which witch2

Which Witch?

by Nexxie

PART TWO

Johnny hung up the phone wondering what he would do for aggravation if J.R. hadn't entered his life. After hearing Jennifer's confession about meeting J.R. in the parking lot, Roy called his former partner to find out what, if anything, she left out.

"Well, Roy," Johnny said reluctantly, "it looked like I got there in time to prevent...what we were afraid would happen."

"Jennifer said they were just necking," Roy ventured.

"Well...they were doing that too," Johnny said, nodding at the phone. His mind's eye recalled the tangle of arms and legs in the back of the Rover and the way Jennifer quickly adjusted her clothing to hide what his son had seen way too much of.

"Junior, the truth!"

"Roy, at least they still had their clothes on...pretty much."

"I'm gonna break every bone..."

"Roy, please. I'll talk to him. I'll make him see reason." There was anguish in the dark-haired man's voice.

"I want to talk to him too, John," Roy informed his friend, "first thing tomorrow morning."

"Roy, look, just keep your cool, okay? I know what you want to do...heck, I've already had a taste of that, remember?"

There was an exasperated sigh. It was almost like old times...his partner knew just how to talk him into, or out of, just about anything. Roy could almost imagine the pleading in those dark eyes. "Johnny, for your sake, I won't hurt him. But, if this ever happens again..."

"It won't, Roy. You have my word." Following a few more reassurances, Johnny hung up the phone and leaned weakly against the wall.

After taking a couple of pain pills prescribed by Dr. Morton, Johnny tapped on his son's door.

"Come in." Johnny entered to find J.R. laying on his back staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown above his head in a familiar pose, the other resting on the woven blanket that covered his chest.

"I just got off the phone with Roy."

J.R. turned his head toward the wall. "Did you tell him everything?" His voice was bitter.

"Most of it. He wants to see you tomorrow. I...I gave him my word this would never happen again."

"What time?"

Johnny could see the muscles in J.R.'s face work as he struggled with regret and misery and fear. If he was really the little boy he looked at the moment, Johnny would have held and comforted his son. But J.R. was nineteen; in two months he would be twenty years old. Once again John Gage felt a pang at all he had missed, both in regards to watching J.R. grow up, and the life he could have had with Marnie...if he had only known.

"He'll call sometime in the morning. Good night, son. I wish..." Johnny shook his head and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the hall. The lesson would be painful, but hopefully it would be the last.

************************

"Would you put that down!" J.R. pulled the towel from Johnny's hand and shoved him, albeit gently, in the direction of the great room. With a feigned snort of disgust, the younger Gage finished folding the laundry and carried it upstairs, muttering, "You want that hand damaged permanently?"

Johnny chuckled and returned to the kitchen for a glass of milk. A tug on the refrigerator door brought a grimace of pain and the reminder of just why J.R. was doing the chores for both of them. When am I going to learn to control my temper? Hopefully the pain and swelling will be gone by tomorrow so I can work. He popped a couple of aspirin and sat back in 'his' recliner, a towel-wrapped ice pack across his swollen knuckles, and stared at the ceiling. As the pain-killer worked its magic, Johnny's eyelids drooped and closed.

J.R. passed through the living room and noted Johnny relaxed in the recliner. It wasn't quite cool enough to build a fire in the fireplace, but the room held a distinct chill. Pulling a brightly colored blanket from the back of the couch, he tucked it over his father. How long it will be before he can trust me again? J.R. wondered.

The ringing phone pierced the silence of the living room and J.R. hurried to answer. Johnny, warm and comfortable, didn't stir.

Roy DeSoto curtly summoned J.R. to his home for the requested "meeting". It doesn't sound encouraging, the junior Gage thought, his heart dropping to his shoes. This could be the end of my contact with Jennifer.

Miserably J.R. Gage located the keys to the Rover and prepared himself to face Jennifer's father. He looked at his own dad peacefully sleeping, his injured hand resting on the arm of the chair, and thought about the angry words that almost ended in their estrangement. On impulse, he leaned over the recliner and kissed the top of Johnny's head, then grinned. What would his dad have thought of that? Good thing he was sleeping.

As his son exited the house on his way to DeSoto's, a wide satisfied grin spread across Johnny's face. He thought it was just fine.

************************

Kathy Barrie tapped a pencil against her math book earning a dirty look from her second period Algebra teacher. Jen DeSoto returned to the field alone last night, and J.R. didn't come back until after the accident, then he came running up with his father...and hers. I wonder what happened. A few casual inquiries revealed that Jennifer and the young man in the stands were "going" together and is was definitely "serious". In fact, he would be her date for the upcoming Halloween Party. Now how can I use that? She continued to ponder.

As the period progressed an idea began to formulate. It probably wouldn't work...there were just too many factors to consider. Jen is such a prude; she'll never agree. How can I make her do it? She nearly giggled aloud at the mental picture of Jen's boyfriend kissing the wrong girl...and not knowing it. Oh this is just too perfect. I'll make it work somehow! she vowed.

************************

Roy hung up the phone in his den and turned to face his wife and lover of nineteen years. "He's on his way." The words came out shaky and weak, an indication of just how much Captain DeSoto dreaded this interview.

"So what are you going to say to him?" Joanne blew on the cup of coffee in her hand before taking a sip. It gave Roy the tiniest bit of satisfaction to see her hand tremble ever so slightly.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll just have him arrested."

"Roy, be serious. He's going to be our son-in-law...I think."

"Joanne, do you know what he almost did...?"

"I know what THEY almost did. You're forgetting your daughter again."

"I never forget my daughter!"

"Honey, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the whole thing was her idea. She wants that boy, and she wants him bad. She's kind of like her mama." Joanne smiled in a way that showed her husband exactly what she meant.

"Jo, if you keep that up, I'm gonna start feeling sorry for J.R."

"Why, are you feeling sorry for yourself? Has it been so bad?"

"No, you know better than that," Roy reassured his wife. "But he's gonna be lucky to get any sleep between shifts..." He broke off in order to duck as a small toss pillow sailed in his direction.

Joanne started to laugh, her eyes twinkling merrily, "You nut!"

Her husband's blue eyes sparkled with a promise of very enjoyable retaliation.

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted the exchange. Quickly Joanne stood to answer it. Before she could leave, Roy caught her for a quick kiss. "I love you," he told her.

"Try to be understanding, Roy. Remember what it was like for us. And...don't hurt him, okay?"

Roy nodded and, as she hurried to the door, struggled to regain the look of a deeply displeased father. By the time the young man in question was ushered into his den, Captain DeSoto managed to appear suitably grave and stern...at least he hoped he did.

J.R. entered Roy's den as if he expected to be eaten by lions. I guess I look suitably angry, Jennifer's father decided.

************************

The conversation with Roy DeSoto proved to be less than friendly, but no more than he deserved, the young firefighter supposed.

Roy maintained his den as a nest of comfortable clutter, the one place in the house where Joanne's passion for neatness and order did not intrude. Pictures from his time at Station 51 and before, citations, and his first certification as a paramedic in 1971 vied with each other for wall space. Mementos of trips and presentations bedecked the shelves and the top of the small portable television. More than an office, it was Roy's refuge.

This room presented unknown territory to J.R. The door usually remained closed, a compromise between Joanne's compulsive need to clean and Roy's dogged determination to have his stuff where he could find it. Now the junior Gage looked around with interest, seeing several pictures of his father tucked into the picture frames on the wall. In one the two paramedics posed together in front of the old Dennis fire engine wearing period costumes and sporting proud grins.

Roy rose from behind his desk and came to stand before J.R., gesturing for Jennifer's boyfriend to take a seat. He wasted no time with niceties but came directly to the point.

"Young man," Roy said, "you broke your promise yesterday...I'm assuming it's the first time...and the last. For your sake, it had better be. I won't lie to you. If Johnny wasn't your father, you would be in Rampart right now with several broken appendages. If this happens again, he can visit you there. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," J.R. managed to choke out. The leatherette armchair squeaked as the younger man shifted uneasily. "Is Jen okay?"

Roy hesitated before responding. J.R., clearly nervous, obviously feared the ultimate punishment...complete banishment from Jennifer's life. Good. Roy cleared his throat preparatory to pronouncing sentence. He had practice...Jennifer heard the same speech last night.

"Jennifer is grounded except for school and football games, during which she will stay on the field in plain sight, and the Halloween party, which her mother and I have volunteered to chaperone. If you come to dinner or to visit at our house during the next six weeks, it will be in the company of your dad, you got that?" The ice in Roy's voice chilled J.R. to the bone.

"Yes, sir," he replied bleakly. Six weeks seemed like eternity. At least he had the Halloween party to look forward to. At a guess he wouldn't be escorting Jen to the homecoming dance. He didn't dance anyway, and there were still the early morning telephone conversations.

Each morning Jennifer called J.R. from her father's den promptly at six a.m. They were able to whisper endearments and talk about the future without being overheard, largely since no one else was up at that hour. And since J.R. disabled the ringer on the extension in Johnny's room, his father slept peacefully until the alarm went off at 6:15. It was a time precious to both Jen and himself. Without those morning calls, he didn't know what he would do.

He stood to leave Roy's den. "Is that all, sir?"

"That's it," Roy confirmed, not wasting further words on his best friend's son.

As he opened the door, J.R. found himself face-to-face with Joanne DeSoto. There was no friendly smile or indulgent look. He nodded and made his exit as quickly as possible.

"Did you get through to him?" Joanne asked her husband.

"I probably scared the sh... stuffing out of him," Roy admitted, smiling at the memory of J.R.'s expression when he entered the room. Joanne grinned back.

"Adversity in love is a good thing," Joanne told him, wrapping her arms around her spouse. "It keeps them focused."

"Is that what it does, Mrs. DeSoto? I guess we've been real focused for a long time," he replied, thinking of his mother-in-law.

"Well, I have something you can focus on for a while," she told him, crooking her finger as she backed toward the stairwell. Roy gave her his own rendition of a crooked grin and followed his pretty wife up the stairs.

************************

The gymnasium rumbled with murmurs and the trample of feet making their way to the top of the bleachers as students filed in and took their seats. Convocations normally meant a pleasant break from the classroom routine, but this one promised to be unpleasant at best. The athletic staff huddled in a small group to the left of the principal who stood solemn and alone behind the microphone waiting for the students to come to order. When everyone appeared to be seated, he cleared his throat, signalling for quiet.

"Students of Carson High School, faculty," he nodded to the groups of teachers standing near the doors of the gym, then cleared his throat again. "We don't always understand some of the things that happen in life. Sometimes tragic events occur that test our faith in ourselves, our friends and our institutions. For those who attended the football game last night, you were witness to one of those events. A bright young athlete, one of our own, was tragically injured. Matthew Eldridge is currently at Rampart Hospital in intensive care. His injuries..." The pricipal broke off and removed a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his eyes and struggled to regain his composure before continuing.

"The last report I had is that Matt is holding his own. His condition...Matt's parents have said that his neck was broken."

Pandemonium broke out throughout the room as students reacted in various ways ranging from disbelief to sobs. Although the school's grapevine passed along the information faithfully so that all were aware by the time the convocation began that an accident had occured, no one was quite prepared for the awful truth. The principal raised his hand and tapped the microphone to signal for quiet.

"They are hoping and praying for his eventual recovery, with therapy. Even if paralysis is not permanent, however, Matt will have a long road to recovery and will need all of our understanding and support. This is a very sad day for Carson High, but let's try to carry on in our classes and help each other, and Matt, get through this event. You are dismissed to your third period classes. Please exit in an orderly fashion."

Jennifer DeSoto and Tammy Payne wiped tears from their eyes and sniffled as they headed down the hallway toward their lockers. Jen wished for J.R.'s strong arms to hug her and help take away the hurt...Matt Eldridge was always nice to her. But that would never happen now. She wondered anxiously what her father was saying to J.R. She'd heard him promise John Gage there would be no violence. Life just isn't fair, she thought.

Tammy Payne respected Jen's privacy for a good three minutes as they made their way down the hall. "So what happened with J.R. at the game?" Tammy asked her best friend. "When you came back you just clammed up."

"I didn't want to talk about it," Jennnifer admitted. She opened her locker and stood looking into the mirror that clung to the back of the door. She dabbed at the tear stains on her cheeks and restored order to her appearance. Life was going to be fairly boring for the next six weeks. Her mom gave her a list of weekend chores that guaranteed no free time for the foreseeable future.

During pass period the halls filled to bursting with students bustling by each other, arms loaded with books, determined to make it to the next class before the tardy bell rang. Jennifer's locker held a neatly arranged stack of books and writing materials; her cheerleading uniform, freshly cleaned and pressed, lay folded in the bottom.

Tammy Payne's locker, two down from Jennifer's, seemed to explode when she opened the door. Papers, books, folders and writing utensils tumbled out as if seeking their freedom. Tam's locker was a reflection of her bedroom...a mess. With a sigh, Jennifer knelt down to help her friend scoop up the clutter and toss it back into confinement. Gym class was next...they didn't need books.

When she started school at Carson, Kathy Barrie quickly determined the identity of the most popular girls in the junior class and attached herself to them. Tammy acknowledged Kathy to be a "man magnet" and welcomed her presence. Jen remained a bit aloof. Kathy acted a little more persistent than Jennifer liked for a new acquaintance. She seemed to be there whenever the other two turned around. Now she caught up with the two friends and walked with them to class.

"Hi, what's shakin'?" Kathy asked.

"Jen was just gonna give me the scoop on the ball game," Tam answered.

"I'm still not ready to talk about it," Jennifer shook her head. She wasn't about to reveal the details of that awful night in front of what still amounted to a stranger. Tams was different; they'd been best friends for years.

Tammy shrugged and picked up the pace. Being cheerleaders, they were cut a certain amount of slack, but not with everyone. Not with Miss Fisher, the gym teacher. No excuse, other than a death certificate, was enough to pardon being late to dress out for gym.

"Say, Jen," Kathy asked casually as she slipped into shorts and a Carson High School T-shirt, "what are you wearing to the Halloween party?" She crossed her fingers. This probably wouldn't work.

"I don't have a costume yet," Jennifer admitted. "J.R. and I were gonna dress in matching costumes, but now we'll be arriving separately, so that's out."

"Arriving separately? Why? He isn't picking you up?"

"I'll be coming with my parents. He's coming later in the Rover," was all Jen would say. Her lips compressed in mutinous anger. This wasn't something she wanted to discuss in the locker room and if she wanted to talk to Tams privately in the next six weeks, it would have to be on the phone. Joanne assured Jennifer last night that she would become very accustomed to the sight of her own room for the next few weeks.

"I have an extra costume that might fit you," Kathy volunteered. "It belongs to my mom, but she isn't wearing it this year." Especially if she can't find it!

"What kind of costume? What is it?" Jen knew it was highly unlikely she would be able to go shopping for quite some time, and her mom firmly believed in homemade costumes. She wrinkled her nose at the memory of the pink bunny costume with the cottonball tail Joanne made for her in second grade. "Not the kind of bunny that comes to mind first, but it is cute, Joanne," Uncle Johnny commented all those years ago. At the time she didn't understand. Now she wished she had that other kind of bunny costume. Wouldn't J.R. flip? She would be grounded for a year! Jennifer's lips bowed up in a secretive smile.

Kathy looked at Jennifer's grinning face and grew more determined. "It's a witch's costume, but it's short, cut...uh real low and fits tight."

"That's definitely out," Jen said with a sigh. "My parents would never allow that in a thousand years."

"What if I brought it here and put it in your locker? You could wear something else and change down here later. It'll knock J.R.'s eyes right out of his head." Kathy managed to get the sentence out without choking. The last thing she wanted was J.R. focusing those brown eyes on Jennifer DeSoto.

"I don't know. I'm in enough trou..." Jen broke off, realizing that more ears were listening to this conversation than she wanted. "I'll think about it, okay?"

From her locker in the corner, Tammy Payne watched the play of emotions on the other girls' faces. Up until now she took Kathy Barrie at face value as a friend. But she was up to something...and at a bet, that something was getting Jen DeSoto in trouble. I'm gonna keep my eye on you, Kathy Sweetie, and you'd better not be up to what it looks like you're up to.

A shrill whistle echoed through the locker room calling the girls to the gym for class. Locker doors slammed as twenty-five young ladies hustled out the door.

"Some day," Tammy whispered to Jennifer, "I'm gonna take that whistle of hers and step on it!" Tammy was not Miss Fisher's favorite student.

"Okay girls, start with fifteen laps of the gym and then we'll begin basketball fundamentals." At the shrill blast of her whistle, Jen cringed and gave Tammy a nod. She wouldn't mind doing some damage to that whistle herself. Miss Fisher was always a little too close to Jen's and Tammy's ears when she blew on the darned thing.

"Pick up the pace, DeSoto! You're lagging."

On second thought, Jen frowned, to heck with the whistle, I'd like to do some damage to Miss Fisher. Nothing really bad...just a good case of laryngitis.

"I said move it, DeSoto!"

And cramps, Jennifer decided, really bad ones.

************************

J.R. stared at his paycheck in dismay. Without the overtime he'd been working, it seemed rather puny. Quickly he sat down at the table to do some math. Okay, subtract rent, my share of the utilities, gasoline and car insurance, after I ante up for half the groceries at home and for each shift, subtract the payment on Jen's ring...I'll have three dollars and fifteen cents. He put his head in his hands. So much for the Harley. Well, maybe I can get a couple days of overtime next week. Determined to be cheerful, he pocketed the check and headed out to the Rover. First stop...the bank, then on to the jewelry store.

"Can I just look at it again for a minute?" J.R. Gage asked the cashier on duty. With a sigh of irritation, the lone counter clerk pushed back an imaginary stray lock of her gray hair, glanced at the young man over the top of her reading glasses and nodded reluctantly. She unlocked the cupboard where the layaway items were stored and rifled through the anonymous white sacks until she found the one with J.R.'s layaway ticket. Pulling open the stapled bag, the woman withdrew the burgundy velvet case and handed it to the eager young man. Momentarily her expression softened at the look of anticipation on his face that widened into a lopsided grin. His chocolate brown eyes danced as he declared, "She's gonna love it. I can't wait to see her face!"

With real regret that the solitaire diamond ring had to go back into hiding, J.R. closed the case and handed it back to the elderly cashier. "Just six more payments," he told her, "and I can take it with me." He put the receipt carefully into his billfold and watched the woman staple the bag shut, the latest payment carefully recorded on the ticket. Oh well, the way things are going, six more payments ought to be just about right. That's about when I'll get to see her again.

************************

"Hey, Jen?" Chris DeSoto plopped on the other end of the sofa from his sister, interrupting her perusal of Saturday morning cartoons. She paused, her hand still in the box of sweet crunchy cereal that she found more palatable as a snack than a breakfast food.

"What?" came the terse response. Saturdays had been her days with J.R. when he was off. For the next six weeks, as her father made abundantly clear, it would be time spent with her family, at home.

"What happened at the ball game? Did you and J.R. have a fight?"

"Mind your own business, Christopher."

"Ooooh, I'm scared now. It must have been a big one. Did you catch him lookin' at some other girl?"

"What other girl?" Jen demanded, turning a fierce glare on her sibling.

"Oh...nobody in particular." Chris grinned, sure he was pushing the right buttons now.

"Chris, what other girl? Tell me or I'll...I'll tell Kalie you hate praline ice cream."

Kalie Riley, who worked in an ice cream parlor, regularly brought Chris gifts of ice cream which he valiently pretended to consume with relish, giving away the ones he didn't like. Lately she seemed to be stuck on praline, unaware that Chris didn't care for it.

"All right, all right. He wasn't looking at another girl. But there were a few looking at him."

Jennifer shifted unhappily and tried to concentrate on the television. The news that someone else wanted her boyfriend made for uncomfortable thoughts. "Well, whoever it is better not do more than look," she said fiercely before scooping up the box of dry cereal and heading for the kitchen.

I guess she didn't have a fight with him then, Chris surmised. But then what the heck is she doing here on Saturday morning instead of spending the day at Uncle Johnny's?

************************

J.R. opened his locker and began to dress for shift. As he unsnapped his shirt, memories of Jennifer performing that function caused him to hesitate with a smile. He could still feel her graceful hands as they...

"Mornin' Baby! How did your days off go?" Kyle "Farms" Farmer breezed into the locker room and started shedding his attire, whistling loudly and offkey.

The mood broken, J.R. mumbled a greeting to the other firefighter and pulled on a clean white T-shirt. Maybe they would eventually forget to call him "Baby"...in about a hundred years.

The Phantom's first prank pulled on "The Squab", as Chet Kelly thought of J.R., seemed to have taken on a life of its own. As rumors and stories do, the account of J.R. and Chet's first shift together made the rounds of the stations, growing more spectacular and hilarious at every telling. "Baby Gage" became the butt of more jokes than he could count, some clever, others cruel. Only Captains Gage and DeSoto refused to take part in rehashing the events, although Roy did crack a smile every once in a while when 99's B-shift mentioned it at shift change.

Gage hurriedly straightened his collar in the mirror and headed out to the apparatus bay for roll call. Life just hadn't been going his way lately. He thought about the early morning phone call from Jen.

"Mornin' Sunshine," J.R. greeted his girl at six a.m.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did you have a good Saturday?"

"I missed you all day." J.R. gave her the response he knew she would want to hear, and it was the truth. "Dad and I took Dusty and Dancer out for a ride after breakfast. It was a beautiful morning. I sure wished you were with me on Dusty, sitting in front where I could put my arms around you."

"Mmmm, me too. I had to help Dad clean out his workshop. Yuck."

"Honey, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't been so stupid we would still have our weekends."

"We were stupid together, okay? Anyway, there's more bad news. I have to ride to the Halloween Party with Mom and Dad...we can't go together. I am to stay with them or Tammy all evening. If you want to talk to me, it will be in front of a chaperone."

"Oh, honey, that really stinks."

Her voice became small and sad. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. It won't probably be much fun for you."

"Sunshine, if I don't go, I won't get to see you at all. I don't think I could stand that. Even if I have to talk to you in front of your mom and dad, it's better than not talking to you at all. Do you suppose they would throw a fit if we at least hold hands?"

"J.R., the way things are going, I think they would throw a fit if we stand within thirty feet of each other. But we can try it. What more can they do to us?"

He didn't wanted to think about the possibilities.

"Gage, wake up!"

There were chuckles and appreciative grins from the other firefighters. J.R., startled out of his preoccupation with Jennifer DeSoto, snapped his head up to look at Captain Riley. The hat that sat precariously on his head moments before tumbled to the floor at his feet. It didn't fit. It wasn't his hat.

"Sorry, Cap."

"Hasn't had his morning bottle...er cup of coffee yet," Winston joked under his breath.

J.R.'s face turned a dull red, partly with anger and partly with the embarrassment of earning yet another rebuke, albeit a mild one.

"See if you can wake up and concentrate on the latrine," Gene Riley told him, irritated.

J.R. sighed. He'd grown very familiar with every tile in the latrine floor lately.

"Winston and Crawford, I have a list of fire inspections for you to do. B-shift didn't get to finish them; they had sixteen runs yesterday. You can probably expect to be busy as well. The closer it gets to Halloween, the worse it will be...for the engine too."

"Farmer you're the cook today. Nichols, the dorm and when you get done, the engine needs some spit and polish. Gage can join you when he finishes with the latrine. Nothing else in the announcements. Any questions?"

Receiving no response, Gene Riley indicated with a sweep of his hand freedom for 15's C-Shift to begin their housekeeping chores.

J.R. headed for the mop closet. I think I'm beginning to wear a trail. Others must have thought so too. When he opened the doors, a neat stack of diapers sat on the shelf formerly occupied by the cleaning rags. "Ha ha ha." Boy! this is getting old!

************************

The ringing of the telephone interrupted roll call at Station 51. Dave Konnitsky ran to the kitchen to answer. A moment later he sauntered out into the apparatus bay, a mischievous grin spread across his freckled face.

"Does a Mr. John Gage work here?" he asked the crew at large, his voice a high, sweet falsetto.

Johnny recognized the timbre and accent of Estelle's voice in the imitation. He needed to give her some calling guidelines. She'd phoned the ranch twice over the weekend to ask him to dinner and then to ask about a plumbing problem. After a few minutes of gushing and flattery, she finally invited him to her house for dinner tomorrow night. In a weak moment, he agreed.

"I'll take it after roll call; now back to business." Cap Gage made the morning meeting short and sweet. Johnny had a feeling this particular woman would still be waiting if he took an hour. Estelle might be attractive and good for his ego, but something about her tendency for helplessness made him uneasy. Maybe it's my imagination. Joanne isn't very impressed with her, though, and I don't think it's jealousy. Roy's wife has been playing matchmaker for years.

"Captain Gage speaking." There, that should clue her in that I'm not just somebody that 'works around the station'.

"Ohh, John? My goodness, you're a captain? That sounds important."

"Good morning, Estelle, how can I help you?" Better to keep things official during working hours. Funny, a couple of years ago I would have eaten this up! Man, I would have really gotten off on all that adoration. I wonder why it annoys me now?

"I'm so sorry if I called at a bad time. I guess you must have very important work to do, what with fighting fires and all."

"There are no fires at the moment, although if a call comes in, I'll have to hang up pretty quick. What can I do for you today?"

"I just wanted to remind you about dinner tomorrow night, and Kathy says to invite J.R. as well. I didn't mean to leave him out when I called yesterday. I'm sure you two men would enjoy a home-cooked meal."

"I don't know what J.R.'s plans are, but I'll ask him. He's a good cook himself so we eat pretty well for a couple of bachelors."

"I...see." Estelle sounded a bit non-plussed. "Well, I hope he can make it anyway; the more the merrier. It sounds like he and Kathy have a lot in common, she's a good cook too."

"I'll let him know, Estelle, but I can't promise for him. He pretty well does what he pleases."

"I...see," she said again. Sounds like this isn't going the way Estelle planned. Johnny's crooked grin made an appearance. It might be fun just to see how far she'll go with her matchmaking for her daughter...and herself. He gulped. Maybe that's what makes me uneasy!

Johnny sobered at the thought of J.R. and matchmaking. My son's relationship with Jennifer is undergoing some choppy waters at the moment. Letting Kathy Barrie into the boat might just sink it. I'd better keep an eye on this situation.

"...so anyway, I thought it would be cute to go as a couple, you know?" Estelle had switched topics somehow when his attention wandered. Rather than agree, it would be safer to find out what he'd missed first.

"Uh, Estelle, could you repeat that..."

"STATION 51, ENGINE 99...STRUCTURE FIRE...1339 SOUTH SANTA RITA...1-3-3-9 SOUTH SANTA RITA...CROSS STREET MILL PARK LANE...TIME OUT 08:37"

"Sorry, Estelle, gotta go." Johnny hung up the phone and ran to the radio before Sam Lanier's voice finished the call. Charlie Dwyer wrote down the details on the call slip. He took one copy and handed the other to Johnny, then slid behind the wheel of the squad. Johnny acknowledged, "Station 51, KMG-365" and ran to his place on the engine.

"Let's roll, Marco!"

Marco Lopez silently mouthed the words along with his captain as he pulled the engine out behind the squad. A grin popped up on Johnny's face when he caught his engineer saying the phrase with him. It had become a good luck talismen for them both.

"Santa Rita and Mill Park...now why does that sound familiar?" Johnny wondered aloud.

"Didn't we have a fire there a couple of months ago? I got it! It was a supermarket. The fire damage wasn't too bad, but the owner screamed law suit because the water from the hoses caused more damage than the fire itself." Marco sounded the air horn in warning as they approached an intersection. Cars hurriedly moved aside, making way for the squad and engine.

"Oh, yeah." Johnny rubbed his chin with the back of his sore hand. That owner went out of his way to be nasty. I hope it isn't the same building.

Well, my luck isn't all bad, Cap Gage mused seconds later as they pulled up behind Engine 99. It's the same darned store, but at least Roy is the incident commmander this time. I don't have to listen to the guy. He tried to summon some sympathy for his former partner, but couldn't find any. Roy is much better at handling difficult people.

"Engine 51, go to the back alley and hook up to the hydrant on Mill Park, then concentrate on the rear of the structure." Roy's voice burst from the engine's radio. Johnny could see him standing in the parking lot with the HT, trying to position his men while the supermarket owner stood nearby yelling at him. The irate man emphasized his words with broad gestures as he indicated the building before them. Better you than me, partner, Johnny thought.

"Engine 51, 10-4," Johnny answered, smiling. Marco steered Big Red down the narrow alley and expertly manuevered the unwieldy vehicle into position, pausing for Greg Manley and Dave Konnitsky to pull hoses from the bed.

"Konnitsky, you and Taylor take a couple of inch-and-a-halfs in through that receiving platform. Dwyer, you and Manley back them up." Johnny opened up the HT. "HT-99, HT-51, is everybody out of there?"

"Ah, that's affirmative 51...would you stand back?!!" Roy was still having problems with that owner, Johnny guessed. "How do things look back there, Johnny?"

"Not too bad back here, Roy. I sent two men in with inch-and-a-halfs."

"No!" Johnny heard a gasp and a struggle as the owner tried to yank the HT from Roy's hands. "You can't let them soak everything down," the man whined. "Can't they just put out the fire without ruining all of my stock?"

Johnny grinned, glad this was Roy's problem. The HT went silent preventing him from hearing Roy's response. Shaking his head, Johnny stood beside Marco watching his crew return from the loading dock.

"Fire's out, Cap," Manley informed him. "Faulty wiring in some refrigeration equipment sparked into piles of waste paper and boxes. Not much structural damage, but the water..."

"I can guess," Johnny smiled. I shouldn't find this funny. I really shouldn't. "That owner is a real pain in the neck.

Marco's pearly white teeth gleamed beneath his neatly clipped mustache as he shared Johnny's amusement. "Not only that, he doesn't seem to learn much."

"Fire's out, Roy," Johnny sang into the HT.

"10-4" The angry curt response indicated Captain DeSoto's complete lack of patience.

A moment later the radio came to life again. "Engine 51, Squad 51 return to station, all other units cancel." His lopsided grin in place, Johnny signalled his men to pack it up.

No sooner had both vehicles backed into the station than the phone rang.

"Caaaap!" Rudy Taylor called, leaning out the kitchen door. Johnny directed Konnitsky and Manley to get started cleaning the hoses then motioned that he would take the call in his office. He didn't see Taylor's wide grin and the gesture that indicated the identity of the caller.

"Captain Gage speaking."

"Hi, John," Estelle's breathless voice came across the wire. He cringed in irritation. This was becoming a bit much.

"Oh hi, Estelle. How can I help you?"

Before she could reply the tones sounded and Sam Lanier's voice resounded through the station, "STATION 51...VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES FORTY SECOND STREET NEAR KENMORE...SHERIFF AND AMBULANCE ARE RESPONDING...TIME OUT 10:14."

Johnny dropped the phone, pausing a moment to thank the heavens for sending them a call, before hurrying to the mic. Dwyer handed him the call slip and jumped into the Squad's driver's seat as the rest of the station secured their gear and ran for the engine. "Station 51, 10-4, KMG-365," Johnny acknowledged.

As the two vehicles roared out of the apparatus bay and headed for downtown, Johnny fleetingly wondered what he was going to do about Estelle. That she wasn't going to become a permanent part of his life he was reasonably sure.

At the accident scene a dark-haired young man, his face streaked with blood, ran up to Johnny as soon as the captain exited the engine. "Please," he begged, "you've got to get her out of there. You've got to help her."

"All right, all right, just calm down," Captain Gage told the young man. He gently but firmly pried the teenager's fingers from his turnout coat and walked with him to join Dwyer and Manley who struggled to access the girl still pinned in the wreckage of a small car. The frantic boy ran forward to push his way between the paramedics. Johnny beckoned Rudy Taylor to pull the boy back.

Cap Gage nodded in satisfaction to see Firefighter Dave Konnitsky pop the car's crumpled hood and disconnect the battery then grab a reel line and begin to hose gasoline from the pavement around the car. Taylor guided the young man to the rear of the engine while Johnny hurried to the side of his paramedics. "How's the girl?" he asked Charlie Dwyer.

"I think she's gonna be okay," the paramedic responded. She's bumped her head pretty good, and her legs are pinned, but she can move both feet and seems to be more worried about her boyfriend than hurt. I think we'll need the Porta-Power to get her out, though."

Cap Gage nodded. "What about the other driver?" He peered at the large luxury car, it's rear quarter-panel severely damaged where the small car had impacted.

"Ah, he's mostly just mad. Claiming whiplash and all kinds of other stuff. Manley checked him out and took his vitals. His heartbeat is a little fast; Morton said bring him in as a precaution."

Johnny snorted. "Morton would." An amused glance passed between Gage and Dwyer. "I'll clean up the boyfriend. He has a few facial lacerations, but I think he'll be okay." Johnny removed some supplies from the trauma box and made his way back to the young man seated on the back of the engine.

"How ya doin'?" he asked the teenager who now leaned down to rest his head in his hands.

At Johnny's words he looked up sharply. "Jennifer? How's my fiancee?"

The sound of the Porta-Power's motor starting up brought an anxious look back to the young man's face and he started to rise.

"Just relax, she's gonna be fine. They're getting her out now. Her name is Jennifer? Well, don't you worry. They're gonna take you both to the hospital and get you checked out by a doctor, but Jennifer seems to be okay other than just being stuck. You two were pretty lucky."

The boy snorted. "Lucky! Her old man is gonna kill us!"

"Well, maybe he'll just be happy she isn't hurt too badly. Ya never know."

"Yeah? Not when he finds out we were eloping."

Johnny looked up at the young man. He tried to sound comforting. "What's your name?"

"Mud, I think. But my friends, if I still have any after this, call me J.D."

Cap Gage tried not to shudder at the odd similarity. When Manley knelt to take the boy's vitals Johnny moved quickly away. A vision of J.R. and Jennifer DeSoto quickly flashed before his eyes. He took a deep breath. It's just a coincidence, that's all, he told himself.

As the second ambulance left the scene, the boy and his fiancee en route to Rampart, Johnny stood for a while staring into space, his mind replaying the scene between himself and his son. What if they do elope? I know J.R. promised that won't happen, but Roy is really being too protective...I think. If he would just give them some leeway, cut them some slack, maybe what happened the other night wouldn't have happened. On the other hand, Marnie and I were given all the freedom we wanted...and look what did happen. I don't think I'm up to this. Maybe I'd better let Roy handle it after all.

"Cap? Can we go back to the station now? John?"

Cap Gage looked into the concerned eyes of his engineer. He'd been drifting again. "Uh, yeah. Are we all cleaned up?" Three pairs of eyes watched their captain in concern as Marco nodded the affirmative. "Okay, let's get back to the station."

"What's up with the cap?" he heard Rudy Taylor ask Dave Konnitsky, assuming that because Dave and J.R. were close friends he would have the inside track on the Gage family.

Dave shrugged and climbed up behind the captain. "Maybe it's his new girlfriend," he said suddenly as if inspired. Rudy Taylor grinned and nodded agreement.

Johnny's jaw tightened in frustration as Taylor rejoined, "That must be it." He would really have to have a serious talk with Estelle.

************************

Quiet reigned at Station 99 as Captain DeSoto reviewed the shift schedule for the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving was but a month away. He hoped he would still have something to be thankful for. The memory of his conversation with J.R. Gage played over and over in his mind like a broken record. Could he have been less hard on the boy? No, not really. The one item he mentioned to no one was the tail end of the conversation he overheard between Johnny and his son in the school parking lot.

"I'm sorry, Dad," J.R. had said, "I wouldn't really have eloped with Jennifer...I love her so much. Sometimes it feels like she'll never be eighteen." Just knowing the subject came up was enough to make Roy angry. Elope with my daughter! Not while I draw breath. Sure the kid said he wouldn't do it, but obviously he'd been thinking about it, threatened to do it, or he wouldn't have had to apologize.

The pencil he held in his hands snapped from the pressure unconsciously applied and Roy threw it aside in disgust. The ringing of the telephone saved the next writing utensil from a similar fate.

"Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 99, this is Captain DeSoto."

"Well, my, don't you sound big strong and handsome? Hey, Captain, there's a fire at my house, you want to come put it out?" The woman's seductive voice triggered a physical response.

"Well, now ma'am, that all depends," Roy replied. "Do I need to bring the whole crew, or can I put this fire out by myself?"

"Oh, I think you'll be able to take care of the problem alone. You sound very...capable."

"Hmm, can this fire keep burning until I get off shift tomorrow morning?"

"Actually, I was hoping you would bring a friend."

Roy blinked in surprise. "What?" he asked, unsure he'd heard correctly.

"Invite Johnny over for breakfast, Roy, I think we're gonna need to ask him a big favor."

"Joanne, what are you talking about?"

As his wife explained Roy's face took on a forbidding set. This is just great! he thought, just what we need right now. Jaw set angrily, Roy assured his wife, "I'll ask him, but he isn't going to like it."

"We'll ask him after breakfast," Joanne said hurriedly as the tones went off calling Station 99 to action. "Love you, bye!"

"STATION 99, STATION 127, BATTALION 14...STRUCTURE FIRE AT PARKHURST HOTEL, CORNER OF ELM AND PARKHURST...CORNER OF ELM AND PARKHURST...TIME OUT 12:45"

"Station 99, 10-4, KMG-375," Roy replied. He concentrated on business, all thoughts of J.R., Johnny and the big favor swept to the back of his mind as the big engine roared into the street. Engineer Scott Richey maneuvered his way through the lunchhour traffic to the rundown hotel in the seamier section of downtown. He stopped just past the hydrant a block from the burning structure for Firefighter Tony Sparks to pull out hose while Peters and his partner hooked up. As they swung around through the alley the squad pulled to the curb and the paramedics jumped out, quickly donning SCBA before hurrying up to their captain.

"Have your men search the building, but make it quick," Chief McConnike's voice burst from the HT in Roy's hand.

"10-4, Battalion 14." Roy turned to "Pete" Peters, "You heard the man, make it quick. This building has been condemned, but you can't tell who might be hiding out in there. Be careful and stay in touch."

Peters pulled on his air mask and nodded agreement, raising his HT to emphasize understanding before they opened the back door and disappeared inside.

Roy directed his crew on the hoses and backed up Sparks as they fought the blaze to keep the stairwell clear for the paramedics. He heard McConnike call in a second alarm assignment and hoped his men would come out soon.

"Engine 99, what is the status on your paramedics?"

"HT-99, Engine 99, Pete, where are you?"

"We're on the second floor, Cap," Peter's replied, his response muffled by the SCBA. "We're moving on to...wait, we have a victim. Cap, we're gonna need an ambulance."

"10-4, Pete. L.A., Engine 99, request an ambulance at our location." "Battalion 14, Engine 99, the paramedics have swept the building and located one victim. They are bringing him out now."

"Battalion 14, 10-4"

Roy watched the stairwell anxiously as one hand on Sparks' shoulder, he continued to back up his crewman. Finally a figure appeard at the top of the stairs and struggled to make his way down.

"Pete" Peters emerged from the thick smoke carrying the blanket-wrapped victim. Roy assisted Peters as the other paramedic stumbled out after them. The victim was a very young girl in an advanced state of pregnancy. Peter's took her vitals while his partner contacted the hospital. Roy set up the oxygen and fit the mask on her thin face. He noticed her left hand devoid of any jewelry and estimated her to be about sixteen years old. For a few moments Captain DeSoto's fatherly instincts were outraged. A vision of Jennifer in this girl's place renewed his desire to re-arrange J.R. Gage's face.

"Cap, she's in labor," Pete's voice refocused his captain's attention. "It don't look like she's gonna wait for the obstetrician."

Roy nodded and hurried to the squad for the O.B. kit, haunted by the face of the near child about to give birth. Her cries of distress seemed to echo, even in the confusion that surrounded the fire scene. She would be a blond. Leaving the girl in the capable hands of his paramedics, Roy returned to the fire and the job of fighting it, but the image of the young girl stayed with him, haunting, sometimes becoming the face of his daughter. He forced himself to concentrate. Never, he vowed, this is never going to happen to my baby.

************************

Johnny hung up the phone, his patience stretched to the breaking point. This situation was getting out of hand. He heard snickers from "Johnny's Crew" each time the phone rang.

I don't believe this. Why me? Why can't she be like Valerie and go chase some lawyer? Johnny stood and ran frustrated hands through his hair before walking to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The soft chuckles he heard upon entering set his teeth on edge.

"All right, knock it off," Johnny told them curtly.

Dwyer didn't even pretend to misunderstand. "But Cap, you're just so...irrisistable." The breathless voice was Estelle to a T.

"A-ha-ha-ha," Captain Gage gave his paramedic an insincere smile and mumbled about the lack of respect as he poured his coffee cup full of the steaming brew. "Don't you and Manley need supplies?"

"Nope, stocked up on our last run. What's the matter, Cap? Getting nervous about the next Mrs. Gage?"

Johnny spun on his heels and pointed an accusing finger at the smirking senior paramedic, but before he could say a word, the telephone rang. Gage grimmaced and headed for his office to the accompanying laughter of his crew. "Caaaap, telephone!" Marco's voice, brimming with mischief followed him through the station.

Johnny gritted his teeth and muttered imprecations as he picked up the phone. "Now, look, Estelle," he said, trying to be firm and say his piece before she could interrupt, "you need to stop calling me here. I can't keep running to the phone all the time. Now you're a nice lady, and sweet as can be, but I mean it, you have to stop calling so often."

"Sorry, Junior, I didn't know you were so busy. Who's Estelle? Is she the woman from the football game?"

"Roy! Thank God! I thought it was Estelle again. I tell you, man, that woman is driving me crazy. I can't even have a moment's peace but what she's calling again." Johnny waved one hand wildly in the air for emphasis.

"Sounds serious, Johnny. What did you say to her? She must have some reason for being so persistent."

"Nothing!" Johnny nearly shouted. "I haven't said anything to encourage her, not one thing. One time she called because her sink was stopped up. The next time it was to see if I'm still coming to dinner tomorrow night. Then she wanted to invite J.R. A couple of hours ago she had to find out what our favorite food was. Then she had to ask if we like chocolate. Just a few minutes ago it was to make sure I knew the time...was it too early or too late. I'm tellin' ya, Pally, I'm going nuts. She won't take a hint."

"She sounds like one very determined lady," Roy chuckled. "Tell me, should I order my tux yet?"

"Ohhhh, no! Don't even think it. I'm perfectly happy being single, thank you very much. Especially after this mess. The guys are having a field day at my expense. I get nothing but jokes every time the phone rings. Roy, it's downright..." Gage sought for the words, "...embarrassing."

"Junior, it sounds to me like you have your speech all ready for the next time she calls." Gage couldn't help but notice that Roy seemed highly amused at his expense.

"Yeah...but now I'm not sure I can say it." Captain Gage rested his forehead on one palm. "What am I going to do? I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"If you're that concerned for her feelings, then the only thing to do is marry her, Johnny." The barely restrained laughter in Roy's voice didn't register in time.

"Marry her! Marry her! Roy, I'm not even sure I like her! I...oh ha ha. You're some help."

"Well, Johnny, I won't keep you from your um...admirer. I just called to invite you to breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Breakfast? Why?"

"Do I have to have a reason to invite my best friend over for breakfast?"

"No, you don't have to, but you usually do." Johnny smirked, glad to at least score once. "Does Joanne know?"

"It was her idea."

Johnny stared at the phone. "Now I'm really worried."

"Will you be there?"

"You won't invite Estelle?" Johnny began to fear the woman would pop up somewhere unannounced.

"I think I can safely promise Estelle...er whatever-her-name-is...won't be invited."

"Barrie," Johnny said automatically. "Estelle Barrie. And you're on." Gage hung up the phone which immediately rang again. With a longsuffering sigh he picked up the receiver as Dwyer howled from the dayroom, "Los Angeles County Fire Station Fifty-One, Captain Gage speaking..."

"John!" the familiar breathless voice declared, "I've been trying to get through forever!"

************************

"John," a persistent voice called him in the night, "Johnny, come on partner, we've gotta go. It's the kids. You get the trauma kit, I'll get my gun."

Johnny rose and followed automatically, pausing only to pull up the suspenders of his turnouts. He pulled the drug box from the front compartment of the squad and ran to the parking lot. There Roy waited in an ambulance, holding the door open for his friend. Johnny jumped in and the vehicle sped off into the night, light flashing, siren blaring.

"We've got to catch them," Roy urged. "They've gone too far this time." Roy tapped on the iron bars separating them from the driver, Chet Kelly, and the vehicle picked up speed, racing onward, taking corners on two wheels.

"We're gaining on them Roy," Kelly said over his shoulder. Through the partition, Johnny could see highway markers and exit signs pass in a blur.

"Faster, Kelly," Roy yelled to be heard above the siren. "We've got to catch them before it's too late."

"There they are," Estelle said from her seat beside the driver. She pointed one elegant finger toward a wrecked Land Rover at the side of the road. The ambulance came to a screaching halt, the siren cutting out as if strangled. The red flashing lights gave the scene a surreal strobe effect as Johnny and Roy jumped from the rear of the ambulance.

Roy withdrew his revolver from his side holster and used it to motion them both forward.

"Wait," Johnny called, "what do you need that for?"

"I'm going to kill your son," Roy replied. "Johnny it's the only way. They've gone too far." Roy turned and headed determinedly for the back of the Rover. Johnny watched in horror, his feet heavy and unresponsive as if weighed down by concrete. Slowly and painfully he dragged himself forward toward the Rover and his best friend.

"Nooooo, Roooooy!" he cried. "They just want to be together. He's just a kid. Please..."

Roy wrenched open the rear door of the Rover. Jennifer, in a bridal gown, a wedding ring already on her finger, tumbled out in a heap of white satin and lace. J.R. clad in turnout pants and a bow tie, exited after her, his face a mask of defiance. "She's mine now, Mr. D," he said stepping in front of Jennifer.

The revolver leveled, as if of its own accord, until it aimed at J.R.'s heart. "Noooooo!" Johnny called desperately, "he's my son!"

"They went too far," Roy said in a matter-of-fact voice and raised the gun preparatory to shooting. "Do you have the trauma box?"

"Yes," Johnny whispered, still trying to reach his erstwhile partner, to place himself between the gun and his only child.

"She's mine now," J.R. repeated. "We eloped."

"Daddy, I'm sorry," Jennifer said quietly. "I'm J.R.'s wife. We're married, Daddy."

Johnny reached Roy and pulled at his hand. The revolver barked once, reverberating in the still night air. Johnny looked down at his chest to see a bright red stain spread across his white T-shirt. He flew backward against the side of the ambulance as Roy once again raised the gun, aiming at J.R.'s chest. The revolver barked again and J.R. pitched forward into the grass.

"Nooooooooo!" Johnny sat up in bed, his face bathed in perspiration. A sea of faces materialized around him and the lights flicked on.

"Cap, are you all right?" Dave Konnitsky's red hair and freckles stood out starkly against his pale face as he leaned toward his frightened captain.

"He's...he's not dead?" Johnny stammered in confusion.

"Who's not dead, Cap?" Charlie Dwyer hunkered down beside Johnny's bed. As nightmares go, this one must have been a doosie.

"J.R....it was a dream, right?" Johnny shook his head and gave a weak version of his crooked grin. "I'm sorry guys. I guess I'll get a glass of milk and let everybody go back to sleep.

Johnny's Crew took it for the dismissal it was, except for Charlie. He looked at Johnny and then bowed his head, shaking it in sympathy. "Hey, John, it's okay, man. Dreaming about the death of your child is a bad scene. I know I'd be in a bad way if I lost one of my kids. And I don't suppose it gets any easier just because they grow up." The paramedic gave his captain a sympathetic look and stood to return to his bunk, the one Roy used to use.

With a shudder, Johnny threw back the covers and pulled on his turnouts. The dream was so real...dream heck, it was a nightmare, plain and simple. How can I even imagine Roy shooting J.R.? Well, that's what makes it a nightmare, Johnny. It isn't real. It didn't happen. I'm gonna drink my milk, go back to sleep and dream something nice. A face popped into his mind's eye and he shuddered again. Something without Estelle this time.

ON TO PART THREE