roy. He knew his partner…no make that former partner…was spending the day relaxing or doing yard work. Maybe that was okay for him, but he personally wouldn't trade his job for anything in the world. Because he was here, someone's little boy wasn't dead. Because of people like him, more lives would be saved. With a feeling of self-satisfaction, he began cleaning up the area. By the time he'd loaded everything into the squad and headed to Rampart, the only thing on his mind was what he was going to eat for dinner. ************************************************************** "Jo, did you remember to turn off the stove?" "The stove's off, I checked all the locks, the iron is unplugged and I double checked with Mrs. Swanson about picking up our mail and paper." Roy smiled and shook his head in wonder. Joanne was always one step ahead of him. "Well, let's get the show on the road. We're off to the airport and then the next stop is the Big Apple." While Chris and Jennifer chatted excitedly about the up coming plane ride, Roy pulled the car onto the road. He'd always wanted to go to New York and see the sights. The Statue of Liberty, a Broadway play, Staten Island, Coney Park…they were all places he had wanted to take his family but could never afford to. Now that he had the money, he was going to make sure some of those dreams were fulfilled. Something at the back of his mind bothered him, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was. It wasn't until he heard the sound of a siren on the highway that it hit him. As an engine roared by with its lights flashing he remembered what it was he'd forgot. He hadn't called Gage to let him know that they were going away for three weeks. Maybe Joanne had remembered. "Jo…did you call Johnny?" "No. I thought you did. Didn't you say you were going to talk to him yesterday?" "Yeah…yeah I did, but I forgot. I was so busy making sure the tickets were okay and the utilities were turned off…I forgot." He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Gage had been right. It had been less than three months and he was forgetting to include him in 'family' plans. He'd never done this in the past. When they went on vacations before, Gage would check on their house and make sure things were in order. Now…he'd forgotten him. ************************************************************** He stared at the ceiling above the bed. He had been stupid to think that Roy would be any different. Some part deep inside of him had hoped that he'd be wrong, but as always his gut instincts had been right. A warm body slid in beside him and tucked against his side. "Johnny, what's wrong? You've been moping all night." Wrapping an arm around her, he couldn't decide whether to tell her or not. Normally he'd blow off things that bothered him, but this was something that affected him deeply. It was one more scar on his heart. Maybe if he told her, he might be able to get rid of the tight pain in his chest. "You remember the guy I told you about?" "Your partner that won all the money?" "Yeah. Well…I stopped by his place today after my shift. I hadn't seen him in a while and…he wasn't there. His neighbor Mrs. Swanson came out and told me he'd gone on vacation for three weeks. He took his family to New York." Biting the inside of his lip, he could feel the anger and disappointment welling up inside. "Christy, he didn't tell me he was going. I always check his place for them when they go away and…he didn't even tell me he was going." Sitting up, Christy looked down at him. She hadn't ever met this guy Roy, but he must have really meant a lot to Gage because nothing ever seemed to upset him. Placing a hand on his chest, she gave him a small smile. "When was the last time you saw him?" He sighed. He knew she wouldn't understand how he felt. No one could. "About three weeks ago." "And did he say anything to you then about going away?" "No." "Johnny, I don't want you to think I'm being mean or anything, but you don't see him, you hardly ever talk to him…maybe you shouldn't get so upset. Maybe you should move on." "Move on?" Straddling him, she smiled down at him. "Move on Johnny, he has. If you don't you'll just beat yourself up inside and that's not healthy." Leaning down so that she rested on his chest, she traced a finger across his lips. "I can think of a few things that could make you feel better right now." He gave her a small smile back in return. She was right. He did need to move on. Just like he had so many times before. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled her beneath him. Life was never fair and never would be. He might as well live it to the fullest and get out of it what he could. ************************************************************** Today was the day. Today his new partner started his first shift with him at 51s. Pulling into the lot, he made his way into the station and headed directly to the locker room. There he was, Craig Brice, the most irritating being on the planet or least that's what he'd been told. Looking the man over, Gage couldn't understand how such a small unassuming guy could be such a pain in the ass. Again looks could be deceiving. He'd dated enough innocent looking women who once they were in the bedroom proved to the complete opposite. As he stepped up to his locker, Brice closed the door to what use to be Roy's old locker. Straightening the pin on his shirt, he walked out of the room without saying a word. Gage didn't know if he should be insulted or not. The guy acted like he hadn't even seen him. Opening the door to his locker he pulled off his shirt and hung it up. With a heavy sigh, he began the process of putting on his uniform. Once dressed, he made his way out to the bay and stepped in line at the same moment that Cap walked out of his office. At least he wasn't late. He looked down at the slightly shorter man he stood next to, wondering how bad his vision was. Leaning back slightly, he tried to look at how thick Brice's glasses were. "Good morning gentleman. We have a new paramedic starting with us today. All of you, except for John, you've met Craig Brice before." Everyone nodded in silence at Brice who nodded curtly back at them. Gage looked at the stiff postures and then at Brice again. He must have been a real dick for the rest of the guys to practically snub him. Cap went right into the morning duty roster and a memo from the department on the upcoming school openings and how everyone should pay special attention when driving to a call that went through a school system. When he was done he dismissed everyone, then asked for Gage and Brice to stay. The three remaining men quickly left the bay, relieved to have gotten away from Brice. "Gentlemen, I'm sure you both know what you need to do to get started so I'll leave you alone. If either one of you have any questions or problems, feel free to come and see me. My door's always open." Cap made a point of looking directly at Gage when he made the last statement. He knew how irritating Brice could be and he also knew that Gage had a temper that some times got out of hand. If Brice could rankle DeSoto, then he knew that Gage's chain could be pulled with very little effort. He walked away from the two hoping he wouldn't have to write up a report later telling how Gage strangled Brice. ************************************************************** Gage turned to Brice and held his hand out. Brice merely stared at his hand like it was something distasteful. He wasn't about to put up with shit like this. Maybe Roy had let Brice be a jerk, but he only had him for a temporary partner. If he was going to be stuck with the guy, then he'd better lay his cards out on the table now, not later. "Gage, I'd..." "John. My name is John." "I believe that using first names during a rescue..." "Look, if you have a problem remembering your partner's name during a rescue, then you shouldn't be a paramedic!" "There's no reason to be hostile. I just feel..." Gage held his hand out again to Brice. "Hi, my name's John Gage. My friends call me John or Johnny." He gave Brice a pointed look. Brice hesitantly reached out and grasped his hand, surprised when Gage didn't try and crush his fingers together. He knew what he said next would mean the difference between a successful partnership or a miserable time on the job. "Hello...John. My name's Bri...Craig." Gage smiled slightly, his eyes losing their angry tinge. "Nice ta' meet ya' Craig. Now how about we head over to Rampart for supplies." He started walking, then turned to Brice, hooking a thumb at his chest. "Since I'm the senior paramedic here, I'll drive." Brice opened his mouth to argue this little detail, but Gage beat him to the punch. "Don't worry, I'm not some kind of jerk. We'll set up a rotation for driving. Okay?" Brice found himself starting to smile back at Gage. This might not be a bad assignment after all. He'd heard so many things about Gage. Everyone told him that he was going to be working with one of LA's finest paramedics, but also one of the most arrogant son-of-a-bitches as well. The ladies man, the schemer, the hot head. Maybe all the things he heard were exaggerated. He knew from personal experience how rumors about one's reputation could be spread. "It's acceptable." "Acceptable? No, it's a great idea. Roy 'never' let me drive." Smiling broadly, Gage walked over to the squad and hopped in. Maybe work wasn't going to be the same without Roy, but it looked like having Craig as his partner wasn't going to totally suck. The guy wasn't as stiff as he thought he'd be. ************************************************************** Looking upward, Roy couldn't help the lump that appeared in his throat. The Statue of Liberty looked so impressive in all of the photos he'd seen, but they had never prepared him for the real thing. Just looking at her made him glad to be an American. Joanne and the kids had already gone inside to look at the displays, but he wanted to remain outside and look at her a bit longer. As he walked around the base of the statue, he thought back to when she was first built. Then he thought about the settlers that came over from England. Then he thought about the Indians that greeted the settlers. Indians. Why'd he have to think about them? The elation and awe he was feeling slowly gave way to guilt as he thought about Gage. They'd been in New York for almost two weeks and he had yet to give him a call. One part of his wanted to call his friends and another part of him feared calling him. He'd forgotten to let him know about them going away. He'd completely forgotten him, just like Gage said he would. ************************************************************** Sitting behind the wheel, Gage tapped a tune only he could hear on the steering column of the squad as they sped down the highway. The wind blew through his hair, creating a mass of tangles that he knew he'd have to finger comb out, but he didn't care. They'd just come back from a rescue of a man trapped beneath a car where the jack had given way. Usually on calls like this the person involved was dead. Not this time. A miracle occurred and it made him happy as hell. He started to whistle the tune that was in his mind and was surprised when Brice spoke. "Light My Fire by the Doors? John, that's not an appropriate tune for a fireman." "You know the Doors?" "I went to one of their concerts." "You're kiddin' me! You went to see the Doors?!" "Yes. And I saw Led Zepplin, Blue Oyster Cult and BTO. They're all very good groups." Gage started chuckling. "Man, I would've never pegged you for a rocker. I always picture you at the opera or something like that." Brice made a face. "The opera? Why would you think I like opera?" Gage snickered and gave him a side ways glance. "Come on Craig, you got to admit you fit the mold. You're a book worm, ya' wear glasses and you speak like one of those high society guys." "I never knew that speaking proper English made one an opera aficionado." "See there ya' go with the big words again." "John maybe if you spent more time reading instead of dating you'd have an extensive knowledge of the English language and you'd understand it when it's spoken to you." Brice gave him a smug look. So Brice thought he was stupid. He had a lot to learn. Pulling the squad over he placed the vehicle in park. Turning to Brice he smiled, then started speaking in his native tongue. The look on Brice's face was priceless. "Craig, I'm not dumb, I grew up speaking a couple of languages and Marco's teachin' me Spanish. Just because I don't know as many fancy words as you it doesn't mean I can't learn 'em." "I didn't say you couldn't learn them did I? I suggested that you should read more." "You were sarcastic when you said it." Brice seemed to contemplate what he had said. "I'll apologize for insinuating that you can't speak if you apologize for thinking I liked opera based on how 'I' speak." "You're serious." "Yes." "Ya' know, no one ever said you were a smart alec." "And no one ever warned me you were a normal person." Gage paused for a second digesting what Brice had said. "You're a fake." Brice raised his eyebrows, but Gage couldn't miss the gleam in his eyes. "It's all an act. You're puttin' everyone on!" "In what way?" Snickering, Gage pulled the squad back onto the road and started laughing. "You're nuts. All this time I thought you were some brainiac. It's all an act." "I do have a degree in Archeology." "That's diggin' up dead stuff isn't it?" "It's not exactly that, but yes it does involve excavating the occasional grave or tomb." "Why aren't you doing that? Why'd you become a paramedic?" "I found that I preferred dealing with living beings. I liked being able to help them." "Then why didn't you become a doctor? You have the brains, you could've done it." Brice shook his head no. "The prospect of spending another three or four years in college didn't appeal to me. I wanted something more exciting so I joined the Department. When I read about the paramedic program I thought it would be the best thing. I could perform a medical function and at the same time help people in need." "That's why I decide to become a paramedic too. I got tired of bringin' dead bodies to Rampart when I was a rescue man. It was too depressing." They drove in silence for a moment, then Gage spoke up. "Do you want to stop at the chili dog stand before we go back?" "Why stop? Lunch is waiting for us at the station." "Chet's cooking." "The chili dog stand is an excellent suggestion. I don't think my stomach can handle another one of his so called culinary delights." "Good deal." ************************************************************* Looking down the isle, Roy fidgeted with the jacket in his arms. The trip to New York had flown by and now they were waiting for the plane to ease it's way to the tarmac. He dreaded going home. Going home meant he had no excuses. Going home meant he had to contact Gage and apologize for not calling him before going on vacation. Herding the family through the airport, they headed to the long term parking area. For the first time in his life, he hadn't cared about leaving the wagon parked anywhere for a long period of time. If someone stole it now, they'd be doing him a favor. Loading everything in the car, they made the drive home. By the time they got home, unloaded the luggage and settled everything in the house, it was getting late. Looking at his watch, Roy tried to decide if he should call Gage or get a shower and go to bed. Looking at the phone on the wall, he decided if he'd waited this long to make the call, then one more night wouldn't matter. ************************************************************* Crouching down, Gage began the arduous task of pulling the weeds around the flowerbeds he had planted around the front of the house. They may have been beautiful, but the weeds were a royal pain in the ass. As he plucked each piece of offensive greenery, he took the time to look around the yard. It was a bright sunny day; a gentle breeze wafted across his skin and the air was fresh and clean. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. His life really wasn't all that bad. He had a great home, a great girlfriend and a great job. His smile faded as he thought about work. Things between him and Brice were going fine. It was kind of scary to find out that they had so many things in common even when they were so different. Then again, he and Roy hadn't seemed to have much in common at all, yet they had made great partners. And at one time they had made great friends. Yanking a large weed out of the ground, he angrily threw it down. Thinking about Roy only put him in a bad mood. He felt betrayed. It was bad enough that he'd gone away on vacation and not even said a thing to him about it, but in the three weeks that he'd been gone he hadn't received a single phone call from him. At that thought, the phone inside the house began ringing. Standing, Gage jogged into the house and reached for the receiver. He pulled his hand back. If it was Roy, did he really want to talk to him? If it were work how would he say no to overtime? He was a sucker for sob stories that always ended up with him working on his days off. He really did need to finish weeding the yard and mowing the lawn. The phone stopped ringing as the answering machine picked the call up. "Uh…hi Johnny, it's me. Roy. How've you been? Um…we just got back…Jo, me and the kids…from New York. It was really nice; you should go there some time. Well…if you get the chance stop by or give me a call. Talk to you soon." Standing by the phone, Gage's emotions warred with him. One part of him was livid that Roy had the nerve to call him, another part of him was happy to hear his voice. Running a hand through his hair, he grimaced. He'd just put dirt in his hair. Reaching for the phone, he hesitated again. He wanted to call Roy. He wanted to talk to him like nothing had happened, but he'd be lying to himself if he did that. He was hurt and angry. He deserved more than a quick brush off during a phone call. He'd go see him tomorrow and talk to him face-to-face, man to man. Turning away from the phone, he headed back outside. ************************************************************* Releasing the handle, the mower came to a stop. Pushing it over to the barn, he flipped it over and began the task of cleaning the deck of the grass that stuck to it like cement. Maybe if he mowed the lawn more often, the grass wouldn't get so high and clog the mower. As he picked and poked at the mess with a pocketknife, his attention was drawn toward the driveway to the house. He could hear a car coming down the lane. He wasn't expecting anyone so who in the heck could it be? As Roy's Porsche crested the small hill, he felt his mouth go dry. It looked like he was going to find out where he stood with Roy sooner than he thought. Wiping the knife off on a jean-clad thigh, he stood and silently waited for Roy to park the car and come over to him. Roy walked up to him looking like he really didn't want to be there. "Hi Johnny. I called…I figured maybe you were outside so I took a ride over." Taking the knife back out of his pocket, Gage knelt down and kept his eyes on the deck of the lawnmower as he picked at the grass. He didn't trust his emotions. Maybe if he kept his hands occupied, he'd also be able to keep his temper in check. All he wanted to do was yell at Roy and that wouldn't solve anything. He remained silent. Let Roy sweat it out for a bit. "I…Jo and the kids…we were away on a trip. A vacation to New York for three weeks." Without looking up, Gage answered him. "Yeah, I know. Mrs. Swanson told me." "You came over?" "Yup. The day after you left." "Oh." Finished with cleaning the deck, Gage wiped off the blade and snapped the knife shut. Jamming it in the back pocket of his jeans, he flipped the mower over and pushed it into the barn. Coming back out he stared at Roy. He could tell the man was waiting for him to say something, anything, to make things easier on him. Not this time. Walking away from barn, he headed toward the house, listening to hear if Roy would follow him. Like a loyal dog he heard the sound of footsteps on his heals. Leave it to Roy to be predictable. His stubborn streak would keep him there until he talked to him. Walking into the house, he held the door open long enough for Roy to take it as an invitation to come in. Heading to the kitchen, he washed up at the sink while Roy stood quietly in the doorway to the room. Drying his hands off, he finally looked at him. "You want a drink?" "Uh…sure. Yeah. That'd be nice." Roy took a deep breath as Gage turned to the refrigerator. He had really messed up when he hadn't called Gage during the trip to New York. As he had walked past the answering machine, he saw that his message had been left unheard. Maybe Gage had ignored it or maybe he hadn't been in the house to listen to the call. "You want a beer or a pop?" "A beer's okay." As Gage handed him the cold bottle, he blurted out an apology. "I'm sorry Johnny." Settling against the counter, Gage regarded him through narrowed eyes. Taking a sip of the beer in his hand, he gave him a quizzical look. "You're sorry about what?" "You're not going to make this easy are you?" Gage's silence spoke volumes. Fidgeting with the beer in his hands, Roy tried his best to let him know just how sorry he really was. "I'm sorry about everything. Not letting you know we were going, not calling you from New York, not calling you yesterday when we came home…" "You got home yesterday?" "Yes. I would have called you last night, but we got in late and by the time we got the kids cleaned up and in bed…well I was tired so…I'm sorry." Gage took another sip of his beer. "Doesn't matter. I wasn't home last night." "You were on shift?" "Nope. I was at Christy's." "You're still seeing her?" "I guess so if I was at her place. Maybe if you would have called, you'd know." "I'm sorry." Putting the beer down on the counter with a loud thud, Gage frowned angrily at Roy. "You keep sayin' you're sorry, but are you really? Maybe you just feel guilty because I was right." He gestured between them. "We were only friends because we worked together, that's it." "You're wrong Johnny." "Oh I'm wrong am I? If I'm so wrong, then why'd you forget to tell me you were going away? I always take care of your place while you're gone. Do you how much of an ass I felt like when I went over to your place and found out you'd gone away for three weeks? Three weeks is more than spur of the moment trip. You had to plan it out. You couldn't call me to say you were going away?" "You're right Johnny, but I forgot. Things have been different. Sometimes I don't know which way is up. Winning all of that money…sure it's nice. We don't have to worry about some things any more, but…I miss work. I miss doing my job. I miss…I miss working with you." Gage snorted derisively. "Johnny its more than that. It's not just work." "Could've fooled me. When's the last time we went fishing? When's the last time we worked on the engine?" "I'm trying…really I am. It's just…you have no idea what my life is like right now." "No kiddin'." "I have all sorts of people calling our house, coming to the door. They're all asking for money. I don't know what to do. Then there's my job." Gage smirked. "You don't have a job." "I'm still with the department, I didn't quit." "You're not active duty and you're never going to be. Joanne wouldn't like that." "You're right. Jo and I talked about it over and over again on while we were in New York. It's nice having a normal life. I like seeing my kids everyday instead of on a rotation. I like getting up in the morning and sleeping all night. I 'love' not have the tones sound in the middle of the night, but it doesn't mean I don't miss some of it." Setting his beer down, Roy paced around the kitchen. "You don't know how hard this is. I want to go back to work, but a bigger part of me doesn't. I'd be a fool to go back to that kind of life." Turning to Gage, he gave him a wavering smile. "I'm going to see Brackett tomorrow about becoming a permanent part of the paramedic training program." Gage's voice was dry. "That's nice." Roy could feel the irritation growing within him. Gage wasn't going to give an inch. "Look…things are never going to be the same again, but it doesn't mean we're not friends. That doesn't have to change." Gage smiled slightly. "It seems like it already has. You forgot all about calling me with no problem what so ever." Roy's voice rose. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?! I forgot to call you. I'm here now, isn't that good enough?" Gage regarded him, his expression thoughtful. Picking his beer up, he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have much choice do I. You're the one who's running the show not me." "Running the show?" "Yeah. You have control over the whole thing. All you have to do is walk away and I can't do a thing about it. I can't come over to see Chris or Jennifer…nothing." Roy stood in silence for a few seconds. Gage was right. If he walked away, his life would go on, but Gage's…his extended family would be taken from him. That's what this was really all about. Him losing another family. "Just because we don't work together, it doesn't mean we're not friends." Gage stared back at him in silence. Sighing Roy rubbed a hand over his face. He thought back to the only other time they had almost parted company and the solution hit him. "What if I hadn't won the money? What if I had taken the engineer's exam and took a job at another station. If my shift were different from yours, we wouldn't see each other on duty. How would you feel then?" He could tell he had struck a nerve. Working at a different station would make their lives almost the way it was now. An occasional visit here and there, a once in a while crossing at a fire…it would be similar. Sighing, Gage crossed his arms and looked down at the floor for a few seconds. When he looked back up, his expression was resigned. "I guess it'd be the same, but it still doesn't change things." "Yes it does. Johnny, you're my friend. Hell, you're the best friend I've ever had and I don't want our not working together changing that. I promise I won't forget to let you know if we go away again." He grinned. "I never knew that taking care of our house was that important to you." That drew a small smile from Gage causing Roy to relax. He's finally found the small crack in Gage's wall that he'd put around himself. "Do you want to come over for dinner? The kids really miss you and all they talked about on the plane was telling you about the trip." He gave him a hopeful look. "They even took special pictures just for you." Gage smiled and shook his head and Roy knew that he'd torn the wall down. "Yeah…I guess so." Roy waved a hand toward the outside. "Are you done with the yard?" "Yup." "How about coming over now? We could make it a cookout." "I have to shower and change first." "No problem. I'll just go out on the porch and finish my beer." ************************************************************* Gage came out of the house in less than fifteen minutes. "You're ready?" "I don't primp in front of the mirror like you." Roy snorted and pushed away from the porch swing, holding the half-empty beer bottle out. "Where should I put this?" Gage gave him a wicked grin. "Very funny. Where do you want it?" Gage waved a hand at the ground. "Ah, just leave it on the porch, I'll throw it out when I get back." Roy headed toward the Porsche and Gage made like he was going for his truck. "Ride with me." "I don't want you to have to bring me home later." "I don't mind. Besides, I'd like to see how your 'partner' Brice is doing." Roy smirked and it quickly disappeared as Gage smiled brightly. "Craig and I get along fine. He's really a nice guy. Christy and his girlfriend Tara get along too." "Brice has a girlfriend?" "His name is Craig and yes he has a girlfriend. He is human ya' know." "You two get along?" "Yeah. He and I have a lot in common." Gage hopped over the door and flopped in the passenger side seat of the Porsche. Roy shook his head in amazement. Life was throwing him all sorts of surprises. First the lottery and then Brice and Gage getting along. "You and Brice get along?" "Like peanutbutter and jelly." "Huh." Gage grinned at him. "Don't worry. You're still the best partner I ever had." For some reason Gage's statement sent a small pang of regret through him. It was all past tense. The best partner he had. No, things weren't ever going back to the way they use to be. He really meant what he said when he loved his life the way it was now. He just wished…he didn't know what he wished. Times changed, people changed, but maybe if he tried, some things could still remain the same. Gage's voice drew him back. "What'd you say Johnny." "I said, are we grillin' dogs or burgers?" Shaking his head no, Roy smiled broadly. "I think we need to celebrate a little. How about steak?" Gage's grinned and shook his head yes. "Steak it is…partner." End (or is it?) Icecat62's feedback Editor's comments:  Is it the end?  Do you want to continue this story?  If yes, please contact Icecat62. return to main menu .