"You're going to make me go to church again this year, aren't you?" he half whined. "It hasn't killed you yet," she smiled. Row frowned.  "This tie might," he said, holding it up to his neck. "Tough," she told him.  She grabbed the tie, and stuck it safely back into it's bag.  "So," she began, giving her husband a quick glance, "did you ask him yet?" "Ask who what?" "Johnny, if he'll come to dinner on Easter Sunday." "Joanne, I can barely ask him to pass the peas these days!" "Then we'll have corn!  Johnny likes corn better than peas anyway." "Cute, Joanne." "You said yesterday that you'd ask him." "I said I'd think about it, and I'd try." "And?" Roy took an exasperated breath.  "And like I said, I could barely ask him to pass the peas." "So you had peas yesterday?" "You know what I mean, Joanne!" "I just think it's about time we started getting through this." "You think I don't?  You think I don't want Johnny to just come on over and have dinner with us on Easter, just like he used to?" "Uncle Johnny is coming for Easter?" Jenny exclaimed, coming through the front door with her school bag dangling from her arm. "Just great," Roy muttered, walking into the living room. "No, Sweetheart," Joanne spoke apologetically.  "Daddy and I were just talking, okay?" "So, Uncle Johnny isn't coming?" "I don't know.  It doesn't look like it so far, Hon." "But, why?" "We told you at Christmas, Honey.  Us grownups made a really big mistake, and Johnny.." "Can't  you just say you're sorry?" "Jenny," Roy cut in, "we have said we're sorry...many, many times." "Then why is he still mad?" "He's not mad really, Jennifer.  He just...I don't know.  Maybe he's just scared, somehow." "Why would he be scared?" "He's probably still a little mad too.  We made a really big mistake, and it's not going to take just anything to make it better." "What would it take?" "I don't know, Sweetie," Roy sighed, but whatever it is, it would have to be something awfully big. Jennifer sighed, giving up, and taking her bookbag up to her room.  Something big, her dad had said.  He must be thinking about it, she figured, but now, she'd start thinking too. ~/~/~/~/~ "All right girls, are you ready?" their ballerina instructor asked, clapping her hands to get all of the girls attention. "And now, the Dream Dance School for young ladies will perform a piece from the Nutcracker." Jennifer took her position behind the large white sheet with the other girls.  She looked enviously at the ten year old who had got the lead part, and she vowed that one day, that would be her.  As it was, she was a mouse, and her job was to torment the young lady.  It wasn't a very graceful piece on her part, but at least it was fun.  Or at least it should have been, would have been, if a certain dark-haired man would have shown up.  They warned her he more than likely wouldn't come, but still, she couldn't help hoping.  This was his favorite Nursing Home after all, the one where his aunt had lived, the one he still visited from time to time.  When the sheet came down, she found herself looking into the audience for familiar faces, even though she had told herself not to, after the mistakes she had made at the New Years performance months ago.  Looking out, and stepping on another girls toes, she saw her mother, her brother, and her father, but no one else she knew, no! one.  With a deep frown, she refused to look a second time, and instead, stared at the other dancers. "Jennifer!" her mother exclaimed afterwards.  "You did so good this time!" "Huh?" Jenny asked without emotion.  "No, I stepped on that one girls toes." "But that was only one mistake at the very beginning.  You did great!" "Uncle Johnny didn't come." Joanne sighed.  "No, Honey, we told you he probably wouldn't." "Come on, come on," an excited elderly woman urged, "there are cookies and punch in the other room!  Come on!"  It was apparent this woman lived for cookies and punch.  Her smile was huge, though Joanne knew it was for the delight in having the children there, and had little to do with the cookies at all. In the large dining room, all of the table had been cleared away except for a number of them that were lined up as serving tables, against one wall.  Against another wall, a number of beds were being wheeled in, and lined up as well.  Jennifer had seen them in the very back of the other room, when they had been doing their dance, but here, she could see them better.  Each bed had on old person in it. "Mom?" Jennifer asked, tugging on her mother's arm.  "What are they doing?" "Who, Sweetheart?" "Them," she asked pointing. "Oh, they just want to come to the party too." "But, why are they in bed?" "Well, some of them are maybe just a little too sick to get out of bed." "Oh."  Jennifer waited in line for her cookies and a little plastic glass of punch.  Sitting down to eat them, she found herself staring at all the beds.  "Mom?" she asked again. "What, Honey?" "What's wrong with that one?" "Oh, Sweetheart.  I think she just probably broke her hip.  See, that's a cast she has on." "Her hip?" "Yes, right here," Joanne told her, rubbing her daughters hipbone. "Oh.  I bet that hurt a lot." "I'm sure it did.  But she's getting better here now."  Joanne found herself staring at the woman now too.  "Oh my goodness, it can't be." "What?" Jennifer asked. "You know, Jenny?  Why don't you take her over some punch and cookies." "I don't know," Jennifer hesitated. "Go on, I'm sure she'd like it a whole lot.  Believe me." "Okay," she agreed reluctantly.  "Umm," she stammered as she reached the old lady. "Yes?" "I brought you this," she told her, hold up a glass and a napkin with two cookies. "Why, thank you.  That was so nice of you," she grinned shooting Joanne a look across the room with her brilliant blue eyes and straightening herself up as much as she could in her bed. Jennifer smiled at how nice she was, and carefully handed her the glass so she wouldn't spill it. "Guess what!" the old woman challenged with a look of mischief in her eye. "What?" "I get this nasty thing off tomorrow!" "Really?" Jennifer asked, happy and surprised at the woman's energy. "Yep." "So you're all better?" "Yep.  I won't be able to dance as beautifully as you all did today, but at least I can get up and start trying to walk around again, and I can't wait!  Would you believe I've had this thing on since the first of this year?" "Yuck!" Jennifer exclaimed, making a face. "But it goes...tomorrow!" Jennifer looked at the bed more closely, now that it wasn't so scary.  Actually, it wasn't a scary bed at all.  It had little flowers taped to it, and lots of little pictures.  Some looked like her school picture, only of other kids.  Some were Polaroid's that looked like they'd been taken there, right at the nursing home.  The one next to the woman's head made Jenny's mouth drop open. "What's the matter, child?" the woman exclaimed. "That's my uncle," she said with a serious pout and a hint of accusation, as if the old woman had somehow taken the man away from her. "Him?" she asked, surprised. "Yes!" "Johnny," she said again to confirm it, taking the picture off of her headboard, and holding closer to the little girl. "Yes," she told her, stabbing her finger at his face in the picture. The woman frowned, a bit baffled.  Johnny, the nice Paramedic, was definitely part Native American, and this little girl...  "How is he your uncle?" "Him and my dad are partners." "Oh...ooohhhhh.  You're that little girl?" "What little girl?" "I'm sorry, Sweetie, would you like this picture?" "No!" Jenny told her, though part of her really did want to take it.  The woman had apparently had a birthday not too long ago, for in the picture, Johnny had his arm around her as she held up a cake that said, 'Happy Birthday Margie!'  It looked as if he had brought the cake, and some balloons as well.  Both of them looked like they were having fun.  Yet, Jenny hadn't seen him in months. "Why do you look so mad all of the sudden?" "I'm not mad," Jennifer denied, though her tone gave her away. "He talks about you, you know." "He does?" she asked, softening again. "In fact, he talks about little else." "What does he say?" The old woman frowned, feeling herself start to be backed into a corner, and wondering how much would be okay to say.  "Well, I know that he loves you very much, and that he misses you...and your brother." Jennifer was silent for a moment.  "But then...why doesn't he ever come over anymore." Farther into the corner now, the old woman struggled again.  "Well, Sweetie, I don't think it has anything to do with you, I think it's more a grownup thing between your daddy and him." "Yeah," Jennifer agreed sadly, though she didn't truly believe it. "You know what he did for me?" "What?" Jennifer asked bright with curiosity. "Come to my room and I'll show you." "Your room?" "Sure, Garcon?" she spoke with a fake British accent to one of the attendants, "to my room please." The young man grinned, gave her a little bow, released the brakes on the bed, and started to push her out of the room and down the hall.  Jennifer laughed and followed, her mother and family forgotten. "You see there?" the woman asked as she was steered into her room and turned around so the head of her bed was in its place against the wall.  The room was dimly lit, with only a little sunshine peaking through the heavy drapes, designed specifically to keep bright sunlight out.  Jennifer looked at the wall the woman had pointed to, but could barely make out a thing.  "The draperies, Garcon," the woman ordered with a flick of her wrist. "It's Davy, Miss Marshall," the man grinned as he pulled on the curtain line. "Whatever." The light revealed the biggest get well card Jennifer had ever seen.  It nearly covered one entire wall. "I was feeling very sorry for myself when I came here.  Your Johnny was the only thing that made me smile from the moment I went down on that curb and broke my hip.  Then I even got grumpy with him, and instead of ditching me, he turns up with this," she uttered proudly.  It was a roll of white paper that he had managed to find somewhere, probably having talked a butcher out of a huge piece.  He had drawn on it, colored it, glued on little flowers, and covered it with an entire bottle of glitter.  All in all, something to be hugely embarrassed over should what 'used' to be the 'guys' find out about it, but an amazing lift to a saddened old woman.  Jennifer thought it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. "Something really big," Jennifer mumbled softly to herself. "Isn't it great?" "Yes!" she agree whole-heartedly. "Jennifer!" her mother scolded at the door.  "Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" "I'm sorry." ""No, I'm sorry," the old woman apologized.  "It was my fault, really." "No, it's all right," Joanne apologized herself.  "It's just that I didn't know where she was for a few minutes.  "Um, do you remember me?" "You?  Should I know you?" "Not really.  I just gave you a ride home once." "Oh, yes!  I remember you now.  The nice Baptist lady with the old station wagon." "Yes," Joanne laughed softly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean old, I just meant..." "No, it is old.  It's okay to say so." "So am I...old!" the woman laughed. "Oh, no you're not." "Yes I am, and proud of it!" "Well good!  I'm sorry to hear about your hip." "Yes, terrible thing, having old hips.  It's too bad you weren't around on that day.  I swear that cart of mine reached right out and tripped me." "Joanne," a voice came from in the hall. "Right here, Roy." "First she disappears, and now you." "I was just talking." "Oh, Hi Miss Marshall." "You know her?" "Of course, Johnny and I rescued her from a nasty shopping cart accident." "Oh, I swear, you're as bad as the other one," the woman accused with a smile. "You should hear them when they're together," Joanne laughed, until the words sunk in. "Yeah," Roy cut in, "well, we better get going." "All right," the woman agreed.  "Thanks for the cookies and punch, Jennifer." "Your welcome," Jenny answered, sad over their interrupted conversation, sad that she had to go, but happy with a secret she now had inside, that would fix everything. ~/~/~/~/~ "All right, let's put the art stuff away and get ready for math." "Awww," all of the children whined, all except Jennifer, who was too busy to hear. "You too, Jenny," her teacher called out while helping a little boy put the cover back on his finger paint. "What?" "It's time for math, let's put the art stuff away." "But, I can't!  I'm not done." "You can finish it when you get back from Easter break." "But, it has to be done before Easter." "Well, I'm sorry, Jenny, but it is time for math now, besides, I let you work on whatever it is you are doing, for art period, for the last three days." "But, I really have to finish it," Jennifer cried as uncontrollable tears leaped heavily into her eyes. "I'll tell you what.  Let's put the art away for now, and then if you want, I'll let you say inside for recess to work on it." "Really?" "If you want to give up your recess for it." "Yes." "All right, but let's get it cleaned up for now." ~\~\~\~\~ "She really misses you, you know." "Well, I miss her too." "Then, why don't you do something about it?" "Like what?" "Go see her, them...a man needs friends you know." "I have friends," Johnny replied with a grin, "I have you." "You need more than some old lady for a friend." "Don't start Margie." "It's almost Easter you know." "I know." "Do you know what Easter is?" "Sure." "What?" "It's when Jesus rose from the dead," he spoke melodramatically. "And why did he rise from the dead." "Cause they killed him." "Why?" "Umm, what's his face didn't like people following him." "Not exactly.  Anyway, why did Jesus go willingly." "Ummm..." "Come on Catholic boy, you know." "I'm not Catholic anymore." "You still believe in God, don't you?" "Sometimes I do, and...sometimes I don't." "Humor me, why did he.." "So everybody could be forgiven for their sins." "Right, for forgiveness." "It's not that simple," he told her, standing up and giving her a kiss.  "I'll see you in a few days." "No, it's not that simple," she answered him once he'd left, "but it is the first step." ~\~\~\~\~ The bell rang ending recess, yet Jennifer DeSoto still sat hunched over her art project.  "Jennifer," the teacher began, but faltered.  Spelling was next.  Jenny was good at spelling, surely one lesson could be missed.  The teacher left the little girl to her self made project at the back of the room, and started class without her. Two hours later, the final bell rang.  All the children filed out, all but one. "Jenny?  Maybe you can take it and finish it at home." "No," Jennifer smiled proudly, "I'm done." "Well, roll it up and put it in your backpack.  You want to take it home with you, don't you?" "Yes," she agreed, being very careful not to crumple it as she zipped the zipper to her bag. "I'll see you after Easter, Jenny." "Yep, Happy Easter!" she called back over her shoulder.  Now she was in a hurry, a big hurry, and she wanted to get home as fast as possible. "Mommy!" she shouted as she burst through the front door. "Well, hello Sunshine!" "Can we go over to Uncle Johnny's?" "Can we...Honey.  We've been over this a hundred times.  Johnny.." "I just wanna give him something." "What?" "Just, something." "Well, Sweetheart, you know we're going over to your Great Grandmother's house as soon as your Dad and Chris get back from the dentist." "I just want to put it in his mail box." "Honey, there isn't time to drive all the way over there now, the school busses slow everything down this time of day.  Besides, if you want to put something in his mailbox, we can just drop into the mail for him tomorrow." "But tomorrow's Saturday." "They'll take it on a Saturday." "But then they won't deliver it till Monday." "Actually it would take a little longer than that.  But he'll still get it." "But it'll be too late." "What?" "When are we coming back from Grandma's?" "Sunday morning, you know that.  Great Grandma likes to have Easter early, so she can spend all Easter Sunday at her church." "So we're not going to her church?" "No, we'll go to our church in the morning, and then come home for Easter dinner, same as always." "Can't we just go give it to him now?" "Jenny, I just told you, the busses..." she trailed of as the phone rang and she answered it.  Jennifer tried to keep talking to her, but Joanne stuck a finger in her ear, to block out Jenny's voice.  Jenny sighed, and walked back to close the front door that she had left standing wide open in her hurry a few minutes earlier.  Chris's school, down the block and across the street, was just letting out.  They were always let out half an hour later than her school, though Jenny didn't know if it was because the kid there were older, or if it was because the teachers were meaner, or once someone said it had to do with traffic in the area.  What it meant was, though her school was a little farther away, she was always able to beat her brother home.  "Stupid busses," she mumbled to herself as she saw countless kids boarding them to get home. Jennifer frowned at her mother still talking on the telephone, picked up her backpack, and stepped outside. ~/~/~/~/~ "Johnny?" Roy's voice asked on the other end of the phone line. "What?" Johnny asked flatly. "Is Jenny out there?" "Out here?  No!  Why would she be out here?" "Because, we can't find her, and.." "And what?  You think I kidnapped her or something?  I never did anything, Roy.  I never.." "I know, I know that, Johnny!  It's just, if she was there, then I'd...I'd know she was safe, and I...we don't know where she is right now.  She said something about wanting to give you something, so I was just hoping that maybe.." "She's not here." "All right.." "She probably just went to a friends." "Yeah, you're right.  She'll turn up.  I'm sorry I bothered you.  I'm just a little, I'm..." "Fine, it's all right.  Forget it." "I'm sorry, I'm just...I'm sorry, Johnny." Johnny hung up the phone, unsure what the last 'I'm sorry' was for.  He just hoped they didn't scold her too much when she came home.  It was almost Easter, and she was just a kid. ~/~/~/~/~ The phone ringing the next morning woke Johnny from sleep.  Fumbling for his clock, he saw it was seven in the morning. "Hello," he answered, groggily. "Morning, Gage.  Feel like fighting fires today?" "Huh?" "It's Malcolm." "Oh, hi." "So you wanna?" "Wanna what?" "Work today.  Dwyer wants to know if I can get someone to cover his shift." "He sick?" "No...he just out trying to help track down DeSoto's kid." "He's what?" "One of DeSoto's kids has gone missing.  Anyway, he's helping to look, so, you want it?" "I...I don't..ahhh..." "If you don't, that's cool.  I can still ask Brice.  I'd just rather work with you, ya know?  I don't care what Brice says." "What did he say?" "Uh...he's just a jerk.  You know.  So, do ya want it?" "I uh...I don't think so.  Not this time.  Just, don't skip me next time, okay?" "No problem." "Look, uh, if Brice says no, just call me back and, I'll.." "He won't say no.  He thinks the world isn't safe unless he's working." "Right," Johnny mumbled. "Catch you later, Gage." "Yeah, later." He could hear someone banging on his front door, the second he hung up the phone.  Peeking out his bedroom window, he saw a squad car. "Oh God," he mumbled, dressing as quickly as he could, and hurrying down the stairs, hoping they wouldn't break the door down before he could answer it. "Yeah?" he asked nervously as he pulled open the door. "Morning, Johnny," Vince greeted with a serious expression on his face. "Morn...morning." "I have to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind.  Just a formality." "A..a formality?" "Yeah, do you mind if I come in?" "Nn..no.  Come on in." "Relax, Johnny," Vince told him as he closed the door. "Relax?" "I just want to ask you some questions.  You do know about Jennifer, don't you?" "Yeah, but, only..only..only cause Malcolm just called and.." "Dwyer wanted to know if you'd take his shift.  Are you gonna take it?" "Nn..no.  I..I..I.." "You didn't really feel like working, after finding out Jenny hasn't turned up yet." "Nn..no, not really.  I.." "Relax, Johnny, I'm just here to ask whether or not you've seen her." "No!  I haven't seen her at all." "Yesterday either?" "No!" "All right.  I believe you.  Just take it easy." "I was here all day yesterday.  I haven't left since.." "I know.  That's what your neighbor said." "You talked to my neighbor?" "Just to ask if they'd seen the little girl around anywhere.  We're asking people where she was and where she said she wanted to go to, in case anybody's seen her.  She said she wanted to come out here, so we're just checking." "But, how could she get all the way out here by herself from school?" "She didn't go missing from school, she came home first, then disappeared." "Still, how could she.." "No one could think of a way, Johnny.  We're just asking around.  She said she wanted to leave something in your mailbox.  When's the last time you checked it?" "I, yesterday." "When yesterday?" "I don't know, three?" "She left the school at 3:05.  Would you mind if I checked your mailbox now?" "Huh?  No.  I.." "What do you say we go have a look at it, just in case." Both men walked to the end of the driveway.  A metal box had been purchased by Johnny didn't know who, to replace the smashed wooden one he had built.  He had yet to have the heart to build another one.  Vince pulled the door down to reveal an empty box.  Johnny didn't know whether to feel relieved for himself, or scared for the Jennifer.  Vince told him something he couldn't seem to hear, patted him on the back, and drove away. Johnny shook his head.  They were really thinking he had something to do with it.  Why else would Vince come out there, really?  How on earth could a kid get from town all the way out there, by themself.  The morning school bus passed behind him as he started to walk back to the house.  He paused to watch as the neighbor kids began to board it.  A thought crept through his head until it turned into a full-fledged hunch that made his hair stand up. "She couldn't have," he told himself as he began to cross his property at an angle, heading directly toward the bus stop.  "That was two years ago already," he told himself.  "She was only three.  There's no way she could remember that could she?"  Johnny pictured Joanne reminding Chris, which bus to take to Johnny's after school the next day, while she and Roy were out of town.  "Now, don't forget, twenty two.  You get on bus twenty two, write it down." "I already did," her then kindergartner whined.  Little Jenny played on the floor with her crayons.  Joanne must have reminded Chris which number it was a hundred times, sure that somehow, he'd get on the wrong one.  Still, could Jenny really remember that? Johnny reached the end of his property, and the border of his neighbors property as the bus pulled away.  He squinted into the sun, trying to read the number on the side.  Did it say twenty-two?  He couldn't tell for certain.  He saw one, two, but couldn't be sure he saw another before it was out of sight.  What if she had gotten on one of the school busses and then off again without the driver knowing?  What if she had gotten on the wrong one, or gotten off at the wrong place? Johnny checked around for his neighbor before continuing toward where the bus had stopped.  His neighbor had three girls, and a boy, and wouldn't talk to him anymore.  Apparently he hadn't read in the paper yet that it had been discovered that another child had actually been molesting kids.  Or more likely, he'd read it, but didn't care, or wasn't willing to take the chance.  Once claimed, forever declaring him guilty, like so many other people he never even met, were doing. He was taking a chance walking on this man's land.  He'd seen him flashing a shotgun not too long after he'd been home, letting him know to keep his distance from then on.  He didn't even dare to wave at the man's kids anymore, never mind letting them come over for a horseback ride. Johnny continued to walk as straight of a path as he could, between the bus stop and his house, that she'd have been able to see in the distance, if she was paying close attention, and had realized she should get off there.  Looking nervously around, he dared call out her name.  He just couldn't shake the feeling he had that his hunch was right.  But it didn't explain where she had disappeared to. "Jenny?" he called again in a hissed whisper.  "Jenny?" he called again louder. "..onny!" "Jenny?" "..lp!" "Jenny?" he called, straining hard to hear through the wind. "..onny!" "Jenny, where are you?  Keep shouting." She didn't need to, her bawling started to float through the air "Oh no," Johnny cried, dropping to his knees to peer into a large and deep posthole.  It was to be for a main beam in a new metal building his neighbor had started to put up months ago, before abandoning the project.  The hole was larger, and deeper than an average posthole, just wide enough for Jenny to fall into, and just deep enough, that he couldn't reach her without help. "Jenny, are you hurt?" "Yes," she sobbed. "Where are you hurt?" "Everywhere." "You're gonna be okay, Jenny.  I'm gonna go call for some help.  I'll be right back." "No!" she cried. "Jenny, I promise.  I'll be right back." "I wanna go home!"  "You will, Jenny.  I'll get you home.  I promise.  I'll just be a few minutes." He left her, crying, and calling out for him.  There was nothing else he could do.  He ran as fast as he could, back to his house, and called the Police, praying to God that it would be Vince that would come, and that they'd give him a chance to explain this time, before slapping the cuffs on him.  He paced nervously, knowing it would better for him to wait at the house, and lead them to where she was, than to take a chance of it taking them longer to find her exact location on their own. "She...I think she took the school bus, and she.." Johnny stammered as Vince pulled in and got out of his squad. "Where is she?" Vince asked. "I'll...I'll have to show you." "Lead the way." Johnny took a nervous breath and started at a trot back to the posthole he'd found her in. "Hey!" his neighbor shouted, coming out of his house, and seeing that man on his property.  "What do you think you're trying to do?"  The man disappeared into his house, and returned a second later with his shotgun.  By then, Vince had caught up to Johnny. "Arrest that son of a bitch, and keep him arrested this time!" the man demanded. "Sir, put the gun away and go back into your house," Vince ordered. "That son of a bitch is a child molester!" "Go back into your.." "Look, he's on my property.  I ought to have the right ta.." Another squad, seeing where Vince was heading on foot, pulled into the neighbors driveway. "Hey, look, I haven't done anything.  I was just trying to.." "Go back into your house, Sir." "Yeah fine, I'll go back in my house.  You mind telling me what you're doing on my land?" "At the moment, I do, as a matter of fact." "Yeah?  Well.." the man began, stopping as yet another police car, and an emergency squad also pulled into his driveway. "Where is she, Johnny?" Vince prompted. "Oh...over here.  Jenny?" "I wanna go home," was his whined reply. Bob Bellingham and Dirk Verosic hurried over to where Johnny knelt. "Aw, it's not that deep," Bellingham remarked as he set his equipment down. "No," Johnny agreed, "I just couldn't quite reach her." Dirk cursed as the hole quickly got to narrow for him to reach very far.  Sitting up again, he brushed the dirt off his clothes and looked at his partner. "Don't look at me, if you didn't fit," Bellingham told him, gesturing toward his wider berth. Dirk turned to Johnny. "I'll do it, I just couldn't..." "All right then, skinny boy, get down here." "I'll pop up," Johnny told them, getting ready to brace his arms. "And knock me in the chin with your boot, again?  Forget it.  We'll lift you." "Just don't drop me." "It wouldn't damage anything you use is we did," Bellingham cracked as Johnny felt them lifting his legs until he was upside down. "All right, Jenny, I'm gonna try to pull you out.  Let me know if it hurts to much, okay?" "Okay," she sobbed. "You got her?" Bob asked, straining to keep his grip. "Nn...no...she's a little stuck.  Just, lift me!" "We're trying, Gage.  Man you weigh a lot!" Dirk complained. "A little more...look, you're gonna haven't jerk me a bit, I'm not at an angle where I can.." "You want us to what?" "Give him a yank!" Bob remarked, doing just that. "All right, all right, I got her," he said as they lowered him to the ground and he rolled into a sitting position.  Jenny put a death grip around his neck, burying her face under his chin, crying for all she was worth. "Is she all right, Gage?" "I don't know.  Hon...ah..Jenny?  Where...where are you hurt, can you show them?" "Can you get the BP cup on her, Gage?" "Me?  I..." "You're the one that's got her," Dirk told him, handing over a stethoscope as well. "I don't...she's got me." "And she ain't letting go, so, can you get it on her?" "Jenny, I...they...we need ta...okay.  I think I've got an arm," he told them, trying to see through the little girls hair.  "I can get it on, but I don't think I'll be able to read it." "I got it," Bob spoke, turning to read his finding into the biophone. "Can you tell if anything is broken?" Bob asked, carefully running his fingers down Jenny's spine. Johnny checked every part he could reach without moving her.  "I don't think so.  I think she'd just hungry, cold and scared...and a little skinned up," he added, noticing a scrape on her knee. "She's fine," Dirk told Bob, finishing his examination. "They want to check her over there anyway," Bob let him know. "Yeah, I figured they would," he said, standing and gathering up his equipment.  "Let them know the ambulance got here, and we'll be there in ten or so." Bob did as he was asked, and closed up the biophone.  "You need a hand up?" he asked, offering the one that was free to help the still Jenny ladened Johnny to his feet. Johnny took the hand, and managed to stand without Jenny loosing an ounce of her grip.  With that, Bob started toward the squad. "Wait a minute.  Aren't you gonna take her?" "We're taking her, come on." "But, I can't.." "You'll fit, let's go." "But I...I really don't think that's a good idea, Bob." "Why not?" "You...you know why not." "Well, she seems to think it's a good idea," Bob remarked as he saw Jenny tighten her grip to where she was almost choking the man she wanted to stay with her. "Bob, you got to.." "Look, at least she's calming down a little bit.  If I try to pull her off of you, it's just going to upset her.  Better that she stays calm.  You're going, that's my assessment of the situation." "Bob.." "What do you want me to do, get a crowbar and pry her off?" "No." "Then get in so we can get her there already." Johnny threw a wary glance at Vince before doing what he was told. "I'll follow you to the hospital," Vince said just before he closed the ambulance doors. "You'll...he'll..what did he mean he'll follow us to the hospital?" Bob could only shrug. Oh God, he's gonna arrest me, Johnny thought to himself.  Why didn't he just arrest me now?  Why in the hell does he have to follow us to the hospital? ~/~/~/~/~ "Johnny!" Dixie exclaimed as the ambulance doors opened.  The hospital knew Jennifer had been found, and that she'd been discovered caught in a deep hole, but no other information had been given. "I...I..."Johnny stammered. "Johnny?" Dr. Brackett remarked as he poked his head inside the ambulance next to Dixie. Johnny opened his mouth to speak, but he was at a complete loss for words.  He could only imagine what they all must be thinking.  There he sat, the child molester, with his favorite victim sitting right in his lap, for all to see. "Where did you find her?" Dr. Brackett asked. Still no sound would come out of Johnny's mouth, though he tried hard to figure out what he should say. "She was stuck in a hole in his neighbors yard," Bob told him. "How on earth did she manage that?" Dixie asked. Bob shrugged, and Johnny saw them all look at him. "Just...just...just...take..take her.  I didn't...I didn't..." "Well, get her in here, Johnny," Dr. Brackett ordered, "let's get a move on." "But...but...but.." he stuttered, trying to pull the girl away from him so he could hand her to someone else as he climbed out of the back of the ambulance, but Jennifer still wouldn't budge. "I'll be in, in a few minutes to ask some questions," Vince called after them as the sliding doors closed behind them.  "Take her into two," Dixie ordered, "into two, Johnny," she added again as he nervously headed toward exam three by mistake. "He's as nervous as a cat surrounded by a bunch of pit bulls," Dixie whispered at Dr. Brackett before they followed him into the room. "I know, wouldn't you be?" "If Vince thought for one second that Johnny had anything to do with this, he wouldn't be waiting outside." "I know that too," Brackett told her before leading the way into the exam room. "Sh..she won't let go of me," Johnny told them, turning around to face them. "That's okay," Dixie told him in a soothing voice put on for Jenny's benefit, "we can check her out right where she is." "But.." "It would help if you got on the table, Johnny," Brackett told him. "On the..." "Up on the table." "But I..." Dr. Brackett braced the examining table so Johnny could hop up on it, without the table moving. As they checked her over, Jennifer grew tired to the point where she was more laying against Johnny's chest, than holding onto to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and closing her eyes for sleep.  The longer they took, the more Johnny began to relax as well, until Roy walked in. "Jen...Jen..." he began nervously.  "Jenny, you're daddy's here now, I think you should." "No..no, don't wake her," Roy asked in a hushed tone.  "Is she all right?" "She's fine, Roy," Dixie told him.  "Just plum wore out." "Oh, thank God," Joanne uttered coming in right behind her husband. "Look," Johnny spoke, trying to lift the little girl off of his lap, "you need to.." "She's okay," Roy told him, stroking his daughters hair and trying to reassure his friend that everything was fine. "No.  I really think that somebody needs to take her, now!" "I'll take her," Joanne cut in, allowing Johnny to shift the sleeping child into her arms. "Johnny?" Roy called after him as he hurried from the room. "What?" Johnny snapped, pausing in the hall and turning back. Roy closed the gap between them so the whole world wouldn't be able to hear their conversation.  "I just wanted to.." "I didn't do anything, Roy.  I just, she...I...she took the bus out there, I think, I mean.  I saw the school bus this morning, and I.." "I know.  Vince told me." "I'm not sure he believed me.  He.." "He believes you, how else would she haven't gotten out there?" "I don't know." "I'm just glad you thought of it.  If you hadn't..." "I only thought of it because I saw the bus this morning, and I remembered once, Chris.." "..took the bus out to your place while you took care of them during Joanne's and my second honeymoon." "Was that for your second.." "Yeah, I remembered that too, once Vince told me.  He.." "There you are," the very man in question said as he approached them.  "I'm sorry I woke your daughter, Roy, but I wanted to get this one wrapped up.   Sure enough, she said she got on one of the school busses and..." "Twenty two," Roy and Johnny said at the same time. "Right...how did you two know that...anyway, she got off the bus, and promptly got herself stuck in that hole.  I'm sure glad you thought of the school bus, Johnny," Vince told him as he patted him on the back on his way out of the hospital. "So...anyway," Roy continued, trying to get Johnny's attention back, "I wanted to say, thank you." "For..." "For saving Jenny's life, for thinking of it, for looking, for finding her, and for staying with her until we got here.  Thanks." "She didn't give me much of a choice," Johnny muttered quietly. "What?" "The staying with her part, she didn't give me a choice.  She wouldn't let go." "I know the feeling," Roy replied, embarrassed the moment he'd discovered that he'd said it aloud.  "Hey uh, you coming for Easter?" he quickly asked, as if it were a given.  "You're invited you know." "Look, I got to go," Johnny told him. "Where?" Roy asked.  "I'll take you." "No, you.." "You came in the ambulance, didn't you?  How are you gonna get anywhere?" "I'll figure it out," Johnny muttered on his way through the doors. "But Johnny, I..."  he started but didn't finish.  The man was gone. "Where's he going?" Mike asked inches behind Roy's head. Roy jumped a foot in the air.  "Would you quite doing that?" he grumbled loudly. "Doing what?" "Never mind.  What are you doing here?" "Well, Chet said, that you said, that Vince said, that Johnny had called in that.." "Huh?" "I was looking for Johnny." "You just missed him.  What are you looking for him for?" "Well, you know I've been trying for months to get Kenosha's body, find out what they did with it." "And they lost it, so..." "Well, they lost it because that first girl I called got it wrong." "Kenosha's alive?" "No...but, she died in her sleep, not because she was put to sleep." "And you're gonna tell him that?" "Yeah.  Wouldn't you?" "I'm not sure he really needs reminding that is dog is gone, Mike." Mike thought for a minute, then shook his head.  "No, he should know.  I'd want to know.  It makes a difference...or it would to me." ~/~/~/~/~ Three hours later, thinking about the news Mike had given to him after he caught up with and walked with him for a while, Johnny walked up his long driveway, noticing something yellow sitting on his porch from way back.  As he got closer, he realized it was a bookbag.  Closer still, he could make out the name 'Jennifer DeSoto' written in magic marker across one of the pockets.  He thought back, and remembered the bag was what made it a little more difficult to pull Jenny free of the hole, as it was wedged in between her and the side.  What he couldn't figure out was why it had been left on his porch, figuring Vince must have seen it, and picked it up. "Hey, uh," a voice spoke, startling him.  He turned to find his neighbor on his property this time.  "That cop told me all that, ah...there's that little girls bag.  One of my daughters found it.  Just wanted to make sure someone got it back...I still don't want you around any of my kids, though." "I don't want to be around your kids," Johnny replied sarcastically, "or any kids!  So don't worry about it!" "Yeah, well, I won't!  Cause we're moving in a couple weeks!" "Good!  Just fill in those stupid holes before you go!" "I...well...she had no business being.." "It could have been one of yours, you know.  That boy of yours is only three years old.  He could have fallen into one of them things at any time, and broken who knows what." "Yeah, well..." "Yeah well what?" "Just, stay off my property till we're gone." "I intend to." "Good," the man added, determined to have the last word. Johnny shook his head, and let him have it, taking Jennifer's backpack into the house, and slamming the door on his neighbor instead. ~/~/~/~/~ "No, she's fine, Grandma.  She's fine.  Joanne wanted me to tell you  we'll come up in a couple weeks.  Okay...okay...I love you too Grandma.  Bye bye," Roy said with a sigh as he hung up the phone.  Running his finger between his collar and his neck, he seriously considered taking off his bow tie, and refusing to wear it.  "Why couldn't she have gotten up clip on ones, anyway," Roy muttered to himself, feeling slightly strangled. "We're back," Joanne called as she and her two children stumbled into the house from the garage. "Took you long enough," Roy told her. "Well you try to find some place open on Easter morning," she scolded back. "Guess what we got," Jennifer chirped happily. "Let me tell him, Jenny," Joanne ordered. Jennifer pressed her lips together, trying not to smile too broadly. "What did you get?" he asked, swearing he just heard something yip in the garage. "Well, there was this guy at the gas station, a real old guy and.." Roy heard something rustle in the garage, and tried to remember where he had last put the mouse traps, as it seemed like he might need them again now. "...and he had the cutest little," Joanne continued Something crashed in the garage. "Chris, did you let him out of the box?" Joanne demanded, a touch of surprise to her voice. "Joanne, what did you do?" Roy asked, walking toward the garage door.  All he saw inside was a box of Christmas decorations that seemed to have fallen over. "Well, you told me yesterday about Kenosha, that she really hadn't been put to sleep, and when we saw these little.." Something  peeked out at Roy from under the station wagon.  "Oh, Joanne, you didn't!" The tiny little pup yipped, letting him know she had. "Do you really think that's a good idea?  He only just found out!" "But, technically, it's been months now and, I just keep picturing him out there, all by himself and...well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!" "If he did want a puppy, do you really think he'd want one from us?" "Well, maybe we could take it out there, throw some food down Johnny's driveway, the puppy would go after it, we'd drive away, Johnny could come out, find the puppy and...there you go." Roy started to chuckle deeply.  "Who thought that up?  You or Chris?" "I don't know," Joanne told him, tears creeping into her voice.  "I just wanted to do something and..." Roy hugged her.  "I know..I know.  What's done is done.  I'm sure I can find a home for it somewhere." "I just feel so lousy!" Roy rocked her back and forth.  "Me too...me too.  I think we all do.  But we better get going, or we're going to miss your church service." "I know.  Chris, please put the puppy back in it's box." "We're not gonna give it to him?" Chris asked, shocked. "I wasn't thinking straight, Honey," Joanne tried to explain.  "I think right now maybe just isn't the best time to give him a puppy." "But..." "I'm sure he'll get another dog eventually, Chris," Roy reassured him. ~/~/~/~/~ Johnny came down the stairs, rubbing his hand through his hair, and wondering how he had managed to sleep so late.  The sun came through his front window, high and bright.  He poured himself a glass of milk, and went into the living room to sit on the couch and drink it.  He stretched and rubbed is his eyes in between swallows, trying to wake up, and work out all of the kinks.  While rolling his neck, something caught his eye.  The sun glinted off of something on the floor.  Glass he figured, remembering the shape his house had been in a few months before.  He stood up to throw it away, wondering how he had gone so long without accidentally stepping on it.  As he did, he thought he saw some more, and then some more.  How did I get glass all over, he wondered as he stooped over to have a closer look.  It wasn't glass, he discovered, but glitter.  That confused him even more.  Where on earth had glitter! come from?  Walking across the floor, there almost appeared to be a little trail of it, which lead right up to Jennifer's backpack, that he had sat on a kitchen stool the day before.  "Oh," he muttered, realizing where it must have come from. He got out a broom and dustpan, and swept up the mess.  After he dumped the glitter into a wastebasket, he picked up the knapsack to set it by the door so he wouldn't forget to find a way of giving it back to her, later.  Picking it up, more glitter fell to the floor.  "Oh man," he muttered, swinging the backpack out of his line of sight, to see what he had just done, and scattering even more glitter about in the process.  "What has she got in here?" he wondered aloud.  He didn't want to snoop in her backpack, but he didn't want a perpetual mess either.  Reaching for the zipper, he saw some crumpled rolled up construction paper, sticking out through the opening its size had managed to make, as it didn't quite fit into the length of the backpack.  He carefully unzipped the bag further, trying not to make more of a mess.  He laid the rolled construction paper on the counter, and carefully took out all of Jenny's books, shaking them one by one, over the trash can.  Once the bag was empty, he turned it inside out, and shook that over the trash too.  He couldn't believe how much glitter was in there.  He put the books back into the bag and started to put the construction paper back into the bag when he figured he had better shake that over the! trash too.  He didn't want to ruin her art project, but that was where all the glitter was coming from.  Giving it a couple of shakes, he realized the only sane way to do it, would be to take it outside, unroll it, and give it a couple good shakes before putting it back.  With a sigh, he took it out onto the porch, being careful of his bare feet on the little sticks that had fallen there from a tree overhead.  He unrolled it slowly, realizing that glue was making it stick together, here and there.  Apparently it hadn't completely dried before it had been put into the little girls backpack.  He couldn't believe how long it was.  It seemed she had taped over ten pieces of large construction paper together, to make one long banner.  What stopped him unrolling it further was the sight of his own name, written very large and covered with the glitter.  He thought about rolling it back up again, and just putting it away, but he made himself finish unrolling. "Dear Uncle Johnny," it said.   "Please Please Please come to Easter with us.  I know you love me.  An old woman told me so.  I miss you and I am VERY VERY VERY SORRY!!!  LOVE Jenny." Johnny stared at it for a long time, wondering what to do. ~/~/~/~/~ "Oh, no," Roy muttered as he lifted the garage door.  "Joanne?  That puppy got out of it's box again." "Well," Joanne bustled to have a look at the garage over his shoulder, "just put him back." "What about the mess?" "You can clean it up later, right now, get out of your church clothes." "I can clean it up later?" Joanne giggled.  "The garage is your domain, isn't it?" "Yeah, but...you put him in there." "You don't want him in there?  Bring him in the house." "Can we?" the kids asked in unison. "Noooo, we have a dog in the house.  One is enough.  Besides, this one isn't even house trained." "Roy, he just a puppy," Joanne defended it. "I know he's just a puppy, that's exactly my point!" "Upstairs," Joanne ordered her kids.  "Change your clothes, but put on something nice." "If you want them in nice clothes," Roy asked, "then why do you want them to change their clothes." "Because, I want them in nice cloths, just not church clothes." "Your weird, Joanne.  Besides, it's only gonna be us today.  Your mother isn't coming for Easter until the day after tomorrow." "I know that, but that doesn't mean that today can't still be nice and special.  And As far as my mother coming for Easter, two days after Easter, we are not having that conversation again." "I just can't figure out why, if she wants to have Easter with us, she can't just come on Easter." "Because, she spends Easter Sunday at Julia's every year, that's why." "Because..." "Because, she's the oldest, then me, then..." "Seems to me like she just wants to have a lot of Easters." "Roy?" "What?" "Get over it." Roy chuckled, happily yanking off his bow tie and leaving it draped over a kitchen before starting upstairs to change. "Freeze!" Joanne shouted, turning around, and seeing what he had done. "What?" "You know what!  Take it with you." Roy took it from her hand and flipped it over his shoulder.  "I just thought you might want to tuck it away so you can torture me with it again next year." "I will torture you again with it next year, but you can put it away." "Where does it go?" "In your sock drawer." "My ties go in my sock drawer." "That's right, and if you loose this one, I'll string you up by your toes next year with the new one." "All right, all right, I'll put it away," he surrendered, starting up the stairs again. Joanne began to get Easter dinner ready.  She set the table, and put the food that she'd put together the night before, into the oven to bake. Cranberries, cranberries, she thought, tapping her temple, and trying to remember where she had put them.  She laughed when she remembered that they were still in the station wagon, where they were forgotten over the excitement of the puppy that morning.  She and the kids had run out for the forgotten cranberries while Roy was still getting ready for church.  Joanne opened the garage door, only to discover the puppy had escaped from his box once more.  He wasn't to be seen, but his mischief was all over the place, knocked over boxes, a torn up newspaper, and a nice little yellow puddle on the floor. "Where are you, you little trouble maker?" Joanne called out as she fetched the cranberries out of the car.  When she didn't see him, she closed the door to keep him in the garage and to go open the cranberries.  She'd deal with the spunky little puppy once she had a chance to change her clothes.         As she got out the can opener, she heard a car door slam out in front of her house.  Setting the opener down, she walked into the living to look out through the window. "Roy?"  she called, "Roy!" "What?" he answered from upstairs. "Johnny's here." "What?" he asked again, coming down the stairs and buttoning his shirt. "Johnny's here," she told him again. Roy looked out the front window.  Sure enough, Johnny was out there, leaning into his Rover through the passenger door, messing around with something Roy couldn't see. "All right, well," Roy told her "I invited him, so, I guess he decided to come." "I thought you said you didn't do it?" "I asked him at the hospital yesterday." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I forgot!  He didn't say yes, he just...left.  It'll be fine.  We've got plenty of food." "I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about what to say to him.  I haven't had time to think about it." "Don't worry about it, Joanne, just act...natural." "Natural?" she asked, having no idea what natural was anymore. When they heard the passenger door slam, Roy headed out of the house.  If Johnny was wavering, he didn't want to give him a chance to get away.  He had to wonder if that was really what had happened at Christmas. "Hi," Roy burst out loudly as Johnny turned around. "Uh...hi," Johnny answered back quietly. "I'm glad you decided to come." "Um...well, you see, I...Jenny left..lost..left her uh..her backpack at my..in the..I have Jenny's backpack," he finally finished, holding it up. "Oh," Roy answered, taking it and trying not to sound disappointed. "She uh...I was wondering if, you see she..I..she made me this uh..." "Uncle Johnny!" Jennifer exclaimed, running out of the house. "Hi pea...I mean...Hello, Jennifer.  I uh...I got your card.  I didn't like...go through your backpack or anything, well I did but I...you see, glitter was..." "You read it?" she asked happily. "Yeah, and uh, Jennifer, I...I really love..." he faltered, taking a quick glance at Roy, "I really love you too, but you see.." "Well is everyone coming in, or are we gonna move the dinner table outside?" Joanne called from the doorway. "Why don't you come in for a few minutes," Roy offered. "Actually, I just wanted to," he started again, picking up a white pillowcase that was at his feet.  "You see, I went through this closet and...I still had these things in there, and I just thought.." "What is it?" Roy asked. "Well, their Christmas presents.  I, they were in the closet and.." "You needed the space?" Roy tried to joke. "Nooo, I uh, I just didn't know what else to...what else to do with them so I thought as long as I had to bring Jenny's...Jenny's backpack over I thought.." "Well, why don't you bring them in and we can watch the kids open them up?" "I uh.." "We're having Christmas, now?" Chris exclaimed from the doorway beside his mother, as he saw one of the presents sticking out of the bag.  "Cool!" "Come on in for a bit, Johnny," Roy encouraged. "I really only wanted ta.." "Come on in for a bit." Johnny sighed, wondering just what it was that was making him allow himself to be lead into the house.  Jennifer skipped along happily behind them.  She just knew her card would work. "I uh," Johnny stammered as he found himself sitting down on the Desoto sofa. "Can we open them now?" Chris asked, eyeing the pillowcase. "Uh, yeah!" Johnny agreed, not knowing what else to do. "Here you go, Jenny!" Chris spoke happily as he tore into the bag.  "Mom..Dad?" Once everyone had their presents, Chris ripped his open.  "Oh, coooollll!  Mom!  I got a new skateboard!" "I see that," she smiled, thinking of the one with the wheels broken off that had been sitting the garage for over a month.  They had known Johnny was getting him the skateboard for Christmas, but had bought him one themselves, when all the trouble had first started.  At the moment she was glad Chris had managed to somehow break it, not more than two months after he had received it. "Can I open mine?" Jennifer asked. "Ss..sure," Johnny told her. Joanne frowned.  They had taken care of making sure Jenny got her presents too. "It's a Molly doll," Jenny announced, a little confused, but the confusion was quickly replaced with unadulterated delight.  "I got twins now!" she shouted.  "Mommy, I got twins!" "Yeah, you do," Joanne agreed, trying to keep the tears of relief from falling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Uncle Johnny!" Jennifer smiled, trying to crawl into his lap to give him a hug. Something crashed in garage, and Joanne whispered into Chris's ear causing the boy to bolt from the living room. "Jenn..Jennifer," Johnny told her, trying to keep the girl from crawling into his lap.  "What I was trying to tell you before was that, I do love you but, I've come to find out that maybe, grown up men shouldn't really be around kids so much, so I.." A bounding puppy leapt into the room, and right into the middle of all the wrapping paper. "What's that?" Johnny asked. "That's you puppy!" Jenny squealed in delight. "My..my what?" "Chris," Joanne scolded, "I asked you to put him back into his box, not to let him into the house!" "But, he just got in?" Chris whined. "He's your puppy," Jennifer told Johnny again. "Why...why would I want a dog?" Johnny asked. "You wouldn't," Roy told him, "I'm sorry.  They just, this morning they made a bit of a mistake.  Don't worry about it," he told him as he bent over to pick the puppy up to take back to the garage.  "Thanks for, thanks for the wallet by the way," he added, trying to change the subject away from the dog, though the new wallet was at the moment in the hand that happened to be supporting the puppies bottom. Joanne's present was a card that simply said, 'Go Look Outside'. "Oh, uh," Johnny said when he realized what Chris had given her, "I guess that's kind of dumb to get right now, I was just.." "It's not dumb," she told him.  "I loved it.  You did a beautiful job cleaning it up and fixing it for me." "Yeah, um..hey, Roy?  I think that puppy's got a hurt foot," he told him, now trying to change the subject himself, and seeing an appropriate reason to. "What?" Roy asked. "It looks like his foot is bleeding." Roy flipped the puppy onto its back, in his arms.  "Oh, I bet he got into the glass ornaments in the garage." The puppy yipped in pain as Roy tried to examine his paw. "Here," Johnny offered, standing up and walking out into the kitchen. Roy surrendered the puppy, and Johnny sat down on a chair to have a good look at it's paws.  "Yeah, he's got glass in there," he announced, "you got any tweezers?" "Sure," Joanne told him, yanking open a junk drawer and handing a pair over. "I'm gonna need some peroxide too, I think." "I'll get it," Chris offered, running upstairs. "And some cotton balls," Roy called after him. "Okay," Chris shouted back. "Now hold still, you squirmy little ball of fur," Johnny complained with a smile as the puppy made a determination of cleaning every square centimeter of Johnny's face with his tongue.  "I had a shower, thank you," he informed the mutt. Jennifer leaned gently against Johnny's side, watching as he carefully dug out tiny pieces of red and green glass from the pads of the puppy's paws.  "He really did a job on himself," Johnny muttered softly.  "What kind of a dog is this?" he asked taking the peroxide and cotton balls from Chris's hand.  "Thank you, Chris." "Your welcome," Chris smiled. "The guy said he was part German Shepard, and part Husky," Joanne told him. "He looks kind of neat, doesn't he?" Johnny asked.  "All the coloring and markings of a husky, but with short fur." "I thought he looked pretty neat," Joanne agreed, looking at her husband. "What are you gonna do with him?" Johnny asked. "Well, he's yours actually," Roy told him, "I mean.." "You really got him for me?" "Yeah, I mean," Roy stuttered, not wanting to sound pushy. "He's a really nice dog," Johnny told them. "Yeah, he is," Roy agreed.  "So uh...you..do you.." "Well, if he doesn't have another home yet, maybe I should just...you know.  I mean I've got enough room for him, and if he needs a home..." "Whatever you think is best, Johnny," Roy agreed again, smiling at his wife. "He's keeping him, he's keeping him, he's keeping him," Jennifer sang, dancing in a little circle. "So you're staying for dinner, right?" Joanne asked, opening the oven and carefully laying the main dish on a hot pad in the middle of the table. "He's staying," Roy told her, getting down another plate and grabbing some silverware.  "I can hear his tummy growling from here." Johnny sighed.  He really was quite hungry, and the food smelled really good.  "Yeah, I guess I could eat," he agreed with just a twinge of nervousness returning.  The food helped move things along.  Joanne's cooking was as good as it had ever been.  Johnny kept the puppy in his lap, to help keep it out of trouble, and he was soon feeding it little pieces of food from his plate.  Joanne didn't mind, for right above the puppy's head, was Johnny's smile.  Jennifer slipped off her chair, and moved to climb up on to Johnny's spare knee, like she had done hundreds of time before. "Um, Jenny.." "Here you go, Jenny," Roy told her, giving her a hand up to help her get comfortable where she wanted to be.  "It's all right, Johnny.  I trust you...really." Johnny looked back at his plate and let the little girl settle in.  The puppy tipped his head back and licked the end of Johnny's nose, making both Johnny and little Jenny laugh. ~/~/~/~/~ Outside, a cab pulled up in front of the house, just behind Johnny's Rover.  An old woman with brilliant blues eyes stared at the front porch for a moment, with a mischievous smile upon her face.  "Onward, Garcon," she ordered, teasing the cab driver.  Her work here was done. Amen and The End This story is once again dedicated to George Harrison.  Thanks for the songs, and God bless ya. Sage Rory return to main menu .