Naked Came the Conure by the JG Pen Guins (minus 3) "Tell me again how you and dad met,"  Christine Gage asked her mother.  Even though Christine had heard the story many, many times, she never tired of hearing Janet Gage, tell her the story. "Christine, if you've heard this story once, you've heard it a hundred times." "I know mom, but I love to hear it." "Okay, okay,"  Janet Gage laughed and started, for what seemed like the hundredth time, to tell her fifteen-year old daughter the story of how she had met her husband of nineteen years, Captain John Gage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Johnny, I'm telling ya, that chick isn't interested in you." "And I'm telling YOU she IS...very MUCH so," Johnny raised his glass of milk to his lips, leaving behind a white mustache, when he placed the glass back onto the table. It never failed to amaze Chet Kelly how his friend and co-worker, John Gage, could enter a bar and order a glass of milk, not a beer with his lunch.  "How do you know?  She's only been at Rampart a week!" he asked trying to rile his friend. "I know she has, but I can tell." "How?" "Well…" Johnny furrowed his eyebrows, "she smiles at me every time she sees me," he explained. "I guess you're right.  Anyone that doesn't turn around and run after meeting you MUST be hot for ya," Chet laughed. "Would either of you gentlemen like anything else?" their waitress asked, after coming to a stand still at their table "I'll have another beer thanks," Chet replied before Johnny could reply to his barb. "I'm fine thanks," Johnny smiled. The young woman smiled and headed towards the bar to retrieve another beer for the man with the mustache at table three.  "Mike I need another Michelob," she told the bartender while sitting down and adding the two bills for table three. "You got it Janet," Mike replied and set to work, filling the drink requests for all three of the waitresses working the busy lunch hour.  Of the three women working with him, twenty four-year old Janet Kajakat was his favorite.  She was a sweet woman by nature with a keen sense of adventure and a good head on her shoulders.  If Mike wasn't already a happily married man, he could easily see himself asking the third year economics student out on a date. Passing the uncapped Michelob to the tired looking waitress, Mike raised his eyebrows, "so how come you're working today anyway?" Looking up at the friendly face of the bartender Janet replied, "my classes have been rescheduled this week, so I figured I'd rearrange my work schedule also." "So you're not cutting any classes?"  Mike asked in an affectionate brotherly sort of way. "Nope," she flashed a smile as she turned, taking the two bills and the beer over to the men sitting at table three. "Thanks," Chet and Johnny both said as the young woman placed the beer and two checks onto the table. Chet took a sip of his beer, "hurry up will ya?  Someone else is gonna get the pool table before us," he warned his friend, who was still only three quarters of the way finished with his club sandwich and fries. "Would you mind?  I prefer to enjoy my food when I know I'm not gonna get toned out." "Yeah, what ever.  Just hurry up so we can play a game, will ya?" The two co-workers had come to Stan's Bar and Grill to play pool, but at the last minute decided to sit for lunch before playing a game.  Stan's was comprised of two rooms.  One room was a typical relaxed restaurant with a menu consisting mostly of finger foods and simple desserts.  Along one wall was a long bar with ten bar stools placed in front of it.  Glasses of all shapes and sizes hung over top, while bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors sat in front of a mirror behind the bar.  The other room was a more typical bar.  It also had a bar with stools as well as one pool table, a shuffle board, three dart boards and a floor model hockey game.  Along the walls were posters, pennants and most other sports paraphernalia, mostly made up of LA Dodgers, Laker's and Rams sporting teams. After Johnny finally finished his lunch, he and Chet left the money for their bills on the table as well as a tip, and finally got up to move to the other side of the building for Chet's desired game of pool.  Chet racked the balls and Johnny broke.  Just as the noise from the breaking balls settled down, the two off duty firemen heard a scream from the restaurant side of the building.  Placing their pool cues onto the table, they both ran into the restaurant.  A small crowd had gathered around a table in the far corner of the room.  "Oh no, he can't BREATHE!  Someone please HELP him!" they heard a woman's voice shout. "Excuse me, let me through please," Johnny instructed people as he tried to make his way to the man sitting at the table.  Pointing a finger towards the bar, he instructed Mike, "call the fire department!"  Mike did as the stranger who seemed to take on an air of authority asked.  Chet had managed to get to the man and was kneeling beside him.  Finding the man had a pulse and was breathing; he turned to the woman he recognized as his and Johnny's waitress.  "Do you know what's wrong with him?" he asked her.  "No, he just started having trouble breathing and then started to gasp for air," Janet informed the man on the other side of her patron.  Just as Chet was asking her if she would check to make sure the bartender had called the fire department, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, "do you mind letting me in here?" a friendly voice asked her while helping her move over. Johnny knelt down beside the man and suddenly transformed into John Gage, county paramedic. "Sir, I'm John Gage an' I'm a paramedic with the county.  I'm just going to look you over okay?  Are you having any pain?" he asked as he placed a thumb and fingers around the man's wrist while looking at his watch.  After taking his pulse, he placed his hand on the man's stomach, all the while listening for the answer to his question. "Yes, my chest hurts," the man managed between grimaces of pain. "Okay Sir.  I'm just gonna make you more comfortable by loosening some of your clothing ok?" "Sure," the man panted in agreement. "Mike called the fire department, he said they're on their way," Janet informed them as she returned to kneel down by Chet's side. "Great, thanks!  Were you his waitress?"  Johnny questioned while taking off the man's tie and undoing his shirt, belt and the button to his pants. "Yes." "Did you notice anything unusual about him at all while you were waiting on him?"  Johnny asked while slowly taking in the older man's appearance, having already looked after the tight clothing. "No...other than he seemed a little agitated," Janet said. Johnny frowned, "was he sweating at all?" Janet thought back and realized that yes the man had been sweating throughout his meal, "yes, he was.  Is he going to be all right?  Are you a doctor?" "No I'm not.  I'm a paramedic with the fire department." Chet realized he could hear the sound of a siren in the distance.  He got up and went outside to meet the squad or ambulance, whichever one was coming.  Seeing a fire vehicle come flying around the corner, he noticed some of the tension he was feeling subside.  He also noticed a big 51 on the side of the squad's door and Charlie Dwyer climb out of the passenger seat, "whadaya got Chet?"  Charlie asked as he opened the compartment door. "Man inside is having trouble breathing and having chest pains." "Why don't you grab the oxygen for us?" Chet, Charlie and Steve Robinson grabbed the needed equipment and made their way inside to the victim.  Charlie and Steve were both silently happy to see John Gage kneeling beside the man. "Hey Johnny, what do you have?"  Steve asked while setting up the oxygen Chet had placed on the floor. Johnny gave the man's vitals to his stations B-Shift paramedics and helped by setting up the biophone. After helping the paramedic's load the victim onto the stretcher, Johnny was about to stand up when the man touched his hand, "thank you young man." "Oh I didn't do anything, the paramedics did it all." "No, you helped, trust me." "Well you're welcome then," Johnny smiled as the ambulance attendants and Charlie Dwyer started to leave. "Take care Charlie." "Yeah, see ya Johnny, Chet,"  Charlie turned and left hauling the equipment with him. Johnny and Chet retreated to the other side of the bar to pick up their game of pool, "why don't we rack em again?"  Johnny asked. "Sure," Chet replied while helping Johnny rack up the balls.  After Chet took the rack away from the balls, Johnny broke them once again, sinking the striped yellow ball.  After sinking a few more balls, he finally missed a shot, giving Chet a turn.  While holding his cue stick with both hands, he propped up his chin with them and watched Chet set up his shot.  He hadn't noticed Janet come in and stand beside him. "Um...excuse me Sir.  I'm sorry, I don't know your names," she requested, looking at Johnny bashfully. Looking down at the woman standing next to him, Johnny put his cue stick into one hand while the other came out towards Janet.  "John Gage, and the man about to miss his shot is Chet Kelly," he smiled pointing his stick towards Chet.  Taking her hand into his,  he couldn't help but notice right away how small, delicate and soft it was. "Very funny Gage," Chet chirped as he paused to chalk his cue and blow the excess dust towards Johnny's face. "Oh, well Mr. Gage, Mr. Kelly," Janet said taking a step back out of the way of flying chalk dust, "the management wishes to thank you for what you've done." "Uh…but we didn't do anything," Johnny interrupted. "Yes you did," she replied. "No, we just made sure he was comfortable while he waited for the help he needed.  We didn't do anything special." "Well I think you did.  Anyway, here's your money back.  Your lunches are on the house." Johnny and Chet looked at each other a little dumbfounded.  They hadn't done anything that any one of the patrons in the bar/restaurant couldn't have done.  Looking down at the money in his hand, Johnny's head shot back up just in time to see Janet walking away, "hey wait a minute Miss." Janet turned around, "yes?" "You gave me all of my money back?" "Uh huh.  I told you, your lunch is on the house." "Well you have to at least keep your tip!" Chet looked down at his hands and sure enough, Janet had given him all of his money back, including her tip, "yeah," he agreed with Johnny, "you still deserve your tip!" Janet blushed deeply, feeling very awkward.  She hadn't wanted to look greedy by taking the money, but she really could use those tips.  In the two previous years while attending school, she'd come to rely heavily on the extra money that giving people her best possible service brought her.  Being a waitress, she was only making minimum wage, and while she lived in the least expensive bachelorette apartment she could find, she still needed the money to make ends meet.  Janet continued to quietly look at the two men in front of her. Johnny seemed to sense her discomfort as he spoke to break the silence for her,   "listen," he grinned while giving her his money, "why don't you bring us each a beer so you can break these bills for us?"  Chet followed Johnny's lead and gave her his bill back as well. "Sure," she answered quietly. Janet returned a few minutes later with a beer for each of them as well as their change, soon the matter of her tip was settled.  The two friends continued to play pool and drink for the next hour, before another party came in, looking to play some pool themselves.  They decided to sit down and watch the two college-age looking guys, play the game. "Hey Janet!  Why don't you bring us a few beers?" the blond athletic looking one asked the waitress before she even had a chance to approach them. "Sure Kevin," she smiled. Watching the waitress leave Kevin stated boldly, "boy she's hot!  I'm hoping to get a date with her sometime before Christmas." "You're not her type," the skinnier redhead replied. "How do you know?" "Because I am," he winked back with a mischievous grin. Johnny and Chet didn't mean to listen in on the conversation, but being the only other two in the room meant the young men's voices carried.  The two firemen exchanged looks with a smirk on their faces.  Each of them was thinking the same thing.  When it came to women, friends just couldn't help but ride each other. "Let's play some darts," Johnny suggested noticing a dartboard on the wall. "Sounds good to me." "I'll see if the bartender has them," Johnny mentioned when they couldn't find the darts anywhere near the dartboard. Chet glanced up at the departing Johnny, and turned his attention to the pool table again.  The guys were having fun and seemed to be enjoying the flirtatious waitress.  Chet wondered whether the woman was really interested in either of them, or if she was just fishing for bigger tips?  While he was trying to solve this small mystery, Johnny returned with two sets of darts, one orange and the other green.  He passed the orange set to Chet and the two played darts for about an hour. While placing the darts back into their cases Johnny asked, "what are you doing for dinner?" "I've got a date with Brenda." "Brenda?" "Yeah a new tenant in my building.  Man Gage, she's a knockout, you've gotta see her!" "What's wrong with her?" "Whatta ya mean?  Nothing's wrong with her," Chet lamented. "There has to be if she's agreed to go out with you." "Shut up Johnny." The only response Chet got from his friend was a low friendly chuckle. The two walked up to the bar and gave their sets of darts to Mike behind the counter.  Mike looked up, "thanks again guys." "No problem," Chet replied, "just doing our job." "How do you mean?"  Mike asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "We're off duty firemen.  We respond to calls like that all the time," Johnny shrugged. "Oh well, you weren't on duty, so you acted as civilians.  We appreciate it." "Well thanks for the meals," Chet offered.  He and Johnny still weren't feeling quite comfortable with being given their meals free and ended up giving Janet a larger tip than they originally had. After walking out of the door, the two split up and headed for their separate vehicles. ~~~~~~~~~~ About six weeks later on a Saturday afternoon, Johnny once again found himself at Stan's Bar and Grill.  He'd just spent the better part of the afternoon browsing through a bookstore, as well as a record store.  He ended up purchasing a J.R.R Tolkien book and the newest Styx album.  He put his purchases in his Land Rover and grabbed a blue binder sitting on the front passenger seat, before heading for Stan's.  Moments after sitting at the bar, Mike approached him, "what can I get ya?" "Just a coffee, thanks." "Sure." When Johnny was almost done with his coffee, a woman sat on the stool two down from him.  He glanced at her and realized it was the woman who had waited on him and Chet weeks before.  He noticed her take off her shoe and start to rub her foot. "That was a busy shift, I don't think I'll ever get the feeling back in my feet." Mike placed a soda in front of her, "that's what you say at the end of every shift." Janet returned his smile, "am I that bad?" "Afraid so." "Would you like another coffee chum?"  Mike asked Johnny, drawing Janet's attention towards the lean man sitting near her. "Sure," Johnny replied once again lifting his head up from the binder sitting on the bar. "Hey, you're that off duty paramedic," Janet said before she could stop herself. "Yeah, I am," Johnny smiled. "The one from a few weeks ago?"  Mike asked returning with a pot of coffee in his hand. "Yeah," Janet responded. "Oh!  Well welcome back Mr…?" "Gage, but please call me John." "All right, John," Mike replied while refilling Johnny's cup of coffee. "So do you know how that man is?"  Janet asked. "Yeah, he's ok.  I visited him the next day and he was fine." "You visited him?" "Yeah, I was on duty and at the hospital so I found out where he was and went and checked on him.  He was resting comfortably." "So was it a heart attack, like you guys suspected?" "Yeah, it was.  He was lucky you called the fire department so quickly." "Well that was your doing John," Mike replied. "I'm just glad we could help," he offered, bringing his coffee cup to his lips.  The conversation having died, Johnny returned to his reading. Janet took off her other shoe and started to rub her foot while wiggling her toes.  Finding herself curious about the dark haired man beside her, she glanced towards him again, wishing she could start up another conversation.  Taking a deep breath,  she finally took the plunge. "Are you going to school?"  Johnny looked at Janet with puzzlement in his eyes, "school?" he repeated, "no." "Oh...well it looked like you're studying," she explained, nodding her head towards Johnny's reading material. "Oh that, yeah I'm studying." "But you're not going to school?" "No, it's a fire department book."  Johnny flipped the cover over, showing it to the inquisitive woman. Janet looked at the book, reading the title, 'The Role of a LACo Fire Department Captain', "sounds heady." Johnny laughed, "yeah I guess you could say that."  He closed the book deciding he'd rather talk with the young woman beside him, than reading how to delegate orders to linemen, on which hose to use depending upon the type of fire you roll up to. "Do you mind?" he asked pointing at the chair beside her. "No, not at all." Johnny picked up his coffee and binder and moved over to sit beside her. "So why would you come to a pub to study?" she asked as Johnny slid onto the barstool. "I wasn't planning on it.  I was looking for a quiet coffee shop when I noticed this place.  I remembered it had good coffee, so I came in," he smiled. "I see.  So you don't like being a paramedic anymore?" "Oh no, I like it.  It's just time to move on.  My partner is studying as well." "You're partner, is that the guy you were with the other day?" Johnny thought back to that day and laughed, "no Chet's not my partner, he works out of the same station as I do though." "So you're studying to be a Captain I take it." "Yep." "Sounds difficult," Janet spoke while bringing her drink to her lips. "Not if you know what you're doing.  Besides, if you have good people working under you, your job is easier." "So is your Captain's job easy?"  Janet teased. Johnny smiled noticing the twinkle in the waitress's almond shaped green eyes.  "Easiest in the department," he laughed, lightly tapping his chest with his hand. Janet giggled in response to Johnny's obvious teasing. "Hey kid, you'd better get out of here before Stan puts you back to work," Mike said as he approached the two sitting at the end of the bar. Realizing that her co-worker was right, Janet sighed and turned to Johnny, "I'd love to continue our little chat, but it's getting busy in here and I don't wanna tempt my boss into putting me back to work." Johnny looked at his watch.  It read 4:30, "are you ahhh...are you busy tonight?" Janet, who was struggling to get her shoes back onto her sore feet, looked up in surprise, "uh no, no, not really.  I ah, was just going to study a bit." "Would you like to have dinner with me?"  Johnny asked with a lop-sided grin. "Sure, I'd love to," Janet agreed, trying hard not to squeal in delight as she returned a bright smile of her own. "Great, how 'bout meeting me back here?" "Sure, is six o'clock okay with you?" "Yep, perfect, but we do have a problem." "What?"  Janet asked uneasily. "I don't know your name?" "Janet, Janet Kajakat," she laughed, sticking her hand out towards Johnny for a shake. Accepting her hand in his own he replied, "well Janet, I'll meet you back here in an hour and a half." At six o'clock Johnny pulled his Rover up to the curb and put it into neutral.  After pulling on his hand brake, he climbed out of his vehicle, locking it behind him and headed down the street on foot.  As he rounded the corner he caught a glimpse of his date as she climbed down off a city bus.  A smile spread across his face as he watched Janet walking towards him, taking in her appearance.  He liked what he saw.  Janet was dressed in a mauve wrap a-round skirt, with a matching rayon blouse.  A heart dangling from a delicate chain occupied the space between the undone top blouse buttons.  Her dirty blonde hair was left down, allowing soft waves to cascade over her shoulders.  Her round face broke into a smile when she spotted Johnny standing in front of Stan's watching her. "Hi," she smiled as she approached him. "Hi, if I'd have known you didn't drive, I'd have offered to give you a ride." "Oh, that's ok." "So would you like to go somewhere other than here to eat?"  Johnny asked pointing towards Janet's place of employment. "Yes, anywhere but here would be great." "All right, what kind of food do you like?" "Chinese, Italian or Mexican.  How 'bout you?" she asked trying to keep pace with Johnny's long strides. "Me?  I'll eat anything.  But I'm in the mood for pizza," Johnny replied slowing his step when he noticed Janet was having trouble with his brisk pace.  Johnny pretended not to notice when Janet was able to fall into step with him comfortably, a lazy smile playing across his features.  He was finding it easier and easier to smile, each time he looked at her.  The two walked several short blocks until they came upon a tiny Italian bistro nestled between a bookstore and a candle shop. "Hey, how 'bout....""This looks good..." They'd both started to agree on the restaurant at the same time, making them stop and dissolve into giggles. "You first!"  Johnny said brightly. "No, no you go ahead," Janet replied, blushing slightly. "'Kay, I was just gonna say, how does Italian sound?" "Well...that depends on who's speaking it," she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him.  She reached for the door handle and was pleasantly surprised, when Johnny reached over her head to hold the door for her to enter first. Johnny's momentary look of confusion was quickly replaced by rolling his eyes and groaning at the bad joke, dropping his head into his hand, "I guess I walked right into that one, eh?" "Um yeah...with both arms wide open.  Tell me, are you always this easy to entertain or am I just hitting it lucky here?"  Janet asked as they entered the quiet dimness of the cozy eatery. Johnny almost had to laugh, thinking of the many times he'd been led into one trap or another by the one and only Phantom, "well...let's just say I've had a lot of years of practice.  I'm whatcha call a 'good sport', I s'pose." Johnny indicated to the hostess that they were two for dinner, and were soon led through the dining area to one of the small tables against the left wall. Again, Johnny surprised Janet by holding her chair for her as she sat.  The young woman almost didn't know how to react at first.  She didn't know if she'd ever been treated to such manners by someone close to her own age.  What with the women's liberation movement and all, she was surprised to find that there was still a man around who treated a woman like a 'lady'.  It was oddly charming and she found herself reveling in the attention, "why, thank you, sir," she grinned, her face shining as she took her seat. "My pleasure," Johnny answered back, taking his seat across from her. The two sat for a brief moment without knowing what to say next.  Their eyes met, nervous smiles exchanged, and neither could touch upon the feeling that passed between them.  Not knowing why she felt embarrassed, Janet picked up one of the menus the hostess had left for them, opened it and studied it almost dutifully.  Why was it beginning to get so hot in here suddenly, she wondered. 'Geez...he is sooo cute!  When was the last time I went out with someone so polite, so...old fashioned...so.....  oh, what is the word?  Never mind, when is the last time I even MET anyone like this guy?' On the other side of the table... 'Man, this chick...this girl...or should I say, this woman...whatever, she's incredible.  She's not like any of the other chi...woman...I've taken out before.  Wait'll Chet hears about her, that'll shut him up for good!' Several long seconds passed and finally the waitress came to take their dinner order.  After ordering an all dressed pizza and a large Greek salad to share, Johnny broke the silence. "So, I take it you're going to school?" he ventured. "Um yeah, how did you know?" "You mentioned you were gonna study tonight.  So what are you taking?" "Economics, I'm in my third year at Berkley."  Janet replied. Blowing a low whistle Johnny responded, using Janet's own words from earlier in the day, "now that sounds heady." Janet let a giggle escape from between her lips.  She liked the way the man seated across from her teased, "nah, it's fun.  I just wish I was already working." "What would you like to do?"  Johnny asked just as the salad arrived. Picking up her napkin and placing it across her lap, Janet picked up the salad tongs and placed some onto her plate then replaced the tongs to the salad bowl.  While picking up her fork she responded, "well, I'd really like to enter the business world and I don't know, hopefully one day I could work within a high profile company, you know, making sure the financial affairs are in order." Johnny smiled realizing the young woman felt passionately about her chosen career path.  He was also pleased to know that this was no ordinary 'bimbo' as Chet normally called his dates, but an intelligent woman.  Intelligence was a must these days for the maturing Johnny Gage.  He picked up the tongs and helped himself to some of the salad.  A silence fell over the table as the couple continued to eat the mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, and feta cheese. Chewing, Johnny caught her eye and winked at her, taking care to swallow what was in his mouth before he spoke, saying simply, "mm...this is very good." Janet nodded and swallowed her own forkful of salad, then decided to ask Johnny about himself, "so tell me...what did you study in school?" Johnny looked a little sheepish as he told her, "uh...well, uh...I didn't go to um...college, actually.  I pretty much entered the Fire Academy soon after graduating high school...and that's been it as far as school goes." She nodded and looked a little embarrassed herself, at having assumed Johnny was a college graduate.  It hadn't actually occurred to her, that there were some people who decided not to go that route, and that Johnny was one of them. "Ohh...I'm sorry," she began, only to be cut off by Johnny's attempts to reassure her no harm was done. "No, no, please, don't be sorry.  It was an honest question, I mean how were you to know?"  Johnny said in a gentle tone.  Seeing her uncomfortable expression, he continued, "I'm proud of what I've done...of what I'm doing.  Sure, I woulda liked to have gone to college, and I still may, someday," Johnny looked pensive with a small smile on his face, "but right now, for me, the best decision I ever made was to become a firefighter.  And now...being a paramedic...well, it's got me right where I wanna be, y'know?  I wouldn't wanna be anything else.  Well maybe a Captain," he smiled.  His brown eyes glanced up at Janet, seeing an admiration in her face that he hadn't expected.  He hadn't meant to gush, it had just come out. "That's...incredible," Janet finally said.  "I can totally tell you love what you do, I don't think I've ever met anyone with such a...a...passion...for their job before.  It...it's really nice to see that." Johnny's mouth curved back into the little grin then, and he gave a shy laugh, "yeah...I guess I'm pretty lucky, at that."  He continued to chew and caught a curious little grin from Janet, which made him feel slightly self-conscious. "What...?" he asked. "Hm...nothing, I...it's all very fascinating, that's all.  Your work, I mean," she answered lightly, her eyes shining as she watched him, "I bet you have a million and one stories to tell, eh?"  He had literally glowed while discussing his work and she was quickly finding herself falling for his boyish enthusiasm and the conviction in his voice. "Oh!  Well thanks!"  Johnny chuckled, wiping his mouth with his napkin.  "Yeah...I could prob'ly fill up a good-sized notebook on some of the stuff me 'n Roy go through, that's my partner, the guy I work with." "Ohh I see.  So, is Roy as into the job as you are?"  Janet ventured, sipping at her wine. "Mm...well, he IS, but he just has a different way of showing it.  Roy is...well...he's a bit more subdued, I guess you'd say," Johnny mused, smiling at the thought of his best friend. "Subdued?"  Janet asked, wondering about the man who worked side by side with Johnny. "Yeah, you know the type...married, kids, house in the suburbs," Johnny joked, "I guess you'd say we're pretty much opposites." "Opposites, eh?  Soo...you're not the married, kids, house in the suburbs type?"  Janet asked, only slightly crestfallen, and even she didn't know why she should feel disappointed. "Oh!  Well...yeah!  I mean, no...I'm not...I mean I didn't mean, I don't...I meant that, uh...marriage is...is fine, that is...that is if you're the uh...marrying kind."  Johnny felt like he put his foot in his mouth, again.  He was always doing that, and then it was so hard to take it back out again, without leaving teeth marks. "What I mean is, marriage is...is great!  I mean ya know that whole thing, the kids and the car and the dog...it's it's...there's nothin' wrong with that.  That's not what I was sayin'.  You know what I'm sayin'?"  Johnny's face was red as he stammered.  He hoped he hadn't implied anything toward the young woman sitting across from him. Janet had to stuff her mouth with another bite of lettuce so as to hide her smirk.  Didn't this man know how adorable he was? Similarly, Johnny was breaking a sweat under his bangs at the thought of blowing it with Janet.  He was really enjoying her company and the last thing he wanted to do was run off at the mouth, driving her away. Suddenly, as if on cue, the pizza arrived at their table, and in the presence of the waitress a tense silence hung in the air until they were alone again. "Uh...here, let me," Johnny offered, serving her the first piece. "Thank you, kind sir," Janet quipped giggling. As Johnny moved to sit back down from helping Janet, his elbow tipped over his water glass, spilling the icy drink over his thigh. "Aww man..." Johnny whined under his breath moving out of range of the water dripping from the table.  He hissed at the chilling sensation and Janet gathered up some napkins to dab at his jeans, only serving to deepen his already reddening face.  Janet was bent over him, attempting to soak up the offending liquid spread out over his thigh area.  "Here, lemme help you," she told him, while Johnny was blushing furiously and trying to avoid any further soaking. Johnny was reaching across Janet's back to wipe up the table, while her hands dabbing at his jeans, when it suddenly occurred to them the compromising position they were in...and in public, no less!  Faces flaming, they stopped and looked at each other before pulling apart in embarrassment. "I'm okay, thanks...it's...I'm sorry...I'm....maaaaan,"  Johnny slightly whined as he collected the soggy napkins. "Hey it's okay, you don't have anything to be sorry for.  It was an accident.  Are you alright?"  Janet asked, sitting back down in her seat. "Yeahh...just cold...and wet...and embarrassed, but I'll be okay," came the dry reply. "Good...cuz I'm starving.  Let's dig in, okay?" she said, intent on continuing their good time. Johnny was relieved that Janet didn't seem to be put off by his clumsiness, and wouldn't let a slight mishap ruin her evening.  She was so natural and relaxed, and that put him at ease as well.  Letting his smile return, he thought what a lucky guy he was to have happened across the bar that day with Chet.  He definitely wanted to get to know her better. The rest of their meal was spent surrounded by the warmth of a growing friendship as they explored the complexities of pepperoni and black olives. Johnny grinned shyly from ear to ear as he pulled up to Janet's building.  "Well I had fun tonight.  I hope you--" "Had?  Aren't you coming in?" "In?"  Johnny squeaked. "For a bit...maybe some coffee...a little TV?  Maybe there's a good movie on...just for a while?" she added nervously, not wanting him to get the wrong idea about her blundered and awkward invite to her apartment. "Uhhhh," he stumbled looking at his watch and counting backwards the minimum hours of sleep he thought he could get by on, before his shift the next morning.  "Well...for a little while I guess...would be all right.  I already KNOW how good your coffee is!" he added with a teasing grin. "Oh...the coffee.  I don't actually make the coffee at the bar, Mike does." "Mike?" "The bartender." "The bartender makes the coffee?" "Yeah, what's wrong with that?" "Well nothing I guess, considering how good it is." "Is the coffee there really that good?" she asked nervously as she lead the way into the building and up to her door. "Oh yeah!  That's why I remembered it!" "So you're a real coffee connoisseur?" "Nooo, not really.  I just end up drinking so much BAD coffee, and when it's decent...I just appreciate it is all." "Why do you end up drinking bad coffee." "Cause Cap can't seem to keep the grounds out of it.  Mike makes it too strong.  Roy makes it waaaay too weak, and Chet couldn't make a decent cup of coffee if his life depended on it.  Marco's is good...and I try...but...well...some people I guess are just better at it than others." "Huh...well...I'll uh...I'll do my best," Janet mumbled, fully humiliated and trying to remember the last time she'd tried to make coffee herself.  "Well this is it," she added, opening her door, "it's not much, but it's mine...rented anyway." "Yeah, I used to rent until my partner decided he wanted to buy a house." "Huh?" "Long story." "Oh...well I'll start some coffee.  You can go ahead and turn the TV on in the Living Room." "Oh...okay I'll uh..." Johnny agreed walking through a short hallway and finding himself in the bedroom.  "Oops," he chirped jerking quickly backward and straight into Janet's chin.  "Oh man...I'm so sorry I--" he said while turning to see what damage he'd done. "It's okay.  I'm fine really.  The Living Room is that way." "Sure I'll uh...you sure you're okay?  I'm a paramedic you know.  If you--" "I'm fine," she insisted though she had yet to stop rubbing her sore chin.  "I'll be with you in a minute." "I...okay," Johnny agreed trying getting out of her hair. Janet walked into the kitchen area and started to go though every cupboard she had, until she finally found the old kettle her mother had given her a few years earlier, when she'd first moved out.  It was coated with green enamel and had numerous chips out of it, but it would have to do.  "Why on earth did I invite him up for COFFEE?" she wondered quietly to herself.  "Hey uh..." she spoke loudly to be heard as she opened up her fridge, "I have a couple of cokes left if you'd--" "Oh no...no thanks.  I try not to drink it." "Figures," Janet pouted as she filled the kettle and put it on the stove.  "Now how does this stupid thing work again," she wondered as she opened it and found a small metal basket inside.  "Wait a minute," she thought hopefully as she opened her pantry and dug around inside, "maybe I don't even HAVE coffee."  Soon the bright red color of a large Folgers can stare her in the face.  "Figures....just figures.  You'd think my mother would have the sense to just take it with her when she goes home...but noooooo...she leaves this huge monstrosity behind for me to trap myself into trying to make a cup of coffee for the cutest man who's talked to me in the last three months.  With my luck, I'll probably end up poisoning the poor guy with this stuff."  "You okay in there?"  Johnny asked as the banging from the kitchen area became louder and louder, and more and more frequent. "Sure....fine....couldn't be better," Janet bluffed, as she tipped the coffee pot upside down and knocked the lid out by smashing it three times against the corner of the stove.  Having completed the wrestling match, and believing the coffee to be safely brewing away, Janet ducked into her bedroom to change out of her now coffee stained clothes.  "Next time he gets water," she promised herself as she put her top in the sink to soak.  Next she started to peruse her closet for something else to wear.  She eyed her sweats longingly.  "Why not," she thought, reaching for them.  "Cause their gross," her brain answered, "you're on a date for God's sake."  Next she looked at her pink dressing gown.  "No way," her conscience warned, "he's here for coffee.  Don't want him getting the wrong idea, not on a first date.  Then what?" she asked herself again.  "The sweats," she answered slipping them on and loving the way they felt.  She'd done the laundry on the day before and the fabric softener she'd used made the soft cotton smell great as well.  Looking at herself in the mirror she tossed her hair up to fluff it and smiled at her baggy image.  "Well at least he'll know for sure he's here for the coffee," she giggled.  "Oh God...the coffee!"  Running back into the kitchen she yanked it off the stove and on to the counter.  "Well it doesn't SMELL too bad," she muttered quietly as she poured two cups to be polite.  She took a careful sip of her own, she spit it back out into the sink.  "Oh man, that's HORRIBLE!  He's gonna HATE it!  Sugar, sugar, sugar," she chanted as she ransacked her pantry once again.  There it is!  Now milk...."  After liberally adding both to both cups, she set them on a tray along with some mud glopp, and carried them out into the living room. "Here we go," she smiled as she set the tray down.  She figured with all the stuff she'd put in the coffee, he'd never know the difference; and along with her special snacks, she felt she was treating him quite well.  All in all, she was beginning to feel happy with her company again.  One dimpled smile in appreciation of the sliver coffee tray being placed before him was all it took. "What ARE those?"  Johnny blurted out the moment he saw the plate sitting in the center of the tray. "Oh, those are glopp.  I make them myself.  They're really good, try one," she told him helping herself at the same time.  She knew they looked a bit strange for food, but one taste, and she knew in her heart she'd have him.  She always did. "Chocolate?"  Johnny asked eyeing the treat. "Uh huh," she smiled approvingly.  After all, who didn't like chocolate...nay...who in their right minds didn't LOVE chocolate? "Thanks anyway, but I uh...I can't." "You what?" "I can't.  You see--" "Look, I know they LOOK a bit funny, but I swear, if you'd try one you'd--" "I'd love to really!  But--" "Oh how can you be so narrow minded?  Just TRY one!  I swear, men can act like such children.  Tell me this, have you ever had one before?" "No...I--" "Then TRY one!" "I can't!  I--" "Oh for heaven's sake.  It's food, I swear!  What do you think, I'm trying to poison you or--" she stopped suddenly, remembering the coffee. "I'm allergic to chocolate." "Oh you are not." "I am, really!  My throat swells shut and everything!" "Really?" "Yes!  I'd love to try them but..." "I'm sorry, I had no idea.  I'll get them out of here." "No no no...you don't have to do that!  As long as I don't EAT any, they're not gonna bother me.  You go ahead and eat as many as you want.  Believe me, I'm quite happy with just the coffee.  Thanks." "No, I can't eat chocolate in front of you.  That would be so mean, like having a rich fudge sundae in front of someone who's trying to diet.  I'll put them away." "No, it's fine.  Chocolate just isn't part of my life.  I don't even think about it." "I couldn't imagine being like that." "Well I've only had it maybe twice in my life, and both times were pretty awful.  To tell you the truth, I don't even really know what it tastes like." "Oh you poor man." "No not really.  If it's all that great, it's probably better not to know what I'm missing, right?" "I guess, but still." "Anyway, enough about my silly allergy.  How 'bout we see if there's a movie on...remember?"  Johnny smiled patting the sofa next to him. Janet blushed a smile, then blushed some more when she looked down to play with the edge of her skirt and remembered she'd opted for her sweats.  Looking back at the man, she realized her choice in clothing hadn't put him off a bit.  "Well if he can like me for who I am, why should I complain," she grinned happily as she plopped down next to him playfully.  "That's better," he encouraged reaching for his coffee cup.  The grin dropped from her face as she watched him take a drink, and saw his face turn into the most incredible expression of surprise and disgust she had ever seen. "You don't like it," she spoke for him feeling lousy that she'd not done one thing right since she'd brought him up to her apartment, while he'd been the most perfect and patient man she'd been around in ages. "Noooo," Johnny disagreed running his tongue back and forth on his teeth in a futile effort to get some of the overly sweetened concoction out of his mouth.  "It's uh...fine...ummm..." Janet broke out into a fit of giggles.  "I'm sorry.  See the coffee uh...the coffee--" She was interrupted by a loud cheeping sound which startled Johnny into jarring his cup,  and covering himself with the detestable brown liquid.  'Thank GOD I don't have to drink it,' Johnny thought silently as he looked wide eyed around the room. "Cheep!" the sound went again. "Don't worry, I'll find it.  I'm good at this.  I'll have it out of your hair in no time," he promised. "Come again?" "CHEEP!" the sound went. "My God, it must be HUGE!"  Johnny told her standing and beginning to creep around her room with both ears intently cocked. "CHEEP!" the noise insisted loudly, making Johnny turn abruptly toward its source and knock the tray off the coffee table. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" "I'm trying to FIND it!" "Find WHAT?" "The BAT!" "BAT?!" "Yeah bat!  What are ya, deaf or something?  Can't you hear that?" "Cheep!" "That?" "Yeah thaaaat!  What do you THINK I'm talking about?" "You are so weird," Janet informed him as she stood and pulled the cover off of a large bird cage.  "What's ah matter Coco...did I forget to feed you?  You poor baby...come on," she encouraged opening the cage. "What are you DOING?" "What does it look like I'm doing." "You're gonna let it OUT?" "Of course I'm gonna let her out.  How would YOU like to be locked up all the time?" "But that's...she's...it's..." "She's a conure Johnny...a conure.  Don't tell me you've never seen one before." "Of course I've seen one before." "Oh yeah...when?" Janet asked as the bird hopped on to her finger and she pulled her out of the cage. "Onnnn....uh...on TV okay?" "On TV?" "Yeah, okay?  So I've never seen one...had to see one up...WATCH IT!"  Johnny warned as the bird started to fly across the room.  Johnny ducked covering his head with both arms. The bird squawked back defensively at the man's shout, and started to clean her feathers.  "It's okay Coco, he won't bother you," Janet soothed coming over to the birds perch.  "Here you go," Janet said placing a piece of food into her mouth and offering it to the bird.  Coco took the sunflower seed and opened it for herself, letting the shell drop to the floor.  "Doesn't that hurt?"  Johnny asked incredulously as he watched her do it again. "No, why would it hurt?  She's very gentle." "It's a wild animal, and you really shouldn't--" "Conure, Conures are NOT wild animals!  They can be some of the most gentle and loving pets you can possibly have...UNlike a lot of dogs I know.  I promise you NOone has ever been mauled to death by a bird!" "Still--" "I can't believe you're afraid of her." "I'm NOT afraid of her." "Oh no?  Hold out your arm then?" "What?" "Hold out your arm.  I'll get her to sit on your wrist." "OH no!  That's quite all right.  I'm fine right where I am!" "See, you're afraid!" "I'm not--" "Here, watch...I'll show you how gentle she is.  Kisses Coco...give me a kiss." Johnny cringed as he watched the green feathered bird appear to nibble on Janet's bottom lip.  "See?"  Janet smiled, "just like that.  Isn't that cute how she does that?" "Just adorable," Johnny smirked in disbelief. "Here, just let her sit on your shoulder for a minute so you can get used to her," she offered carrying the happy Coco to Johnny who had positioned himself gradually toward the other side of the small room. "No no...that's okay.  I think I'd rather--" "CHEEP!" came a sound from directly behind Johnny's head.  With reflexes wrought with terror, he ducked and bolted forward into the back of the sofa before bouncing back off its springy cushions and landing on his butt on the floor. "What was THAT?!"  Johnny complained. "I'm coming Angel.  Just a second."  Stepping over the hapless man, and trying to keep from laughing, she let her parakeet out of its cage. "You have TWO of them?" "Yes...." "Don't they fight or something?" "Well...sometimes." "THEN WHY ARE YOU LETTING IT OUT!" "Oh don't be such a big baby.  If they start to fight, just stay out of the way and I'll handle it." "Yeah, I'll do that," the man muttered rubbing his sore bottom as he got to his feet. "Do they really bother you that much?" Johnny's expression as Angel started to fly across the room to land on a desk answered her question "Look, if you don't bother them, they won't bother you, why don't you come and sit down," she told him, sitting herself and patting the cushion beside her. Giving each bird a narrowed eye stare, he gingerly stepped between their two resting places and slowly lowered himself to a seated position beside her. Janet, watching his turtle like movements, choked on her coffee. "What's so funny." "Nothing....how's this," she asked pointing toward the TV, "it's already started but--" "Fine, fine, everything's fine," he told her peering back over his shoulder at one of the green feathered creatures behind him. "You sure you're okay?" "Fine," he insisted, pretending to be watching the show. Janet held her breath and scooted over him bit by bit until he finally got the hint and put his arm around her. The movie was a funny one, and soon, the birds were forgotten until..."Ahhhhhh!" "WHAT?"  Janet screamed as he leapt to his feet. "She BIT me!" Sitting on the back of the couch, Coco looked back innocently. "Her?"  Janet asked, "Coco DOESN'T BITE!" "Well she DID!" "Is it bleeding?" "WHA..?" "ARE...YOU...BLEEDING?" Johnny rubbed his ear and checked his hand, "no...but--" "Then she didn't bite you.  She must LIKE you.  She probably just KISSED you." "KISSED?  That was NO kiss!  She doesn't even have LIPS." "Oh for crying out loud, you SAW how she kissed me!" "Yeah...but..." "All right, okay...everybody has their phobias I guess, and you certainly have the right to yours." "I DON'T have a PHOBIA!" "Come here Coco, come here Angel," Janet called holding up her arm.  Each in turn flew to their beloved owner, causing Johnny to retreat until he was safely alone in the kitchen.  "I'll put them in my bedroom for now, okay?"  Janet offered. "Whatever you feel is best," Johnny answered trying desperately to put on what he thought to be a brave and casual smile, while tucking his thumbs into his belt loops and leaning against the still hot stove.  A split second later he sprang forward cursing under his breath. "Careful," Janet warned, "I don't think it's had time to cool down all the way yet." Giving her a dismissive wave of the hand, he turned away to face the refrigerator in order to allow himself a full grimace before trying to push the pain all the way down out of his features. "I'll be right back," she promised. "No hurry," he answered with the utmost honesty.  Looking at his watch, he set his brain to work at coming up with a plausible excuse for a quick but honorable exit.  Seeing the coffee pot on the stove, he decided to help himself to a cup.  "Oh that's better," he moaned happily as the hot black liquid flowed down his throat. "Oh NO," Janet shouted as he started to take another sip, "don't drink that!" For the second time that night, Johnny found himself slopped with hot coffee, this cup much hotter that the first.  "Well why NOT?" he asked more than a little annoyed. "Cause I don't know how to make it, all right?  I tried to remember but--" "It TASTES fine to ME!" "It does?" "Yeah!" "You're kidding." "NO I'm not kidding!  It tastes GREAT!  Just the way coffee SHOULD taste!" "Well how about that," Janet muttered to herself in disbelief. "How 'bout that," Johnny mimicked disdainfully as he began to run his hand under cold water and pick at his hot soaked shirt. "Oh don't tell me you spilled coffee again?" Johnny glared back at her as if she were daft. "Was it hot?" "YES it was hot!" "Well you don't have to be grouchy about it!  I didn't spill it on you!" "You may as well have!" "Men!"  Janet groaned as she grabbed some ice out of the freezer and wrapped it up in a towel.  "Come here," she ordered trying to tug him away from the sink. "What," he mumbled back, doing his best to ignore her entirely. Spinning him more forcefully around, she quickly unbuttoned one of the lower buttons on his shirt, and shoved the cold towel firmly inside. "AHHHHH!" the dark haired man howled trying to get away from it. "NOW what!" "What's THAT?" "ICE?  You do know what ice is, don't cha?  Tell me you've only ever seen it on TV." "I KNOW what ice is!  You could have warned me!" "I was standing over there with a towel and the freezer open.  What did you THINK I was doing?"  "How should I know?"  Johnny growled pulling the towel out of his shirt. "You know what," Janet asked him, "I think I've changed my mind about you.  You have got to be the most impossible man I have ever met!" "MEee?" "YES you!" "And what about YOU lady?  You try to poison with me with the most disgusting coffee ever, keeping the good stuff in the kitchen for yourself, sick two killer birds on me, scald me with hot coffee again, and then blame ME for the whole thing!" "You are absolutely NUTS!  My birds wouldn't hurt a fly!  Being such a chicken, you'd think you'd be able to get along with them better!" "Yeah?  Well I don't!  And I don't get along with you either!  I'm outta here!" "Good!  Go!  And don't let the door hit you on your scrawny burnt butt on your way out either!  I don't wanna hear your pathetic howling all the way to your car." "You....you're..." Johnny sputtered at a complete loss.  "Ahhhh!" he growled at last. "Oh geez...is that the best you can do?  A chimpanzee is more articulate." Johnny whipped open the front door and slammed it with gusto behind him. "Shoot," Janet muttered sinking to the floor behind the closed door, "and he was cute too." Janet got up early the following morning, to start the studying, she had put off the previous evening.  She rubbed her eyes as she dragged her slipper-clad feet through the living room to the kitchen area.  Then she stopped as she saw the dried coffee staining the stove and linoleum floor.  She'd remembered most of the negative events of the evening before, but she'd forgotten she'd have to clean up this morning.  She sighed, and began digging under the cabinet for some kitchen cleaner and paper towels.  The sounds of bottles and cans clanking apparently woke CoCo, who cheeped loudly from the bedroom. "Good morning, CoCo!"  Janet stopped rummaging to return to the bedroom and uncover cages.  She uncovered Angel's first.  Angel ruffled her feathers, and then hopped to her seed dish to begin inspecting it for anything overlooked at her last meal.  When Janet removed the cover to the conure's cage, she immediately fluttered to the cage wall where she clung, sideways, and peered at her cage door expectantly. "Awww, you wanna come out and play?"  Janet cooed, opening the door and letting the conure hop onto her finger.  "Come on in here, and I'll open your window, sweetie.  You don't have to worry, that silly old mean man is gone.  He was just scared of you." Janet set CoCo on the shoulder of her terrycloth robe and moved back into the living room.  There was a window by the couch, and CoCo frequently enjoyed perching on the shelf under the open window, playing with the knick-knacks and books while listening to the sounds from outside.  Sometimes she'd return the calls of the birds she heard in the trees. Janet slid the window up and took a quick look at the screen to be sure it was still secure.  CoCo flew from her shoulder to the window sill. "Well, you just sit there and talk to your friends while I go clean up the kitchen."  She noticed how the fresh-smelling, early morning breeze from outside, along with CoCo's companionship, was already lifting her spirits.  It was eight o'clock on a Sunday, so not many cars were moving yet to add to the noise and air pollution. Somehow, the kitchen didn't look as bad as it had a few minutes ago.  Janet decided that just the dried coffee spills and the coffeepot were all that needed to be cleaned.  Then, replacing the coffeepot and Folgers can into their hiding places in the cupboard would be all that was left to do.  Then she remembered the tray that was still in the living room holding coffee cups and chocolate glopp.  She returned to that room.  She stood over the coffee table and sighed as she looked at the remains of last night's fiasco.  The two mugs still held stale, cold coffee, and rings were beginning to form around their insides where the surface of the liquid had met the glossy finish for the last several hours. "Oh, CoCo, he was so cute..." she mumbled as she carried the silver tray into the kitchen.  CoCo ignored her as she screeched a loud reply to a cardinal outside in a sycamore tree.  Janet dumped the remains of the glopp into the garbage, as if removing it from her environment would help her put the date-gone-sour from her mind, "he didn't even tell me my tray was pretty." She now had enough dirty dishes to be worth filling the sink with hot water, so she did that, squirting in some detergent as the water ran.  She rolled up the sleeves of her bathrobe and sloshed the water to help create plenty of suds.  In ten minutes she had the cups and the component parts of the coffeepot draining in the rack by the sink. It was then that she became aware that CoCo's calls had become shriller and more frequent.  She listened, and between the conure's screeching calls, she could hear low, throaty, yowling sounds...the sounds that a cat makes when it's about to pounce... "CoCo!!!"  Janet called as she flew into the living room.  "Get away from the window!" At that moment, an enormous, fluffy, orange tomcat sprang at the window.  Its claws latched on to the screen, frightening CoCo, whose wings became a panicked blur.  In her haste to escape, she flew straight upward, her clawed feet grasping the screen at a point higher than where the cat was hanging on the other side. Janet saw this happening in a split second, but it seemed to her to be happening in slow motion.  Her heart raced with the realization that there was only a fraction of a millimeter, of wire screen between her precious CoCo and a killer feline.  Then she watched in helpless horror, as the screen pulled away from the window as the huge tomcat's weight became more than it could bear.  The sudden motion frightened CoCo, and she flew upward again, this time into the yard of the apartment building and up to the highest branches of the sycamore tree.  The cat landed on his back with the screen on top of him.  He apparently decided this meal was going to be more trouble than it was worth, so Janet's last view of him was of an orange tail, vanishing into the bushes under another apartment window. In seconds, Janet's calm, relaxing Sunday morning was over.  She stood there in panic, unsure what she should do.  She tried leaning out the window, calling and whistling, her finger extended, hoping CoCo would fly to it, as she did when inside.  No response.  She couldn't even see her, the tree was so tall and its leaves so thick. She had to get outside.  She considered going out the front, but it would take too long to get around to the back.  No telling where CoCo would be by then.  She shoved the bookshelves to the side of the window and climbed out.  One bedroom slipper dropped from her foot as she was pulling her leg through, so she kicked off the other as she ran toward the tree. "CoCo!!!  Sweetie, come here!"  Janet stood under the tree, tears blurring her vision as she searched the branches for her feathered friend.  She held her finger up again and made the imitation bird sounds that she sometimes used to entertain CoCo.  She walked circles all around the tree, scanning the branches, but did not see her.  She listened hard, but didn't even hear her voice.  The breeze that had been so pleasant earlier was gently moving the limbs and the leaves, and sometimes she would think for an instant that some of that natural motion was CoCo, but it wasn't.  She didn't know how long she looked up into the tree...a minute...five minutes...ten minutes.  She must be someplace else. The only way back into her apartment was through the window again, since her front door was locked.  She climbed in, retrieving her slipper on the way.  In her bedroom, she stepped into a pair of flats, then quickly opened a dresser drawer and grabbed a set of keys for a car she rarely drove.  Angel chirped at the flurry of activity around her, but Janet didn't even notice. She slowed down long enough to lock the door of her apartment behind her, then literally ran to the parking lot beside her building.  She unlocked the driver's door of an ancient, dull tan Volkswagen and slid onto the split seat cover, praying the car would start.  It did, on the fifth try. Janet backed out, already scanning the surrounding grounds and trees for CoCo.  She sped through the parking lot and out into traffic.  She decided to circle the building a few times first, since perhaps CoCo would stay nearby.  After all, she had never been outside before without a cage around her, and maybe she would be too frightened to go very far. "Oh, CoCo..." Janet whimpered.  The tears hadn't fallen yet, but her eyes were brimming.  She blinked so she could see better and stuck her head out of the car window.  "CoCo!!!" she called.  She knew the hysteria in her voice right now would keep it from being recognizable to the bird anyway, but she still felt better calling her. At the stop sign at the first corner, Janet was reminded of one of the reasons she had not been driving the VW lately.  The brake pedal went almost to the floor before the little car finally rolled to a stop. "CoCo!!!"  Janet called again.  Mockingbirds, sparrows, blue jays...she had never realized before that there were so many birds around her complex.  She promised she would notice them from now on, and appreciate them, if only she could have her precious CoCo back! She was approaching another intersection, this one with a stop sign on the cross street, so she wouldn't have to stop.  She started to signal for a right turn, at least the turn signals still worked on this car, she thought to herself.  As she pondered that point with gratitude, a pigeon caught her attention as it flew from a rooftop, down to an apartment driveway below.  Then a car on the cross street failed to stop for the stop sign, plowing into the front left fender of the car ahead of Janet.  Between the pigeon distraction and the failing brakes, Janet's old VW bug didn't have much of a chance.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chet Kelly waltzed into the room just as Johnny was saying, "so then she comes out of the kitchen wearing a track suit!  I know women like to slip into something more comfortable, but a track suit?" "Another failed date Gage?"  Chet quipped. "Shut up Chet." "Anyone we know Johnny?"  Chet continued, ignoring Johnny's request. "No...well you do sort of." "Me!  Really!  Who is she?" "That waitress the day we went out to play pool." "The blonde where the guy had the heart attack?" "Yeah," Johnny sighed. "What'd you do to scare her off?" "NOTHING, she's nuts." "Johnny, all she did was change her clothes.  You can't hold that against her."  Roy DeSoto, Johnny's partner, warned. "But that was just the beginning Roy.  She then proceeded to spill coffee on me, not once but twice in fact." "Ah poor baby," Chet said in a soft tone most people would use while talking to a new born baby. "Chet would you go away," Johnny whined, "you see Roy, that's still not all.  She also had these two birds that…that ATTACKED me!" Captain Stanley, who had been sitting at the kitchen table quietly listening to the youngest member of his crew tell yet another disastrous dating story, started to laugh, "come on John.  You don't honestly expect us to believe she had attack birds?" "I'm telling ya Cap, the girl's crazy!  She spoke to these animals like they were her babies!  And oh man, the worst part is, I could never ever see myself kissing her!"  Johnny shuddered at the mere thought. Mike Stoker, the crews engineer, was sitting beside Johnny and brought his hand up to the dark haired man's forehead, "nope, no fever." Johnny swatted Mike's hand away telling him to, "buzz off." "Are you saying you wouldn't kiss a girl because she has a bird?"  Marco asked confused. "Come on Gage, she wasn't bad looking," speaking more to the other guys Chet continued, "blonde hair, green eyes, nice smile, nice figure," he made an hour glass shape with his hands. "It's not the fact that she has birds, it's the fact that she KISSES them," Johnny scrunched up his face, opened his mouth and was about to tell the other's about Janet's kissing the bird she'd called Coco, when the tones sounded. "Squad 51...car accident..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Whattaya got, Vince?"  Roy asked as he and Johnny leaped from the Squad. "The drunk in the station wagon blew the stop sign and hit the yellow Camaro's front fender.  The drunk seems fine, and the driver of the Camaro has a cut on his lip.  Then the girl in the VW hit the back of the Camaro.  I think she's okay, but she can't get out of her car." "I'll go take a look," Johnny said. The Volkswagen had apparently swerved to the right to miss the Camaro, but had stopped with its driver's door wedged against the Camaro's back bumper. "Ma'am?" "Oh, God..."  A voice thick with disgust was what Johnny heard in response. He stood in silence for a few seconds, and then said, "Janet?  Is that you?" "Yes, it's me.  Just get something and pry that door open, will you?" she said pointing to the passenger door of her VW. "Have you tried it?  It doesn't look damaged..." "I know it doesn't work, okay?  It hasn't worked since I was in high school!" Johnny's face appeared at the driver's window.  "Alright, calm down!  First, let me look you over." "No!!!" she screamed.  "I'm in my bathrobe!!!"  She pulled it closer around her. "Janet!"  Johnny's voice was stern and icy cold, "I'm only gonna check you to be sure you're all right.  I've said the very same thing to victims who were in much more humiliating situations than you are right now.  Now let me do my job!" Janet was startled and taken aback by Johnny's manner.  She remembered how his demeanor had changed when he was working with the heart attack victim.  He was only doing his job.  "Okay," she said meekly. Johnny leaned awkwardly around the rear of the Camaro to reach in the window to Janet, "do you feel any pain anywhere?" "No." He pushed up the sleeve of her terrycloth bathrobe and put a blood pressure cuff on her arm, "did you hit your head?  Or become unconscious?" "No!" She felt grateful when she realized he wasn't going to use a stethoscope to get her pulse.  She pulled the top of her bathrobe closer. "Okay.  My partner's got the biophone.  I'm gonna go read the hospital your stats, then we'll probably both be back here to get you out."  He patted her shoulder.  "Will you be okay?" he asked gently.  He seemed more like the Johnny of last night now, and less like the paramedic. Janet tried to answer, but decided she probably should only nod.  She felt like she'd used almost all of her capacity for keeping her emotions in check. As he left, she took a look at herself in the rear view mirror.  She tried to do as much with her hair as she could with only her fingers.  She had no makeup on.  She hadn't even had a shower or brushed her teeth.  She wondered why that even bothered her.  She knew that she'd get this crisis resolved, only to return to the one that had put her in this situation to start with. Johnny reappeared, this time outside her passenger window, accompanied by another man. "Janet, this is my partner, Roy." "Hi, Janet!"  Roy peered at the side of the VW and ran his hand along the edge of the passenger door.  "Yeah, I think just a pry bar will do.  I'll get one from the Squad." Johnny came around to Janet's window.  She saw him rip open a plastic bag and pull a yellow sheet out of it, "that window may shatter, so we need to put this over you." Once again, Janet tried to gain control of the situation.  "I really don't think..." "Janet!  Just put the blanket over your head, okay?  It won't hurt." She took it and covered up with it.  Roy returned with the pry bar and popped the door open in less than half a minute. Johnny held out a hand to help Janet from the passenger side of the car.  She used her left hand to keep her bathrobe closed. "You sure you're okay?' "Yeah." "If you don't mind my asking..." he started, obviously staring at her garb. She interrupted, "I was chasing CoCo." "Your bird?" She nodded.  She began confidently, but her voice began to quiver as she continued.  "The screen...well, she got out...there was this damn cat...well...I'd just gotten up and was cleaning up the coffee...I had to climb out the window in my robe and my slippers fell off...and CoCo just..."  That was as far as she was able to get.  She lost the last tenuous hold she had on her composure and began sobbing. "Aaaaaaw, Janet..."  Johnny couldn't help it.  He put his arms around her.  Janet tried to push him away, but he pulled tighter.  She finally gave in and sank against his shoulder, her free-flowing tears soaking his blue shirt above his badge. "Oh, Janet, I'm so sorry," he kissed the top of her head as his hand stroked her messy blonde hair. "Listen, we can drive you back to the door of your building.  That's it over there, isn't it?" Janet nodded again, "thanks." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Janet stood outside her apartment door, fumbling tiredly with her keys.  It was only nine-thirty in the morning, but she felt like she'd been up all day and half the night.  Now she had to go back into an apartment with no CoCo, and begin the studying that had once more been postponed.  The test was coming, no matter what personal crises she'd been through. The key turned in the lock, and she stood for a moment in the doorway.  Across from her, the window was still open with no screen, bookshelves shoved to one side.  She sighed and decided the next step was to call the manager and have the screen replaced.  She didn't want that damn cat coming inside to have Angel for dessert.  She closed the door and went to close the window. "Oh, CoCo..." she sighed again. "TWEET!" Janet paused.  "CoCo?" she said softly. "TWEET!" came again from the bedroom. Janet quickly secured the latch on the window and ran into her bedroom.  There, CoCo sat on top of her cage.  Somehow, life looked better to Janet than it had an hour earlier. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Roy drove the squad away from Janet's apartment building he took a sideways glance at his partner and asked, "so that's the bird lady huh." Johnny looked at his partner in wonderment, "how'd you know?  I don't remember using her name?" "You don't normally get emotionally involved with a victim." "Now wait a minute, I wasn't emotionally involved!" "Sure you were," Roy continued. "Prove it," Johnny challenged his partner smugly. "In the six years we've worked together I've never known you to hug or kiss a victim," Roy pointed out. "Now wait a minute, I did NOT kiss that impossible woman!"  Johnny shrieked. "Yes you did, right on top of the head, while you were comforting her." Johnny had his mouth open ready to respond, but shut it abruptly when he realized Roy was right.  He had held Janet and kissed her on the head.  He'd done both of these acts subconsciously, now that he realized it he was slightly embarrassed. Roy sat smiling with the realization he'd not only won his point, but had also managed to render his partner speechless in the process.  A point, that anyone who knew Johnny, would know was an almost impossible task. Meanwhile, Johnny sat in the passenger seat, trying to figure out how he'd managed to become emotionally involved with a victim.  He'd hugged and kissed Janet in broad daylight while on duty!  How could such a thing have happened?  He'd never done such a thing before.  What did it mean?  Sure there'd been times when the man in him felt that a hug would have been the best thing for a victim, but the paramedic in him would never allow that hug to come from him! As Roy backed the squad into the apparatus bay of the station, Johnny looked beside him at the rig, and decided he'd been lucky since the entire station hadn't been called out to the accident.  What would Captain Stanley have thought of his unprofessional behavior? Before slipping out of the vehicle, Roy patted his partner on the knee sympathetically, "don't worry about it Junior.  I'd have done the same if it had been Joanne." For some reason, Johnny wasn't sure whether to be scarred or reassured by his partner's statement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What are you doing?"  Roy asked his partner when he stepped into the locker room. Glancing up, Johnny quickly closed the phone book he had been leafing through, and replied,  "nothing!" "What's the phone book for then?"  Roy asked as he walked over toward the sink. "Nothing…it's not mine," Johnny retorted. Roy shook his head and stifled a laugh.  He knew there were times Johnny acted a bit strange.  Actually there were times he seriously considered having his friend committed over some of his ideas, schemes and even from his ranting over some of the people they had to put up with doing their job.  But it was always the little things, like now, when Johnny acted so innocent over something so trivial as a phone book.  "Why is it in the locker room then?"  Roy asked, keeping his gaze locked on his partner and his actions by way of looking into the mirror over the sink while he washed his hands. "Why is what in the locker room?" "The phone book that you're holding," Roy exclaimed. "Oh this," Johnny stated holding up the book.  Shrugging he added, "I don't know." "The contents must be interesting, huh?" "You mean the phone book?" "Yes Johnny, the phone book." "I…ah…Roy, where did you get your dog from?" "Excuse me?" "Your dog.  You know that four legged critter that lives with you, Joanne and the kids." "He was given to us Johnny, why?" "Oh no reason, I just thought maybe you got him from a pet store, that's all," Johnny sighed. "Are you thinking about getting a dog?" Splaying his hand on his chest, Johnny replied, "no, not me.  I have this friend that was thinking about getting a pet and I was wondering about a good pet store, that's all.  I mean, there are so many in the yellow pages.  How would anyone know which ones are good and which ones aren't?  I mean you saw the news last week about the puppy mill that was uncovered and how those animals had been farmed out to pet shops to sell.  Some of them were sick and others…well how would my friend know who is reputable and who isn't.  I wouldn't want to see my friend get stuck with a pet that isn't top notch.  Roy…" Roy stood back and stared as he watched his partner ramble non-stop.  He wasn't even sure if Johnny was gonna stop long enough to breathe.  Figuring it was high time he cut his friend off, and save his sanity, he spoke.  "Johnny, how about we go grab some of Mike's spaghetti before it gets cold or we get a run.  Then later I'll give you the name and address of a nice pet shop, okay?" "Okay Roy," Johnny replied happily.  He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and whistled as he walked out of the room leaving Roy behind in his wake. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Johnny checked the small piece of paper in his hands for a second time, then looked up at the sign over the door to the shop 'Noah's Ark'.  "Either Roy was smoking something or this has to be the place," he whispered.  Walking up to the entrance, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.  He jumped, somewhat startled, when a bell jingling announced his arrival.  Taking a deep breath, calming his nerves, he closed the door of the small shop and gazed around the room.  All he saw were shelves of pet food and accessories, not one pet.  'It sure doesn't look like they sell pets here,' he mumbled. Just as Johnny was about to leave the place a middle aged lady walked out from the back room, "may I help you young man?" she asked. "I don't think so, ma'am.  A friend of mine told me this was a pet store, but---" "Your friend is correct.  This is a pet store.  I don't keep my pets out front.  I don't want them to get upset with the customers whose only purpose in coming in here is to buy food, or supplies." "Upset?"  Johnny was about to chuckle when the woman spoke again. "Yes young man, pets, like humans are sensitive and their feeling get hurt easily.  So to prevent that I…"  Johnny stared at the older woman while she explained about her shop.  As she talked, he tried to figure out how Roy knew about this strange person and her shop.  "…So, how may I help you young man?" Blinking, pulling himself out of his stupor, Johnny smiled, "I'm looking for a bird." "What kind of bird?" "What do you mean what kind of bird?" "Young man, I have several different types of birds here.  I have Parrots, Canaries, Parakeets, Cockatiels, Conures…" she stopped talking when she saw Johnny close his eyes and begin moving his lips as though he was talking to someone.  "Would you mind telling me who your friend is?" Johnny eyes snapped open.  His face flushed when he realized he kinda zoned out as he tried to remember what kind of bird Janet had, "huh?" "What's your friend's name, the one who told you about my store?" "Oh," Johnny replied.  Spreading a smile on his face he added, "Roy DeSoto, he's my…" "Roy, he's such a sweet young man.  I guess if you're a friend of Roy's, then you're not all that bad.  By the way, my name is Hannah Gardener." "Huh?"  Johnny wasn't too sure, but he though he may have been insulted.  "Sorry, I'm John Gage.  I work with Roy." "I see, so what kind of bird are you interested in." "I'm not sure, ma'am.  I mean, it's for a friend.  She lost her bird.  She was quite attached to it and losing it…well lets just say she has been very upset.  And I wanted to get her a new one so she wouldn't be so upset anymore." "That's so touching, but I must tell you.  Like any pet, it takes time for a person to get over their loss.  Are you certain your friend wants a new bird?" "No, but…if she doesn't…well maybe…I thought…I could I return it?" Hannah chuckled.  She found herself liking this young man more each minute she talked to him.  She had a suspicion he had a heart the size of the world if he was trying to cheer up a friend, "how about we try to figure out what kind of bird your friend had and then we can go from there?" "Good deal," Johnny replied rubbing his hands together. Hannah escorted Johnny to the back of her shop.  He was amazed when he stepped through the door to the back room.  There were babies and half-grown pets all organized in various areas of the room.  One area had a corral of sorts set up.  Inside were several kittens all playing with assorted toys and each other.  They ranged from black, to charcoal, to orange, to white, and many were a mixture of colors. As he moved along, he found puppies, several of them, like the kittens they were playing and looked very healthy.  "This is amazing," Johnny said, "they all seem happy." "They are 'cause they're well cared for and get lots of attention." Over against the wall were several cages filled with various rodents.  Although Johnny didn't particularly like these creatures, he found them cute.  Following Hannah, Johnny stepped into yet another room.  This room was filled with cages.  An array of colors met his eyes as he glanced from one bird to another.  "Wow!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with delight, "how do you tell them all apart?" "It's easy when you know your species.  I've been involved with animals since I was a child.  I had several pets and with my parents help, I nursed many injured animals back to health.  I knew when I was a child, I wanted to help unwanted animals find good homes, that's why I opened the shop.  Many people bring their pets, especially unwanted babies to me, and I find good homes for them." "That's wonderful, Hannah.  You're kinda like me in a way.  I knew when I was a child I wanted to be a fireman." "And now, you're a fireman." "Yes." "So, tell me John, what kind of bird does your friend have?" Johnny looked around the room.  He was amazed to see that many of the birds all looked similar.  "I really don't remember," Johnny sighed.  "How am I gonna surprise her if I don't know?" "Why don't you ask her again?" "Oh no," Johnny replied quickly.  "I couldn't.  I mean, I want this to be a surprise.  I need to…" he trailed off not wanting to reveal his feelings to a virtual stranger. "She's special then, your friend?" "Yeah, you could say that," Johnny replied. "A girlfriend?"  Hannah inquired. "Not really.  I mean…I don't know what I mean.  Maybe this was just a bad idea." "You shouldn't feel so defeated.  How about you describe the color of the bird and maybe we can narrow it down." "Do you think?" "It couldn't hurt," Hannah had a feeling this friend was very special to John Gage and since he was a friend of Roy's, she was determined to help this young man. "Lets see, it had some green and…you know, it looked something like that one, only it wasn't that big," Johnny said pointing to the two rather large impressive birds occupying one of the cages. "Those birds are parrots, John.  But that's good.  It narrows the description down for me.  How about you tell me how big the cage was?  That might help." Johnny closed his eyes and tried to remember if he had seen a cage.  Suddenly, he shivered as the night in Janet's apartment came back to him.  He panicked and even cowered jumping out of the way, thinking he was gonna be attacked when the second bird flew across the room.  Sighing, Johnny opened his eyes and glanced around the room.  His gaze finally settled on a couple of empty cages against one wall.  "I think the cage was about that size," he said pointing. "Now we're getting somewhere," Hannah replied.  By this time the birds were well aware Hannah had stepped back into the room.  Each of them began to creep, using their own distinctive call.  Several of the birds inside some of the huge cages, flew from branch to branch while others remained rooted on the special trees set up inside.  He watched as Hannah crossed the room and began to open one of the cages containing at least a dozen green birds in similar size to Janet's.  "NO!" he said, a little more loudly than he had intended.  The birds began to squawk and flap around uncontrollably. "John," Hannah said her tone mellow.  "It's okay they won't hurt you." "That's what Janet said," he mumbled under his breath. Hannah sensed Johnny's discomfort and discontinued opening the cage.  "Are you afraid of these birds, John?" she asked. "No…well maybe…I…well when I was a kid, I was attacked by some birds in a barn." "I see," Hannah replied nodding her head.  "What were the birds doing when they attacked you?" "Fleeing the barn," Johnny admitted.  "Do you think I have a phobia?" he wondered thinking back to what Janet had said to him. "No, I think you're just having a reaction from an experience as a child.  It happens to all of us at one time or another.  As for the attack, I'm certain the birds didn't really attack you.  I think maybe you were just in the way while they were trying to escape.  John, birds frighten easily and their movements are quick.  We humans can often mistake their actions when we panic.  But let me tell you, you have nothing to fear from my birds." Johnny sighed heavily then gestured to Hannah to continue. The older woman smiled then returned to the cage, by this time the birds had all quieted down and most were chirping away.  Once she took one of the small green birds out of the cage she began talking to it as though it were a child.  "That's it little one, everything is okay,"  she cooed as she ran her fingers down over its feathers and nestled it next to her face. Johnny watched in awe.  It amazed him how affectionate the bird seemed to be with Hannah. "So how does this one look, anything like the one that was lost?"  Hannah asked. "I'd say it's a close match from what I can remember of the bird," Johnny replied still a bit skittish about getting near it. "Well this is a conure.  They are wonderful, affectionate birds.  With the right care and affection in return, they can live up to twenty years." "Twenty years, wow," Johnny replied truly amazed.  For some reason he felt as if he could trust Hannah at her word, unlike Janet.  He finally figured it was because he was trying to get to know Janet and things hadn't gotten off to a good start right from the beginning.  Thinking back he felt he really hadn't given the young woman a chance.  He really did like her.  And he had to admit, Roy's interpretation about how he handled himself at the accident was right on the mark.  Now looking at this bird, seeing how gentle a creature it really was, he hoped he might be able to get a second chance to form a friendship with a wonderful person. After purchasing the bird, a cage, and some supplies from Hannah then getting some much needed information about the bird, Johnny set out in his Rover for Janet's apartment. Johnny approached Janet's apartment door with the cage in his hand.  The drive from "Noah's Ark" had been of ample duration for him to change his mind, six or eight times about whether this was a good idea or not.  Now he stood in front of Janet's door, feeling totally undecided.  At least Hannah had agreed to refund his money if he decided within forty-eight hours that the purchase of the conure, had not been a good idea.  He looked down at the bird in the cage.  He pitied the poor thing as it sat trembling on the newspaper that lined the cage bottom.  Hannah had told him it was a young bird and had not traveled outside the pet shop before, so the drive must have been terribly traumatic for it.  Johnny had been thinking so hard during the drive, that he'd actually forgotten the presence of the quiet, peaceful little thing, when all of a sudden the youthful conure had had all it could take of the new, strange situation.  It virtually exploded into panicked, feverish activity, screeching and hurling itself against the bars on all four sides of the cage, then finally falling into a heap on the paper at the bottom.  Johnny wondered why he didn't lose control of the Land Rover, as the sudden clamor assaulted him from the cage on the seat beside him.  Then he'd rolled his eyes and sighed.  Birds...this was one more time they'd scared him out of his skin!  But now as he looked down at the feathered ball of fluff huddled in a corner of the cage, he began to worry that it had hurt itself, since it hadn't gone back to its perch yet.  He decided Janet might know what to do, so he mustered his courage and knocked on the door. He could hear footsteps approaching, then saw a shadow as Janet peered through the peephole. "Oh...Johnny!  Just a minute!" She walked away and it was about thirty seconds before she came back.  Johnny then heard her fumbling with the lock, before the door opened.  "Come in!" He saw that she was simply beaming.  In fact, she looked happier than he had ever seen her.  She was wearing a pair of new blue jeans and a coral colored T-shirt that was pleasing to Johnny's eyes.  Her hair was down and looked as though it had been curled recently.  Although she was wearing a small amount of makeup, Johnny could tell it wasn't really a necessity to show her beauty.  She had a natural glow that radiated from her smile, which set his heart racing.  He didn't quite understand, but he took her cue and smiled back, walking into the apartment with the sounds of Jim Morrison and the Doors coming from a couple of small speakers on top of the bookcase. "How are you doing, Janet?" "Great, just great!  Oh...my gosh...what's that?" she asked, indicating the birdcage. "Well, the lady at the pet store says it's a 'painted conure' just like CoCo was." Janet gasped, she immediately understood the situation, "oh...Johnny, CoCo came back.  She was here when you and Roy brought me home!  I'm sorry I didn't call and tell you.  She must have flown back in the window while I was still outside looking for her." Janet was still smiling, but Johnny could hear an apology in her tone of voice, "in fact, I just put her back in the bedroom before I opened the door.  Did you go out and buy this for me?" "Well...yeah.  I thought maybe...but hey, I'm really glad CoCo's back!  Really!  I know how much she means to you, and I'm happy she came back!" "Johnny, conures are very expensive," she said, still looking at the bird on the floor of the cage. "Oh...no, not really.  I mean, not for a bird like this..." "Come in!  Sit down." Johnny brought the cage in and set it on the coffee table as Janet re-locked the door. "Would you like a cup...no, wait," Janet said, remembering what Johnny ordered at the bar, "would you like a glass of milk?" "Well, yeah!  That would be great!  Have you got some?" "Sure!  Be right back!" She returned quickly with a glass of milk and set it on a coaster on the coffee table. "I just can't believe you brought me this!" she said as she plopped down next to Johnny.  She stared into the cage sadly, "that's so sweet!  Will the store take it back?  You are so sweet to do this, but since CoCo's back...you know...I just can't take a gift like this..." Janet's voice reflected the painful apology in her words. "Oh, yeah!  The lady gave me forty-eight hours to see if it worked out.  She'll take it back.  Uh...listen...he was just fine at the store, but something scared him on the way over here.  He started flapping his wings and flying and slamming into his cage walls.  Since then he's just huddled there in the corner.  D' you think he might have hurt himself?" "Oh...I don't know!  Let me take a look.  Maybe I can see something..."  Janet stood and approached the cage and leaned over to look.  Immediately the trembling bird burst into activity again, screeching and hurling itself against the bars of its cage.  Janet yelped and jumped back in surprise.  This time the terrified creature stopped with its claws grasping one side of the cage.  Its sides were heaving as it panted in fear. "That's just what he did in the car!  I forgot he was even there, then he started that crap,  scared me half to death!" "Johnny, he's scared to death!  Look at his eyes!  He's okay,  just terrified!  The poor thing!" "Well, what's he scared of?  Nobody's doing anything as if they're gonna hurt him." "The new sounds...strange voices, car engines.  And different smells can be terrifying for them." Johnny leaned near the cage and looked closely at the young bird, "oh, yeah.  Maybe when you're that small, things that change are scarier than to us." The bird watched Johnny's face as he spoke, then using its claws and beak, maneuvered itself into a position where it could jump comfortably onto its perch.  Then it turned around and gazed at Johnny with its feathered head cocked. Both Johnny and Janet watched as this happened.  Then Janet said, "step back a little.  I want to try something." Johnny moved back and Janet approached the cage again.  The bird let out a piercing cry and flapped to the cage wall where it clung upside down, sides heaving again. "Now you go back," said Janet, stepping away. Johnny did, and the bird noticeably relaxed, hopping once again onto its perch. "Know what I think?  I think you've got yourself a friend!"  Janet smiled. "Man...I don't believe this!" he leaned over the cage again.  "Hi there, little fella'!  You wanna be friends?" The conure cocked its head right and left at the sound of Johnny's voice.  Then it hopped forward and clung to the bars to get a closer look. "Hey, this is great!  He really likes me!"  Johnny said to Janet. 'Well, of course he does!  What a cute grin!  Oh, what a cute guy!'  Janet thought, smiling back at him. "Of course he does!" she said. "You got a name?"  Johnny said to his new buddy.  "Did they give you a name at the store?" The conure watched him. "Probably not, if the lady didn't tell you," Janet said. "Aaaaaw, no name!" "Name him anything you want!" "Well, I'm not gonna keep him!" "You're not? Johnny looked at his watch, "if I hurry, I can get him back before Hannah closes." "You're taking him back?"  Janet wailed.  "He needs you!  He's already bonded with you!  He'll be scared of other people, like he is of me!  You can't want that!" "Aw, Janet..." Johnny started, then stopped himself.  He'd begun to say ,"it's just a bird," but realized in time that he'd better not,  "I can't even take care of it, I don't know anything about birds, and...well, you know it would be sad if it died." "Oh!  Well golly gee whiz, Johnny!"  Janet sat back down heavily on the couch and folded her arms, "I guess there's nobody you can ask who will help you, is there?"  She looked off to one side, rolling her eyes. "Aw, c'mon!  You know what I mean." "You're scared to make the commitment?  Is that it?" "No, I'm not!" "Well then, what is it?" "I dunno.  I've just never had a pet.  Since I've been on my own, I mean." "Well, a bird is a lot less trouble than a dog or cat.  You don't have to let him in and out, or clean out a smelly litter box.  Food is far cheaper, and he doesn't have yearly shots you have to pay for.  You can leave him for longer periods, and even leave him here with me and my birds if you have to go out of town, or something."  She got back up to take another look at the beautiful creature in the cage. Johnny stared at the conure who was occupied with gnawing on one of the bars he was still clinging to, "Hannah did give me forty-eight hours for a full refund." He knew, however, that it would be even harder to tell Janet later that he was taking the bird back.  But maybe, just maybe, he'd end up keeping it. "And hey," Janet said, grinning and jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, "if we ever go out again, think how much conversation we can get out of this!" Johnny grinned back, put an arm around Janet.  "You're cute!" he said kissing her on the cheek. "You're pretty okay, yourself!"  Janet beamed while placing an arm around her companion's waist. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Janet Gage got up from the table and pulled a mixing bowl out of the cupboard.  She proceeded to get down a Tupperware container of flour, some baking soda and a container of sugar.  "Chris could you start a pot of coffee, your father should be home from work any minute?" she questioned her daughter still seated at the table. Christine Gage got up and dutifully got down the can of Folger's coffee and started to scoop the substance into the small wire basket.  "So you and dad were married a few years later right?" she asked while pouring water into the coffee machine and then placing the pot underneath the basket and turning the machine on. "Yep exactly one year and seven months later we tied the knot," Janet smiled at the memory of her and Johnny's small intimate wedding which took place in the DeSoto's backyard.  Having passed his Captain's exam just a few short months after he and Janet had started to date exclusively, meant he had no longer been a paramedic at Station 51.  But that hadn't stopped Hank, Mike, Marco and Chet from attending the ceremony; and of course Johnny's crew from Station 86 had been present as well. "Mom!" "Oh sorry Chris, what is it?" she asked realizing her daughter had been speaking to her, she moved to the fridge to get out a couple of eggs, and returned breaking them into the mixing bowl. "So has Dad always been so sweet?" Janet laughed thinking back to the tragic night of their first date,  "yeah I guess he has, but he sure was fun to watch that first night when he was afraid of CoCo."  Janet couldn't control the peril of giggles coming and bent over covering her mouth. Finding her mother's laughter infectious, Christine joined her just as Captain John Gage walked through the back door into the kitchen of the ranch home he and Janet had bought a year after their marriage. The sound of his two favorite 'girls' laughter brought a smile to his face, "what's up?" he asked watching his wife as she regained control of herself and started to stir the ingredients she'd placed into the bowl. "Just baking a cake," she replied. Johnny looked at his daughter who was still laughing and bent to kiss Janet on the cheek,  "what's with her, did you tell her a dirty joke?" "Dad!"  Christine swatted her father gently on the arm, "Mom doesn't tell dirty jokes!" "Oh yes she does, don't let her fool you Sweetie, she's full of naughtiness," he winked at his daughter as he turned towards the cupboards to get himself a mug for his coffee. "I am not!"  Janet demanded. "PULEASE!" he retorted while pouring his drink.  He turned to Christine and asked, "so if she wasn't telling you one of her dirty jokes, what had you in stitches?" "For your information Mr. Smarty-pants, she's laughing at you," Janet affectionately patted her husband on his rear. "Me!  What did I do?  I just walked in the door?" "Mom was telling me the story about how you two met," Christine explained. Johnny rolled his eyes groaning, "man, not that story again?!  Don't you ever get tired of hearing it?" he looked towards Christine. "Never, it's so cute Dad.  It's hard to believe you could ever be afraid of anything.  Let alone a bird!"  Christine started to chuckle once again. Once again Johnny could only groan in response to his daughter's laughter.  Stepping up behind Janet and trapping her between his body and the kitchen counter, he wrapped his arms around her placing a kiss on her delicate neck.  "You know, if you insist on telling that story time an' again, I'll be forced into telling the world about the time you had a dream about kissing Chet Kelly," he whispered with a smirk on his face. Janet dropped the spoon in her hands and spun around to face Johnny, "you WOULDN'T?!" she shrieked. "I would," he confessed. "Wouldn't what?"  Christine questioned. "Oh one time your mother…." "Johnny, would you be a dear and get the cake pan out of the cupboard and grease it for me?"  Janet interrupted sweetly between clinched teeth. Releasing his wife, Johnny did as he was told the whole time chuckling softly to himself noticing his daughter leaving the room.  Finally he asked, "what's the cake for?  We having company?" "No.  Don't tell me you've forgotten?"  Janet asked exasperated. Johnny did a quick mental check, its not our anniversary, Janet's birthday…no…Christine's … no.  What the heck was the special occasion?  He racked his brain and looked at this wife sheepishly, "sorry…I…uh…I…was I suppose to buy a present or anything?" "Johnny, its Coco's birthday.  You know we celebrate it every year.  How could you have forgotten?"  Janet pouted. "I'm sorry, I uh, I don't have an excuse, I just plain forgot,"  seeing the hurt look in his wife's eyes, Johnny walked over to her and once again wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.  Janet still loved the feel and smell of being this close to her husband after all these years of marriage.  She wrapped her arms around him, looked him in the eyes and once again pouted.  Knowing the affect it would have on him. She of course wasn't truly angry or hurt.  She knew her husband had come to love Coco and Angel just as much as she did, not to mention the baby bird he'd purchased for her way back when he was still hesitant to be around them.  But to her surprise, he'd kept the bird and had ended up naming it of all things Rover.  Many people thought the name a little strange, but those close to Johnny had understood it completely. "Aww come on shnickie," Johnny spoke softly to Janet.  "Please don't pout, you know I hate it when you do that.  What if I promise to make it up to you later?" he kissed her softly on the mouth. A smile quickly replaced the pout on her face, "you promise?" she asked after the tender kiss. "Have I ever lied to you?" "Never." "Well we have a date later this evening then!"  Johnny answered huskily.  "I'll be there!"  Janet replied hungrily while placing a soft kiss on the underside of Johnny's jaw.  Then she squeezed his behind and pushed him gently away, "but right now I have a birthday cake to finish." At that moment, CoCo herself flew into the kitchen and perched herself on top of the fridge.  "Morning CoCo.  Happy Birthday!"  Johnny sang to the bird. The bird looked at him and cocked its head to one side.  She lifted her claw and started to peck at it.  "Come here CoCo," Johnny stuck a finger out to give the bird a perch while whistling softly.  CoCo responded and was soon sitting on Johnny's finger being carried back into the living room.  "So how's our birthday girl today?  Have you been treating Rover nicely or do we need to have another talk about sharing space?" Janet busily poured the cake batter into the pan and smiled to herself.  Who would ever have thought she'd end up married to a handsome fireman named John Gage?  Certainly not her.  She set the cake pan into the oven and continued to smile.  Nope, things couldn't be any better than the way they were now. Author's notes:  The authors would like to thank Janet.  Over the last year, she has provided each of us with her unending encouragement, strength, and humor, but most importantly she's provided us with an unyielding friendship that we each deeply cherish.  Janet may your site celebrate many, many more birthdays.  Happy Birthday Johnny's Green Pen. - the JG Pen Guins. The authors would also like to thank Pattie for the beta read and Kenda for her help. return to main menu