Foundations

by

Jill Hargan

            The house was unremarkable.  It sat in the middle of a well-kept, middle class neighborhood.  Nothing distinguished it from any other home, except possibly that the grass hadn't been mowed in the last couple of weeks, giving the yard a slightly shabby look compared to the ones on either side of it.  But to a passerby, it wouldn't stand out.  Nothing would bring it to anyone's attention.  If the neighbors thought about it at all, they would only wonder why they hadn't seen Will for a few days.  But maybe he was out of town.  Maybe he was visiting his kids.  Wasn't it a shame about the divorce?  They were nice kids, too.  It was just too bad that marriages didn't seem to last anymore.  What was Darlene thinking of, running off like that?  It just showed you how you could never tell about people.

            Inside the house, William Franks didn't care what his neighbors might be thinking.  He didn't care much about anything anymore.  He hadn't been to work for four days.  The phone had rung frequently the first two mornings, but after that it had stopped, and he figured he didn't have a job any longer.  Not that it mattered.  Nothing mattered anymore.

            He sat on the edge of his unmade bed, holding the legal documents in his hand.  They were hard to read in the twilight-darkened room, and the edges were wrinkled and tattered from when he'd first received them and had crumpled them into a ball and thrown them against the wall.  But after that, he'd retrieved the papers and smoothed them out so he could read the words over and over.

            The divorce was final.  Darlene would be free of him and be able to marry her rich, young boyfriend.  He snorted to himself.  What she saw in that snot-nosed, baby faced fruit was beyond him, but he didn't give a damn what she did anymore.  He'd told her that often enough.  He didn't even think it hurt any longer.

            But this letter - this god damned letter.  This hurt.  This tore at his insides until he didn't know were his next breath was coming from.  Even now, a week after he'd gotten it, he still felt his stomach churn as the words stared at him from the papers.

            The plaintiff is awarded the property in question.

            So she got the house.  Well, he'd never wanted to buy it in the first place.  Let the bitch have the overpriced mortgage they'd been stuck with because she had to live in this neighborhood.

            The defendant will pay the plaintiff alimony in the amount of $200.00 per month.

            Money.  It had always been about money for her.  He'd see her in hell before he sent her a dime.

            Sole physical custody of the minor children is awarded to plaintiff.  Visitation is denied the defendant at this time until he undergoes the anger management program already outlined.  Child support in the amount of $200.00 per child, per month will be paid by the defendant to the plaintiff.

            She got the kids.  She got the kids.  She got his kids.  She cheated and ran around and played him for the fool and she got his kids.  He didn't even get to fucking see them.  All because of the lies, the god damned lies she sat there and poured out to the judge - a mealy mouthed, bleeding heart who swallowed everything she told him.

            He closed his eyes and could see their faces.  Russell's brown hair and freckled nose.  Katie's long, blonde braids and sky blue eyes.  Their smiles every time he brought them a surprise from one of his business trips.  Russ's pet frog.  Katie's doll collection.  The time his son fell off his bike and chipped his front tooth.  He'd been so brave about it, even when Darlene had turned the whole incident into a fight and blamed Will for pushing the boy too hard.

            Damn it!  If she had her way, his son wouldn't know the first thing about being a man.  And he sure as hell wasn't going to learn it from that smooth-faced prick who'd never had the guts to meet Will face to face.

            Seized with the sudden need to at least talk to the kids - to at least hear their voices and know they were okay, he leaned across the bed and dragged the phone over.  He dialed his mother-in-law's number and waited for it to ring.  He knew that's where his wife - ex-wife - had been staying.

            After a few rings, he heard someone pick up and a young voice answered.

            "Hello?"

            "Katie?  Is that you, angel?"

            "Daddy?  Hi, Daddy.  Where are you?  I miss you."

            Will's throat tightened at the innocent questions.  Obviously Darlene hadn't bothered to even explain what was going on.  She was probably going to let them think he just didn't care about them.

            "Yes, angel, it's me.  I miss you too.  Are you being a good girl?"

            "No," came a sniffled response.  "Uncle Jeffrey spanked me this morning 'cause he said I was bein' bad."

            Will's fists clenched tightly.  So it was Uncle Jeffrey now.  It would only be a matter of time before it became Daddy.  And then what Katie had said registered fully.  He'd spanked her.  That wife stealing son of a bitch had dared to lay a hand on Will's daughter.

            Before he could pull himself together enough to say anything else, he heard someone fumbling with the receiver and Katie's muffled voice pleading that she just wanted to talk to Daddy.  Then Darlene's voice came through the line loud and clear.

            "Will?  Will, what in hell do you think you're doing.  You got the papers.  It says no contact."

            "That's not what it says, Dar," he stated between clenched teeth.  "It says no visits.  Are you trying to tell me I can't even call them on the phone?  Is that what you're trying to do now?"

            "You just upset them."

            "I upset them?  I upset them?  I'm not the one who dragged them out of their beds in the middle of the night and took them away from home.  I'm not the one who's lying to them.  I'm not the one..."

            The line went dead in his hand as Darlene hung up with an audible click.  Will stared at the phone for a long moment, his heart pounding and his blood ringing in his ears.

            It was suddenly too much and he yanked the line from the wall and hurled the telephone across the room.  He didn't give a damn what those documents said.  Nobody was going to keep him from seeing his kids.  Not that bitch Darlene, not her pretty faced boyfriend, or her faggot lawyer - and certainly not some god damned judge.

* * *

            John Gage yawned widely as he pulled out of Rampart General's parking lot.  His morning had started earlier than he would have liked for a day off.  He'd had to be in court first thing regarding the young bombers they'd rescued at the earthquake damaged hospital.  That had ended up lasting a couple of hours.  Instead of going home after that, he'd driven to Baskin Robbins, picked up a pint of ice cream and stopped by the hospital to see how Roy was doing after his tonsillectomy.  Johnny couldn't keep from grinning as he remembered his partner's pathetic face.  To be unable to talk and yet have to lie there and listen to Chet's long winded exploits wasn't something the dark haired paramedic would ever want to happen to himself.  He felt a little badly that he'd bailed out on Roy and left him there to fend for himself, but Johnny had more on his agenda this morning, and he had to get going.

            As he drove down the street, he tugged uncomfortably at his necktie.  He hated the thing, and had already had it on far too long, but he didn't want to take it off quite yet.  He was hoping if he was still wearing it when he showed up at the doorstep, Joanne just might see him in a little different light.

            Johnny heaved a deep sigh.  He had no clue why Roy's wife didn't like him.  He tried to always be on his best behavior when he was around her, but he consistently got the impression that Joanne was putting up with him for Roy's sake and would be just as happy if Johnny never came by at all.

            Joanne was never rude.  She always smiled and talked to him politely, but he could never shake the feeling that Roy's wife was always annoyed at him for some reason he couldn't fathom.  Johnny frowned and scratched at his head in puzzlement.  He'd always felt he was a likeable kind of person, and Joanne's reactions stumped him.

            It wasn't like he hung around the DeSoto's constantly.  In fact, he made an effort to space his visits so as not to wear out his welcome, even though Roy asked him over fairly often.  Johnny felt bad every time he turned down an invitation to dinner, or breakfast after a shift.  Roy was obviously making an attempt to be friends and Johnny would have welcomed the chance to strengthen the bond the two men were developing as partners.  Johnny truly liked Roy, a fact that surprised the young man, since he and his partner had very little in common, and Roy was a couple years older and married to boot. The age difference wasn't a big deal; what did a year or two matter?  But most of Johnny's really good friends had always been single.  In fact, the last person he considered his best friend was Drew Burke, but once Drew and Pam got married, and then the next year had the baby, that friendship began to suffer.

            Johnny had never thought much about it.  He just figured it was a part of life.  When a man got married and started a family, his priorities changed.  Between his new family demands and his job as a policeman, Drew had little time left to hang around with a bachelor like Johnny.  They still saw each other, but the gap in between visits had just naturally widened from days, to weeks.  Now, it was more common for Johnny to go months at a time without seeing the Burkes.

            Johnny turned the corner and tugged at his tie again.  He didn't know what it was with Joanne.  Pam had always liked him and welcomed him into their home without reserve.  But he'd known Pam before she and Drew were married.  Maybe that made the difference.  Johnny knew Roy and Joanne had married fairly young.  Maybe Joanne had just never had the chance to be friends with any of Roy's single buddies.  Hell, maybe Roy had never had any single friends.  Maybe this was the first time and Joanne didn't know how to deal with it.

            He frowned and wondered if Joanne harbored some fear that Johnny would lead Roy into the paths of temptation, surround him with pretty, available women, keep him out all night carousing.  He shook his head at the images that came to mind.  Those weren't even things that Johnny himself did very often.  Why would he want to drag a happily married man into that lifestyle?  It occurred to him that maybe he should take this opportunity with Roy not around to assure his partner's wife that her husband's fidelity would not be shaken just by having a bachelor as a friend - well, at least a bachelor like John Gage.  But then he decided against it.  If those things hadn't been a concern for Joanne before, Johnny didn't want to plant any new ideas in her head.

            Johnny sighed as he turned the corner onto the DeSoto's street, running a hand through his short, dark hair.  Whatever the cause, the paramedic was determined to show Joanne how good a friend he could be.  A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he pulled into Roy's driveway.  He had a plan.

* * *

            Joanne DeSoto glanced at the kitchen clock and let out a weary sigh.  It was nearly 10:00 a.m., and she was just finishing cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast.  It had been one of those mornings.  Everything that could possibly go wrong had.

            Getting Chris to school had been like World War III.  Usually her son had no problems with his morning routine.  He had made the transition from kindergarten to first grade without a hitch.  But for some reason this morning he decided he didn't want to go.  By the time she'd gotten him dressed, fed and through the door, she'd been ready to tear out her hair.  The station wagon had taken a while to start and she'd been afraid they wouldn't get out of the driveway.  But the engine turned over at last and they drove to the elementary school, Chris complaining the entire way.  And then her six year old son had calmly walked into his classroom, all smiles, like nothing had ever happened.

            Shaking her head, Joanne had gotten back in the car and pulled away.  It was then that three year old Jennifer decided she was going to miss her older brother if he was at school all day and she began to cry inconsolably.  By the time they got home and she'd been able to get her little girl calmed down and so involved in playing with her doll house that she'd forgotten her brother entirely, Joanne was ready to go back to bed and start the day over.

            She dried her hands on the kitchen towel and hung it on the refrigerator door, wondering if she'd be able to get to the hospital to see Roy today.  He'd told her not to bother.  He'd be coming home tomorrow, but she felt bad letting him be there all by himself.  She knew he wasn't feeling great.  When she'd left last night, he'd just had the surgery and his throat was killing him, making it nearly impossible to talk.  Chet had been in the bed next to him, after having hurt his shoulder during their last shift.  While he'd been mostly asleep from pain meds while Joanne was there, she was sure by this morning, Chet would be more awake and  Roy would at least have somebody to keep him company.  It would certainly be easier for Joanne if she didn't have to worry about finding a sitter for Jenny and juggling a trip to Rampart into her schedule.

            She was still trying to justify not going while she started the laundry.  She was in the middle of filling the washer when she heard the doorbell.  Quickly she stuffed the last of the load into the machine and closed the lid, hurrying through the kitchen as she tried to beat her daughter to the front door.  Jenny had developed a bad habit of wanting to greet every person who came to their house, whether she knew them or not, and she'd recently grown tall enough to open the screen.  Roy had been planning on installing a hook latch higher up, out of the three year old's reach, but he hadn't gotten around to it yet.

            Just as Joanne reached the living room, she heard the screen door bang and Jenny's delighted squeal.

            "Uncle Johnny!  Uncle Johnny!"

            Joanne groaned slightly as she heard the voice that answered.

            "Hey, Jenny Bean, how's my girl?"

            She knew what she'd find even before she reached the hallway.  Her husband's partner of a little over a year would be standing on the porch holding Jennifer in his arms as the little girl hugged him tightly around the neck.  For some reason both the kids had taken to John Gage like a long lost friend and several months ago Jenny had suddenly bestowed the title "Uncle" to the dark haired paramedic.  Now both her children called him that.  Roy thought it was cute, but Joanne had to bite her tongue to keep from correcting the kids when they used that term.

            Johnny wasn't their uncle.  They had several real ones.  Roy had two sisters, and their husbands qualified.  Joanne's only brother, Bradley, had been killed in a car accident when he was twelve, but her sister Eileen had married a few years ago, and her husband Craig was Chris and Jenny's uncle.  They saw their relatives often enough that Joanne couldn't understand why they felt they needed another uncle in their lives, but they'd certainly adopted Johnny and always begged Roy to invite the young man over as often as possible.

            Sure enough, when she got to the open screen door, there he was, holding her giggling daughter.  He was a little more dressed up than she normally saw him; the slacks and tie were definitely out of place for a day off from the station.

            "Hello, Johnny," Joanne greeted, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.  She had no idea why he was here.  He'd never come over before without Roy.

            He glanced up and gave her a nervous, half-smile.  "Hi, Joanne.  How are you?"

            "I'm fine.  What brings you over?"

            Johnny set Jennifer down and tugged at his tie.  Joanne could tell he wasn't comfortable wearing it.  "Well, I... uh, I thought with Roy bein' in the hospital and all... well, I thought I'd maybe come over and do the yard and stuff... ya know?"

            Joanne gave him a quizzical look.  "Dressed like that?"

            Johnny glanced down at his clothes and grinned self-consciously.  "Well, no... I have some stuff to change into."  He shot a thumb over his shoulder toward his white Rover that was parked on the street.  "I had to go to court this morning.  That's why I'm dressed... um... I stopped and saw Roy too."  He paused a moment, obviously running out of steam and shuffled his feet awkwardly.

            Joanne studied his nervous movements, wondering why he thought they needed yard work done.  Roy had only been in the hospital a little over 24 hours.  It wasn't like he'd been away from home for weeks.  She hadn't exactly planned on having John Gage under foot all day today, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings by turning him away.  He looked like he really wanted to do this, so she repressed a sigh and nodded.

            "Sure.  Thanks.  The mower and stuff are in the garage."

            A toothy grin appeared on his face.  "Great.  I'll just go get my stuff."

            Joanne couldn't help shaking her head as he trotted eagerly to his car, Jenny tagging happily after him.  The way her luck was going today, she'd end up having to feed him lunch.

* * *

            Sure enough, a couple hours later, Joanne found herself setting out sandwiches, chips and a pitcher of Koolaid on the kitchen table.  She could hear Jennifer giggling from the guest bathroom, where she was supervising her "uncle" as he washed up to eat.  She could hear Johnny's deeper voice occasionally, and though she couldn't really make out what he was saying, he was certainly entertaining her daughter.

            She had to give the man credit.  He had worked hard mowing, raking and edging both the front and back yards, and had made a great deal of headway weeding the long flowerbed that lined the driveway, a chore she'd been after Roy to do for weeks.  And since Jennifer had been Johnny's constant companion once he'd finished with the machines and let her come outside to help, Joanne had been able to get a lot done in the house that would have taken her twice as long with the three year old getting in her way.

            A few moments later, Johnny came into the kitchen carrying Jennifer piggy back.  He set the little girl down and flashed Joanne an embarrassed smile.

            "You didn't have to go to all this trouble," he said, for at least the tenth time since she'd called him inside.

            Joanne repressed an exasperated sigh.  "It's really no trouble," she told him - again.  "I had to fix lunch for us anyway."

            The dark haired young man's smile widened a bit as he slid into a chair.  Jennifer scooted her chair closer before she sat down beside him.  Joanne frowned in slight reproof.

            "Jenny, you don't need to be right on top of Johnny.  Give him some room, for goodness sake."

            The child's face fell at the reprimand, but before she could get down off her chair to move it back to its original place, Johnny spoke up.

            "Aw, she's okay, Joanne.  I don't mind."  He turned and flashed Jennifer a smile that returned the sunshine to her face.  "Besides, she's my helper.  I don't think I could've gotten near as much done today if she hadn't helped me."

            Joanne knew her daughter well enough to catch the slightly triumphant look she cast at her mother before she turned her attention to her lunch.  Joanne drew in a frustrated breath, but refrained from saying anything.  If there was one thing she disliked in people who had no children of their own, it was their tendency to make little things huge issues and big things seem unimportant, but she knew Johnny hadn't purposefully meant to interfere in her parenting.  He'd just opened his mouth before he thought, something he tended to do a lot of in Joanne's opinion.

            She remembered all too well the party they'd thrown in anticipation of getting the paramedic bill out of committee and into open hearings.  It had been thinly veiled as a birthday party for Johnny, but everyone there knew it for what it was.  The only one fooled for a time was Kelly Brackett.  Joanne still felt bad for the doctor when she remembered how attacked on all sides the physician had looked when Johnny had opened his mouth and spouted off, demanding to know if the doctor was disappointed about their success.

            Of course, Joanne had given the doctor her own views on the matter, letting him know how much she supported Roy and the cause they were working for.  But she liked to think she'd been a little more diplomatic and a lot kinder than Johnny had been.  She'd talked about it later that night to Roy, but he'd come to Johnny's defense, explaining that all the guys in the program were getting frustrated.  It was a familiar refrain, but she supposed he was right.  She knew first hand how weary Roy himself had become with waiting for the green light.  But in Joanne's mind, that didn't excuse Johnny's irritating lack of tact.

            In the months that followed, Joanne had seen very little to change her initial opinion of the man.  He seemed so full of himself.  He talked too much.  He had the answers to everything and never balked at sharing those answers.  She wondered sometimes how Roy could stand to work with him twenty four hours at a time, much less be cooped up in the squad with him.  But her introverted, keep-to-himself husband had surprised her and had actually become friends with his partner.  Joanne still wasn't sure how that happened, how two men who were such total opposites had become close enough that when Johnny was so sick last fall, Roy had nearly worried himself into a hospital bed alongside his partner.

            To be fair, she supposed Roy had the chance to see more of John Gage than she ever did, to see the professional side, the side that had to be a more than competent paramedic or Roy would never have been able to work with him.  But he hadn't yet won any points with Joanne.

            She still had to grit her teeth whenever she remembered the outright nerve it had taken for Johnny to call and give her Mike Stoker's spaghetti recipe.  She'd managed to be polite on the phone, but poor Roy had certainly been on the receiving end of her anger when she'd hung up.  Two months later, she still wasn't sure if she had been madder at Johnny for thinking he could solve her problem, or Roy for discussing their marital issues with his partner.  She sighed to herself and made an effort to push those thoughts away.  Johnny was here now, trying to be helpful and it wasn't in her nature to be purposefully nasty to anyone.

            They ate in silence for a time, Joanne marveling at how fast and how much the man across from her could eat.  This wasn't the first time he'd been at her table, but she was always amazed at how he could put so much away and still stay so thin.  Roy had a healthy appetite too, but he didn't act like the food would disappear if he didn't get it into his mouth fast enough.

            "Uncle Johnny bringed Daddy some ice cream," Jennifer piped up suddenly, setting her glass of Koolaid down with a precarious thud.  "How come Daddy getted ice cream for breakfast?"

            "Careful, sweetie," Joanne cautioned, reaching a hand out to steady the glass.  "Remember, I told you that Daddy's throat was sore and the ice cream makes it feel better?"

            "Can I go to the hops-hopsit'l with Daddy and eat ice cream?"

            "I already told you, Jenny, Daddy's coming home tomorrow.  You're too little to go to the hospital anyway."

            "I'm not too little," Jennifer insisted indignantly.  "I'm a'most four."  She held up four little fingers to demonstrate.

            "I know you are, sweetheart," Joanne offered consolingly.  "But those are the hospital rules."

            Jenny stuck her lower lip out in a full blown pout.  "Those are dumb rules," she declared.  "I don' like that ol' hopsit'l."

            Johnny chuckled.  "I don't think your daddy does either," he stated, grinning around a mouthful of ham sandwich.  "When I left him this morning he didn't look too happy to be there... even with the ice cream."

            Joanne chose to ignore the view of chewed up ham and cheese, concern for Roy overcoming her disgust at her guest's lack of table manners.  "Wasn't he feeling good?"

            "I don't think it was his throat so much as his roommate," the paramedic laughed.  "I don't know if Roy could talk or not.  Chet never let him get a word in edgewise."  Johnny shook his dark head.  "Boy, that Kelly never knows when to shut up."

            Joanne had to work to keep the smile off her lips at that completely innocent comment, but Johnny's next words made the effort unnecessary.  The tension in her jaw made it impossible to smile.

            "It's sure a good thing I talked Roy into getting those tonsils checked out.  If it hadn't been for my nagging him, he'd probably still be walking around with a sore throat and gargling salt water."

            Joanne got up from the table and took her plate to the sink, giving herself an excuse to turn her back before Johnny could see the anger she knew would be obvious in her face.  He'd just done it again.  Opened his mouth and stepped in it big time. And again, it wasn't on purpose.  How was he supposed to know that Joanne had been after Roy for almost two weeks to go see a doctor?  That his constant grimacing and gargling and yet refusal to admit anything was wrong had been driving her nuts.  And when he'd finally come home the other day and told her he'd let Dr. Early take a look at his throat, Joanne had been ecstatic that he'd at last get something done about the problem, even if it meant a stay at Rampart while he had his second tonsillectomy.

            Now, she not only had to hear that Roy had given in to his partner's prodding after all she'd done to convince him to get checked out, but there sat John Gage himself, happily taking all the credit for saving Roy from a life of pain and misery.  Deep down, Joanne knew she was over reacting, but she couldn't help the way she was feeling right now.

              She didn't know if Johnny had picked up on her mood, but he suddenly pushed himself back and got up out of his chair.

            "I guess I'll go, uh... I'll go finish the flower bed.  Thanks for lunch, Joanne."

            Joanne felt a stab of regret as he turned away.  She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, but the look on his boyish face told her she hadn't done a very good job of hiding how she felt.  She didn't know quite what to say though and fell back into the comfort of routine.  Jenny had gotten down to follow after Johnny, and Joanne used that get back on a normal footing.

            "It's time for your nap, Jennifer," she reminded her daughter, knowing she was going to get a fight.

            "But Mommy," came the expected wail.  "Uncle Johnny needs me.  I'm his helper."

            "I know, but I think he can finish without you for now.  You need a nap, even if it's a short one.  We have to go get Chris in a little while.  It's an early day at school."

            "I don' wanna get Chris.  I wanna help Uncle Johnny."

            Joanne was starting to get exasperated.  She didn't want a scene in front of Johnny, but Jenny looked like she was winding up for a big one.  It was the last thing Joanne wanted to have to deal with today.

            But the tantrum never materialized.  Johnny stepped in, crouching down to be on Jenny's level.

            "Hey, what's this?  My best helper can't be arguing with her mom."

            "But Uncle Johnny..."

            "No 'buts'," he told her firmly, then gave her a big smile.  "You take a nap and then you'll be all rested to help me the next time.  Okay?"

            Jenny's little face was thoughtful as she weighed her decision, but then she smiled and her blue eyes lit up.

            "Okay, Uncle Johnny.  Will you be here when I'm all waked up?"

            Johnny cast a quick glance up at Joanne, then turned back to Jenny and shook his head.  "Probably not, kiddo, but you can be my helper the next time I come over."  He reached out and tweaked her nose, making her giggle.

            Joanne then watched in amazement as her daughter skipped happily down the hall to her bedroom, without so much as a whine, request for a drink, a trip to the bathroom, or any of the dozen other evasions she normally used to try and put off her nap as long as possible.

            "Thanks, Johnny," she managed lamely.

            The paramedic's mouth quirked in a slight smile of acknowledgment before he made his way out the front door.

* * *

            The morning had dragged by in agonizingly slow motion.  Will hadn't slept much during the night.  His mind had been too full.  During the dark, quiet hours he'd worked out a hundred different plans, only to discard them for this flaw or that problem.  He had to do it right.  He had to have just the right opportunity.

            And somehow in the midst of all the confusion, something solid had come together.  By the time the sun rose, it all made sense to him and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it right off.  It would be easy - quick and easy and then it would be done and no one would be able to stop him.  Once he knew what he was going to do, the only thing left was the waiting - waiting for the time to be right.

            Will glanced at the clock.  It was a little after one.  Just about the time he needed.  The kids would still be at school.  If he timed this right, he could get Russell and Katie and be gone before Darlene even knew anything about it.  She wouldn't be expecting them home until 2:30.  That would give him a good head start.

            For the first time in days he was filled with a sense of purpose.  He'd sat around and stewed and moped and cried for so long, feeling helpless to do anything to stop what was happening to his life.  Now he acted quickly.  He had a plan and he was anxious to put it into action.

            He showered and dressed.  He would attract too much attention if he showed up looking unkempt and unshaven.  He needed to appear normal.  Not only to those around him, but to the kids as well.  He didn't want to frighten them.  God knew what lies Darlene had been filling their heads with.  The last thing he wanted was for them to be afraid of him.

            As he was putting on his shoes it occurred to him that Darlene might have said something to the school.  They might give him a hard time about taking the kids out of class early.  Well, it was easy enough to bypass the office.  No one ever bothered to ask what a parent was doing on the school grounds.  But the teachers might be a problem.  The teachers might think to check with the office.  He couldn't let them do that.  That would ruin everything.  He'd need some sort of back up just in case there was trouble.

            He stood and let his feet take him to the open closet.  He stood for a moment, his mind weighing the possibilities and the consequences of what he was about to do.  He knew once he did this, there would be no turning back in any case, so what difference did it make if he had to resort to forceful methods to get what he wanted.

            His jaw clenched tightly as he pushed aside the shirts hanging from the rod.  Behind them, against the back of the closet, he found what he was looking for.

* * *

            Johnny had fully intended to leave as soon as he finished weeding.  There didn't seem to be much point in staying any longer.  He'd worked his ass off all morning, and except for a short time during lunch when he thought Joanne was warming up to him a little, her opinion of him didn't seem to have changed in the least.  Conversation between them was still forced and he'd sworn he'd actually seen her angry with him when she got up from the table.

            Disappointed and a little hurt, he threw himself into the job at hand and had the flower bed weed free in a very short time.  But he hadn't left.  He kept finding little things here and there that needed to be done, and he decided he was trying to help Roy after all, so why not stay and do them.  He was here anyway, and his day off had already been shot.

            He was up on the ladder cleaning leaves out of the rain gutters when he heard the front door open and then Jenny's voice calling out to him in delight.

            "Uncle Johnny!  You're still here.  Can I help you now?  I'm all waked up from my nap."

            He glanced at his watch, wondering at the shortness of Jenny's nap, but realized over an hour had gone by since he'd finished lunch.  Before he could answer, Joanne walked out behind her daughter.  She gave Johnny a curious glance, then took Jennifer by the hand.

            "We have to go pick up Chris, sweetie."

            "I don' wanna pick up Chris," the child argued determinedly.  "I wanna help Uncle Johnny.  He said I could."

            "Jennifer Lynn..."

            "Go with your mom, Jenny Bean," Johnny stated firmly, not wanting to come between mother and daughter.  The last thing he needed was for Joanne to think he was interfering.  "You can't help me up here anyway."

            "But..."  The three year old was reluctant to give in, but with her mother pulling on her hand, and Johnny up on the ladder, she didn't have much choice.  She started after Joanne down the walkway.  "Bye, Uncle Johnny," she called over her shoulder.  "I'll be your helper next time."

            Johnny couldn't keep the smile off his face.  At least one DeSoto female liked him.

            "Bye, Jenny.  Next time for sure."

            He chuckled to himself and turned his attention back to the muck in the gutters.  He scooped out a handful of muddy leaves.  Hopefully he'd be done soon.  His bout of altruism was wearing a little thin, and he wanted to get home and take a shower.  The NBA All Star game was on tonight.  Maybe he'd see if Marco wanted to come over and watch it.  After working this hard all day, a relaxing night of basketball and a few beers sounded good.

            In the middle of planning his night, he gradually became aware of a sound that didn't bode well.  It was an engine refusing to turn over.  Johnny stopped what he was doing and listened.  There it was again, and it sounded awfully close.  His eyes moved over to the open door of the DeSoto's garage.  The engine whined again, with less enthusiasm this time as the battery grew weaker.  If Joanne kept it up, she was going to kill it for sure.

            With a sigh, Johnny wiped his hands off on his jeans, then climbed down the ladder and headed toward the garage.  He could see Joanne's dark head bent over the steering wheel, one hand gripping it tightly, the other working the key in the ignition.  The sounds coming from the car were now pretty feeble.  Johnny moved up to the driver's side window and made a cutting motion.

            "Joanne!"  He motioned again as she lifted her head and caught sight of him.  "Stop.  Stop, you're flooding it."

            He could see her shoulders sag as she sat back against the seat in defeat.  Her window rolled down slowly, and Johnny could swear there were tears of frustration in her blue eyes.

            "It won't start," she informed him raggedly.

            Johnny's instinctual response of no shit never made it out of his mouth.  Something told him that a smart ass male comment wasn't going to score points for him.  Instead he smiled kindly and leaned in closer, his hands resting on the door on the car.

            "You want me to take a look?" he offered.

            Joanne's eyes lit up with hope, then grew guarded again.  "I couldn't ask you to do that," she hedged.  "You've already done so much today."

            Johnny kept the smile on his face.  "You didn't ask," he reminded her.  "I offered."

            The relief on the woman's face was enough to tell Johnny she was truly grateful for his help.  He moved aside so she could get out of the car.

            "I have to go call the school and let them know I'll be late getting Chris."  She moved over to the other side to get Jenny out.  "I hope they let him wait in the office."

            "Why don't I go get Chris, then I can see what's going on with the car."

            Joanne shook her head.  "I don't know if Chris would get in your car.  They've been talking to them at school about strangers and... well, since I didn't tell him you'd be picking him up..."

            Johnny nodded his understanding. "Okay.  Let's all go get Chris."  He gestured toward the Rover, glad he had the seat in the back for a change.  "There's room for everybody."

            "Are you sure it's no trouble?"

            "I'm positive," he assured her with a crooked smile.  "Now let's go before Chris starts to wonder where you are."

            "All right.  I can't thank you enough."

            "Are we goin' in your car, Uncle Johnny?"

            "We sure are, kiddo."  He bent down and scooped the little girl up and carried her to the car.

            They got settled, with Jenny buckled up in the back, and Johnny pulled out into the street.

            "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," Joanne told him, and for the first time that day, Johnny felt she meant what she said.

* * *

            The drive to Chris' school took about 15 minutes.  The DeSotos lived in a fairly new housing tract, and Johnny knew from things Roy had said, that they were building a new school for the neighborhood children.  Poor planning on someone's part had caused delays in getting started, and as a result, the kids had to attend classes across town.  Busing was provided by the district, but Johnny also knew from what Roy had told him that Joanne was still a little over protective of her eldest child.  She had insisted on driving him to and from school, rather than putting him on the bus every morning.

            He smiled to himself as he drove along the busy street.  Joanne probably would have had a cow if Chris had to travel the terrain Johnny did as a kid to get to school.  But he supposed times were different, and there was a lot more traffic and trouble a kid could run into here than in the open ranch lands of Montana.

            He glanced over to the passenger side and noticed Joanne was checking her watch and her face wore a slightly worried look.

            "We on time?" Johnny asked.

            Joanne looked up and smiled hopefully.  "I think so.  It's just sometimes on these early days, the teachers get a little eager and let the kids out before the bell."

            "Well, Chris won't leave without you, will he?"  Johnny chuckled, trying to ease some of Joanne's motherly concern, but the look he got in return killed the laugh before it got out of his throat.

            "You sound like Roy," Joanne stated evenly, then let her shoulders rest against the seat and an embarrassed smile played on her face.  "He thinks I worry too much."

            Johnny's laugh returned as the tension eased between them.  "Hey, you're a mom.  It's your job to worry."

            Joanne finally allowed herself to smile fully.  "Now you really sound like Roy.  Maybe you guys spend too much time together."

            Johnny's grin faltered for just a moment, but he covered it by pulling into the school parking lot.  He didn't think Joanne meant anything by her last comment, but he wasn't on solid enough ground to know for sure.

            There seemed to be a lot of children walking around.  He glanced at his watch.  They still had a few minutes to spare, but Joanne had called it right when she said the teachers didn't always wait until the exact time.

            "You see Chris?"  He peered out the windshield toward the flag pole in front of the office.  That seemed to be the gathering place for a lot of the students.

            "No.  Hopefully he's still in his classroom.  I wanted to talk to his teacher for a few minutes anyway."  She turned to Johnny.  "Are you going to wait here?"

            He glanced over the seat to see Jenny had already unbuckled and was bouncing to get out of the car.  If Joanne needed to meet with Chris' teacher, then maybe he could help out by watching the lively three year old.

            "I'll come with you," he answered, then gave the child a smile as he reached back for his jacket.  "Maybe Chris can give us a guided tour.  Does that sound good, Jenny Bean?"

            "Yah!" she crowed and jumped down to the parking lot when Joanne opened her door.  "We'll take a tour, jus' like Gilligan."

            Joanne rolled her eyes.  "She's been watching reruns with Roy."

            Johnny chortled at the thought of his oh-so-practical partner sitting around watching the Skipper beat Gilligan over the head for some bungled escapade.  But he did his best to be serious when Joanne suddenly looked like she'd spilled a secret that she shouldn't have.

            "Well, kiddo, let's just hope our tour doesn't turn out as bad as poor Gilligan's."

            They'd reached the sidewalk and Jennifer reached to take his hand.

            "Oh, no, Uncle Johnny.  We don' wanna take that three hour tour.  That's a bad one."

            "It sure was, wasn't it?"

            He and Jennifer walked slightly behind Joanne as they headed toward Chris' classroom.  Watching the back of her head, he just couldn't resist the urge for a little mischief.  He bent closer to Jenny and whispered loud enough for Joanne to hear.

            "So who's Daddy's favorite castaway?  Mary Ann or Ginger?"

            "John Gage!" Joanne chided, trying to sound harsh, but looking like she was struggling not to laugh.

            Jenny ignored her mother's outburst.  She thought a moment before she answered.  "Daddy likes Ginger, but Mommy says she's nothin' but two boobs and a behind."

            "Jennifer!"

            "What?"

            Johnny practically had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.  Not only at the chagrin on Joanne's face, but the totally innocent expression on Jenny's.  The child stared at her mother for a moment, then apparently gave up trying to figure out what she might have done wrong.  She turned her wide blue eyes back to Johnny, more than willing to expound on the subject.

            "Daddy says sometimes that's all you need."

            Johnny couldn't stop the laughter this time.  His loud guffaws echoed down the long corridor as Joanne took her daughter's hand and pulled her forward to walk beside her.  He realized at once that Joanne was truly embarrassed, so, while Jenny struggled to be allowed to once more walk with her Uncle Johnny, he worked at stifling his reaction.  He did fairly well, though an occasional snicker still escaped.

            Fortunately for all of them, they soon reached Chris' class.  The bell rang just as they got there, but his teacher, too, had released the kids ahead of schedule.  There were only six or seven children still in the room.  Luckily, Chris was one of them.  He was sitting at his desk, sorting through a folder of loose papers, when he lifted his head, his blue eyes lighting up.

            "Hi, Mom."  He jumped up and ran over to give Joanne a quick hug, then he threw himself at Johnny.  "Hi, Uncle Johnny.  What are you doing here at my school?"

            Johnny hugged the boy tightly, then tousled his blond hair.  "I came down here to get a tour of your class.  Think you can show me and your sister around?"

            Joanne threw him a grateful look, then moved over to talk to the tall blonde standing by the chalkboard.  Johnny let his eyes linger on the young woman and wondered if she was single.  She was certainly gorgeous, from the long, shapely legs to the nicely curved hips and ample breasts.  He suddenly flashed to what Joanne had said of Ginger and let a smile play on his lips.  Roy was right.  Sometimes that was all you needed, but if this wonderful looking girl was a teacher, then that meant she had the boobs, the behind and the brain.  Not a bad combo.

            "Uncle Johnny!"

            He abruptly realized Jenny was tugging on his arm.

            "What?  Oh, sorry."  He smiled at the kids who were waiting for him, and hoped he hadn't been staring long.  "Okay, Sport, start the tour."

            As they moved toward the first bulletin board, Johnny wondered if part of this tour included meeting the teacher.

* * *

            Will parked his car and turned off the ignition.  He stared out the windows and frowned.  There were an awful lot of kids wandering around.  He wondered if it were just an afternoon recess.  He had to admit, he didn't know his son's or daughter's daily schedule.  He knew when he used to drop them off in the mornings on his way to work and he knew when they were supposed to get out for the day.

            He glanced at his watch and his frown deepened.  It was only 1:30.  There should still be at least an hour of school left.  He scanned the parking lot.  There were a lot of cars here.  More than just the ones belonging to the teachers.  He twisted around to glance behind him.  Several yellow school busses were parked in the loading zone.

            This wasn't good.  This wasn't good at all.

            His fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as he wondered what to do.  He didn't want to wait until tomorrow to try again.  He couldn't take the chance that Darlene might anticipate him and change the kids' school.  No, it had to be today.

            He looked back at the busses again.  Maybe it was just a field trip.  That could be it.  Some of the grades might have just gotten back from a trip of some kind.  His fingers clenched the wheel tighter.  That had to be it.  His kids had to still be in their classrooms.

            Satisfied with that explanation, Will opened the door and got out of his car.  The chilly February breeze caught him in the face and lifted the corner of his long coat.  He slapped it back in place before any equipment for his contingency plan was revealed.  Thankfully the weather was cool enough that no one would wonder why he was wearing a rain coat over his suit.

            He walked with long, purposeful strides onto the school grounds.  He bypassed the office, never giving it a second glance.  He knew if he looked like he had somewhere to be, no one would stop and question him.

            He passed more and more laughing and jostling children, in all age ranges, but he spared them no more thought.  His one goal right now was to get to Russell's class.  He would get the boy first, then the two of them would pick up Katie on the lower grade side.

            He reached the "D" building that housed four classrooms of fourth graders.  Russ would be in number 21.  Will had been here once last fall for Back to School Night, but Darlene was the one who usually took care of other classroom visits.

            He passed Room 20.  Each room had two doors, one on each end, that faced the open hallway.  Both of 20's were propped open.  He cast a quick glance inside as he went by, alarmed at how empty it seemed.  When he got to 21, he found it in the same condition.  The doors were open, but there was no one inside.  The students' chairs were all placed on top of their desks, the way they left them for the janitors at the end of the day.  Not even the teacher was here.

            He stood for a long moment, his thoughts whirling in confusion.

            It's too early.  He should still be in school.  Russ, where are you, son?  Why aren't you here?  Darlene, you bitch, did you take him?  Katie!  Where's Katie?

            He turned and headed back the way he'd come.

            Maybe Russ just went to pick up his sister.  He's a good kid.  He always looks after Katie... ever since she was a baby and he was just a little boy.  That's where he went.  That's where he has to be.

            He walked swiftly down the hallway, his long stride taking him quickly toward the other side of the school.  He no longer cared what other people thought of him, or that his coat was flapping open in the breeze.  Nothing mattered now except getting to Katie's classroom before his kids disappeared out of his life forever.

* * *

            "An' over here's our hamsters.  They belong to our whole class an' we take turns feedin' 'em."

            "Oh, they're sooo fluffy," Jennifer squealed as she bent her little face close to the cage.  "Can I pet 'em?"

            "Nope."  The boy shook his head authoritatively.  "Only if you're in first grade, an' you're not even in kinny-garten."

            "Ooohhh, but I'm a'most four." Jenny's soft protest threatened to become an all out whine, but Johnny stepped in to avert a crisis.

            "Never mind, Jenny Bean."  He reached down and picked her up, settling her on his hip.  "If those are the rules, we have to follow them."  He turned to Chris.  "What's next?"  To his dismay, Chris headed to the far bulletin board, away from where his teacher was deep in conversation with Joanne.

            "These're pi'chers we drew of our families.  We put 'em up here so our moms and dads can see 'em at Open House."

            Johnny quickly perused the collection of stick figured family groups.  Some had houses behind them, some had trees.  A few even had dogs and cats.

            "Where's yours?"

            "Up there."  The boy pointed a grubby finger up towards the top of the board.  "Mine has a fire engine on it."

            Johnny leaned forward to peer at the picture Chris was pointing to.  There it was, with the six year old's rendition of a pumper truck parked behind the house.  In front of both, and totally out of proportion to the background, were a group of people - three big ones and two smaller versions.  That two of them were female, he could only tell by the hair and the fact that whatever Chris had decided they were wearing was pink.

            "You've got too many people, Sport," Johnny observed with a smile.  "Who's the extra one?  Your grandpa?"  He knew Roy's father had passed away when Roy was in high school, but the kids still had Joanne's father.

            "Oh, Uncle Johnny, don't be silly," Chris laughed.  "Grandpa lives all the way aways in San Jose.  I wouldn't put him in my pi'cher.  These are just for our families... here."  He pointed to the ground to signify proximity.

            "Okay, so who is it?" Johnny persisted, curious now.  "I see your mom and dad, you and Jenny Bean here."  He tweaked her nose and made her giggle.  "Who's left over?"

            Chris gave him an odd look, like he wasn't sure why Johnny was even asking him.

            "It's you, Uncle Johnny, it's you," Jennifer exclaimed with a laugh.

            "Me?" Johnny squeaked at the unexpected inclusion.

            "Yeah," Chris nodded with a shy little smile.

            "See, he gots black hair, jus' like you, silly," Jennifer explained, her little finger pointing out the obviously identifying feature.

            Johnny stared at the crudely drawn picture, an odd lump stuck in his throat.  He certainly had fun with the kids when he visited, but he had no idea that Chris thought enough of him to include him in the DeSoto family group.  He let his hand rest on the boy's blond head.

            "Thanks, Sport.  That's really nice of ya."  But then a sudden stab of apprehension coursed through him, and his eyes darted momentarily to the women at the front of the room.  "Has your mom seen this?"

            Chris shrugged.  "I dunno.   Don't think so.  Teacher jus' put 'em up yesterday.  They're s'posed to be a surprise for Open House."

            "It'll be a surprise all right," Johnny murmured, wondering what Joanne would think about his new status.

            But Chris was ready to move on to more exciting things.

            "C'mon, Uncle Johnny.  Come see our job chart."  He tugged at Johnny's arm, leading him toward the next display.  "I'm the paper monitor this week," he announced proudly.

            Johnny shifted Jenny to his other hip and followed after Chris, his thoughts still lingering on the picture on the bulletin board.

* * *

            Joanne kept one eye on the kids as she listened to Miss Perry tell her about Chris' struggles with math.  Johnny was doing a good job of keeping them occupied, and she was grateful.  It would have been hard to have a meaningful discussion with Jennifer whining to go home or to go play on the swings, and Chris standing there looking stricken because they were talking about him.

            "I think he just needs to work on memorizing his facts," the young woman was saying.  "Maybe if you or your husband could help him a little in the evenings.  Flash cards are a great device for that."

            Joanne nodded her agreement.  "I'm sure you're right.  We probably haven't been as diligent as we should be.  My husband is a fireman and he's away from home one out of three nights.  I'm afraid the other two we spend more on family time."

            The teacher was smiling knowingly.  "Chris talks about his dad a lot.  He's so proud of him.  Says he wants to be a fireman too when he grows up."

            Joanne smiled indulgently.  Chris talked about being a fireman all the time.  So far, she and Roy had just chalked it up to boyish hero worship, nothing they would hold their son to as he grew older and his interests expanded.  In fact, Joanne knew that deep in Roy's heart was the wish that the kids went to college instead of going to work right out of high school.  They'd had too many years of struggling to make ends meet to wish that on their children.

            "And I think it's great that your brother works with your husband," Miss Perry was continuing.  "A real family tradition.  No wonder Chris want to be a fireman..."

            "My what?" Joanne interrupted, confused at the teacher's last statement.

            "Your brother," the younger woman answered, nodding in the direction of Johnny and the kids.  "Chris talks about his Uncle Johnny nearly as much as he does his dad."

            "Oh... well, Johnny's not my brother.  He, uh..."

            "Oh, I'm sorry," the teacher apologized with an embarrassed little laugh.  "It just that his coloring is so much more like yours than your husband's, and having a different last name... I just assumed he was your brother.  Steps and halves... we run into that all the time with the kids.  Either way still counts as family."

            "He's not Roy's brother either," she replied, her patience running a little thin.  What had started out as a conversation about Chris' math failings had somehow turned into a discussion about John Gage and his place in their lives.  How was it that everything managed to revolve around the man, even when he wasn't directly involved?

            Miss Perry was blinking at Joanne, now obviously confused.  Joanne took pity on the poor woman, who had only made a natural assumption, based on the facts she had.  She smiled weakly.

            "Look, I'm sorry.... Johnny isn't related to us.  He's Roy's partner.  The kids just call him Uncle Johnny.  He's not really their uncle."

            The teacher's face lit up with comprehension.  "Why, that's really wonderful," she gushed in a tone that told Joanne the woman spent way too much time around six year olds..  "And makes it even sweeter that Chris included him in his picture."

            "Picture?"

            "The children each did a drawing of their families."  Miss Perry lowered her voice a notch.  "You're not supposed to see them yet.  They're a surprise for Open House.  But Chris was so cute.  When he showed me his picture and I asked about the extra person, he just beamed and told me that wasn't anybody extra, that was Uncle Johnny."

            Joanne did her best to echo the teacher's enthusiasm, but inwardly she was wondering how this man she didn't even like that much and who had only been in their home a few times, had suddenly become such a large part of her children's lives.  It was difficult to grasp.  Roy liked him.  The kids adored him.  Was she the only one whose nerves he grated on and who could only marginally tolerate him for short periods of time?  She glanced over to where the man in question was at this moment still holding Jenny in his arms and having his ear talked off by Chris about something a single, adult male probably had no interest in whatsoever.  And yet he didn't seem bored.  If anything, he appeared completely at ease with what he was doing.  She frowned slightly.  Was there something wrong with her?  Why couldn't she relax enough around him to just accept him for what he was, Roy's partner and friend, and not find fault with every little thing he did?

            "Anyway, Mrs. DeSoto, I have a set of flash cards you can use with Christopher.  I think they'll make a big difference."

            Joanne brought her attention back to what the teacher was saying, pushing the unsettling questions to the back of her mind.  They talked for few more minutes before she noticed Miss Perry's eyes shift to the doorway and widen a bit.  Joanne glanced at the door as well and saw a well dressed man standing there with a frantic expression on his face.  She smiled to herself.  She knew that look.  Obviously this father had forgotten about early day.  She'd done that once and would never forget the feeling of total panic when she'd arrived at her son's classroom and found it empty.

            "I'm sorry, can you excuse me for a minute," the teacher murmured, and moved to step toward the new arrival.

* * *

            By the time Will reached the last wing, he was practically running.  His hand clutched his side, reassured by the bulk he felt there.  He didn't want to have to put his backup plan into action.  What he wanted was to find both his children waiting for him, happy to see him, eager to accompany him.  But a persistent voice in the back of his head kept up a pounding litany.

            They're gone.  They're gone.  She took them. She took them.

            He rushed to the open doorway, stopping just inside.  He struggled to calm his breathing as he took in the scene before him, sizing up the situation.  Most of the students were gone.  There were a few stragglers here and there.  The teacher was standing by her desk talking to a parent.  A man and a couple of kids were over in the far corner.  For one brief moment, Will thought the little girl in the man's arms was Katie, but he quickly realized she was too young to be his daughter.

            They're gone.  They're gone.  She took them. She took them.   

            The wave of despair that had washed over him instantly changed to anger.  He felt his heart pounding fiercely as he took one more step into the room.  He could hear his own harsh breathing now, the noise of the children outside disappearing completely, the quieter sounds of the voices in the room indiscernible.

            The teacher must have finally noticed him.  He saw her eyes flicker toward him as she still continued talking to the woman in front of her.  And then those eyes widened, and he knew she'd recognized him.  Her head turned in his direction and she started to take a step.

            His hand reached into his coat.

* * *

            Johnny was listening with mild interest as Chris explained the job chart that had places for children's names for a myriad of classroom chores, that ranged from dusting erasers to passing out and collecting papers, to taking the roll to the office.  It seemed a little much, but maybe not to a six year old.  He had to admit the only thing that stuck in his mind from first grade was how scary the nuns looked in their black habits and how much his knuckles hurt when they got whacked by those damn rulers.

            He'd only spent one year at St. Joseph's.  His parents had sent him there at the request of his maternal grandmother, who had also paid his tuition.  But after one miserable year, his father had put his foot down and Johnny had been enrolled at the reservation school, thus being spared not only a long bus ride to and from the city every day, but any further animosity on his part toward teachers.  Despite his grandmother's constant admonitions that he'd grow up ignorant, Johnny managed to leave elementary school with a more than satisfactory education and a lot of pleasant memories.

            Thinking of teachers, he shot another quick glance toward the woman talking to Joanne.  Of course, his recollections were vague and colored by his young age at the time, but he certainly didn't remember ever having a teacher who looked like that.

            The object of his scrutiny turned suddenly and began to walk away, leaving Johnny directly in Joanne's line of sight.  Their eyes met for a moment and she gave him a tight smile before she shifted her gaze to follow after the other woman.  The young paramedic gulped slightly, wondering if Joanne had caught him ogling her son's teacher.

            Way to go, Gage, he chided himself.  You're really rackin' up the points today.

            He blew out a weary breath and turned back to the children, wondering what it was going to take to convince Roy's wife that he wasn't evil incarnate.

            "Whatsa matter, Uncle Johnny?" Jennifer asked, her little face regarding him with concern.  "Am I getting too heavy for you?  Daddy says that sometimes."

            Johnny smiled and shook his head.  "Nah, Jenny Bean.  You're as light as a feather."  And he bounced her a little to demonstrate.  As the child giggled in his arms, Johnny half turned to see if Joanne was still busy.  The next few moments seemed to last a lifetime and would be carved in Johnny's memory for eternity.

            He heard the angry voice demanding to know where someone named Katie was.  Saw, out of the corner of his eye, the hand reaching under the long coat.  Saw the teacher's terrified profile as she held up her hands to try and stop what was happening.  Saw Jennifer's smiling face.

            It took until he heard the first shot before his brain registered what was happening.  But the sound of the gun, the shattering of the window, the screams of the children abruptly released his body from its immobility.  His mouth and his body acted at the same time.

            "Get down!" he shouted as he turned to shield Jennifer from the gunman and dropped to the ground, one hand on Chris' shoulder, taking the boy down with him.  His eyes darted swiftly to where he'd last seen Roy's wife, but he couldn't locate her.  "Joanne!  Get down!"  He shoved both children under the table and up against the wall, pressing in after them, trying to cover them both as shots continued to be fired, zinging past them and near them; some close enough to send splinters of wood and plaster into the small space they were huddled into.  He felt the sting of the debris as it hit his hands, the back of his neck and his lower back, where his jacket had ridden up as he curled around the DeSoto children.

            The thundering gunfire seemed to last forever.  There had become only two sounds in Johnny's ears.  The deafening blasts from the rifle, and Chris' soft, frightened whimpering.  Jennifer hadn't made a sound, but Johnny could feel her frantic heartbeat as she was pressed between him and her brother.  His own heart was trying to match the little girl's as it pounded rapidly in his chest, but he took some comfort in knowing the kids were still alive.  He couldn't say that for sure about any of the other children - or Joanne or the teacher for that matter.  The only things he could see were the two blond heads under his hands, and he didn't dare lift his head to even try and see what was happening in the classroom.

            He knew the shooting had stopped when he realized the ringing in his ears was no longer being interrupted.  He stayed where he was, not wanting to draw the gunman's attention.  In the sudden silence, Chris' crying sounded jarringly loud.  The paramedic tightened his hold on the back of the boy's head.

            "Shhh," he soothed in a faint whisper.  "Ya gotta be quiet now, Sport." His words were barely audible, only the merest wisp of sound, but Chris must have heard him for the boy drew in a shuddering breath and grew still.  When he felt Jenny's grip on his shirt tighten and her head burrow even closer into his chest, Johnny knew the little girl was aware and had heard him as well.  He tried to pull them both even closer than they already were..

            He could hear additional sounds now.  The sniffling and muted weeping that had to be from the other children, the footsteps of the gunman as he paced around the room, occasionally crunching glass from the broken windows.  Each time he passed by Johnny and the kids, the paramedic could hear the man mumbling to himself, though the words were unintelligible.

            And then there were other sounds.  The shutting of doors, the scraping of chairs on the linoleum floor.  And then the room darkened as the man drew the drapes across first, the large bank of windows on the back wall, and then the smaller, narrow row that topped the other wall.

            Shit, he's barricading us in.  This isn't going to end in a hurry.

* * *

            Joanne's heart was pounding and her ears were still ringing.  She felt a cramp starting in her calf, but didn't dare move an inch to try and relieve it.  Sweating with fear, she stayed curled up under the teacher's desk, holding tight to the little boy who'd been standing next to her when the shooting started.  She could feel him trembling, but he hadn't made a sound, not since she'd pulled him down to the floor.

            The shooting had stopped, but the gunman was still in the classroom.  Joanne could hear him pacing around, muttering to himself.  She had no idea if he'd used up all his ammunition, if he could still hurt anyone, if he'd already hurt anyone.  She remembered seeing Miss Perry fall like she'd been hit, but Joanne couldn't be sure - not of anything.

            She saw the man pull out his rifle at the same time she heard Johnny shout for her to get down.  Her first impulse had been to run to Chris and Jenny, but so much had happened so fast.  The shooting, the children screaming, glass flying, and the little boy beside her had just been standing there wide eyed and confused.  Without thinking, Joanne had grabbed him and ducked under the desk, taking the child with her.

            As the shots rang out, she crouched under her meager shelter, trying her best to shield the boy, desperate to get to Chris and Jenny, frantic to know what was happening with them.  She didn't know what kept her under the desk, what held her back from racing to find her children, until the deafening sound of the rifle had stopped.  In the eerie silence that took its place, Joanne became aware of a strangely calming voice in her head.

            The kids are with Johnny.  Johnny will take care of them.  Johnny won't let anything happen to them.

            To her rattled senses, Joanne could have sworn it was Roy talking to her, easing her fears for their children.  She knew that was crazy, but for now she clung to the assurance it brought.  There would be time later to analyze things.

            She heard the scraping of chair legs far across the room.  Hoping the man was distracted enough not to hear, she leaned her head close to the child's ear.

            "You okay, sweetie?" she whispered softly.

            She felt his dark head nod once, then he sniffed.  "Yeah," came the quiet answer.  "I... I think so.  Are we gonna die?"

            She could hear the fear in his voice and she held him a little closer, not wanting him to start crying.  "No," she breathed out, trying to sound reassuring.  "We're not going to die.  Don't you worry."

            There was more shifting and scraping and Joanne wondered what the man was up to.  She wished she could see, but she didn't want to risk moving at the moment.

            "What's your name?" she whispered to the child again.

            "Mikey," he told her.  "Mikey Bradford."  He lifted his arm to draw it across his nose, but Joanne gripped his shoulder to keep him still.

            "Shhh," she cautioned.  "Don't move, Mikey.  Keep real quiet, okay?"

            He nodded mutely, and then Joanne felt him tense and she realized the classroom had gotten quiet again.  Heavy footsteps headed back in their direction.

            "Okay, everybody out where I can see you," a harsh voice ordered.

            Joanne didn't know what to do.  Mikey had pushed himself closer and she wrapped a protective arm around him.

            "I said everybody out!"

            Joanne decided it was time to do what the man said.  Something in his voice told her that he wasn't holding it together very well, and she didn't want to push him any further over the edge than he already was.

            "C'mon, Mikey," she whispered encouragingly.  "We're getting out now."  She kept one arm around the boy as they crawled hesitantly out from under the desk.

            As she stood on shaky feet, her eyes darted to the corner of the room where she'd last seen Chris and Jennifer.  The sight of Johnny helping them climb out from under the table sent such a physical wave of relief washing through her that her breath caught in her throat, and she had to grab the edge of the desk to keep her suddenly weak legs from buckling under her.  The kids saw her as soon as they got to their feet and broke away from Johnny to rush toward her.

            "Mommy!"

            Joanne caught Jennifer up in her arms.  The three year old threw her arms around her mother's neck.  Chris wasn't far behind his sister.  He wrapped his arms around Joanne's waist and clung to her with all his might.  She felt a hand on her arm.

            "Are you all right?"

            Joanne glanced up from her children to see Johnny standing beside her, his face reflecting their grim situation.  He was bleeding from a cut on his cheek.  Other than that, he appeared unharmed, but she saw fear and concern in his eyes, and not just for the children.  He'd been worried about her as well.  She nodded silently, unable to trust her voice at the moment, and he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze before he let go.

            "Over here, over here."  The man with the gun was waving them all to gather in the corner by the sink, not far from where Johnny had taken cover with the kids.

            "This way, boys and girls, over here."

            Joanne turned at the sound of Miss Perry's voice.  The woman was pale and frightened, and her upper arm was bleeding, but she was still alive and trying to shepherd her students to the back of the classroom.  Joanne prompted Mikey to go join his teacher, then she felt Johnny's hand prod gently against the small of her back, and she started to move as well.

            They were a small group.  A young, frightened teacher, three tearful children, Joanne and her kids and Johnny.  They sat down on the floor, the children huddling close to whatever adult they happened to be near.  Right now the only stranger in the room was the man with the gun.

            He stood before them, his face drawn.  He held the rifle tightly in his hands as he faced them, his eyes darting around the group, then scanning the classroom once more.

            "Is this everybody?" he demanded, his voice quavering slightly.

            Miss Perry looked at her students and then up at the gunman, her face uncertain.

            "C'mon, bitch," he shouted at her, impatient with her hesitation.  "You're their teacher.  Don't you know how many were in the room?"

              "I... I don't know for sure.  Did some of them get out?"

            "How the hell should I know?"  He clutched the gun tighter.  "They were all supposed to be here.  Where were they?  Where's Katie?"

            Joanne saw the tears in the teacher's eyes as she tried to answer.  "Mr. Franks...  It was an early day.  Katie went home."

            "Home?"  The man's voice rose in outrage.  "She didn't go home.  She hasn't been home in months.  Her home is with me!"

            "Miss Perry?"

            The small, ragged voice whipped the man around, gun ready.  Joanne caught her breath, praying he wouldn't shoot at the blond head that peered around an upturned table.

            "What are you doing over there?"  He took a step toward the child, who shrank back in fear.  "Get over here now!" he ordered.

            The little girl bit her lower lip anxiously and she looked uncertainly at her teacher.  "B-but... Miss Perry, Kellie's hurt and she's got blood on her."

            Johnny bolted forward and the gunman swung back around, his rifle stopping the younger man as the barrel met his chest.  Jennifer gave a little cry and Joanne held her breath and waited.

            But the man didn't shoot.

            "I'm a paramedic."  Johnny somehow managed to keep his voice quiet and steady.  "I can help her.  Let me go see what's wrong."

            The man stared at Johnny for a full minute, then lifted the gun aside and motioned with his head for him to go.  Joanne let a long, shaky breath and watched as he moved quickly to where the two little girls must have hidden when the shooting started.

            He knelt down and was half hidden by the table.  The uninjured girl stood close to Johnny, tears running down her face as she watched him work on her friend.

            "Nicole."  Miss Perry spoke up gently, and the child raised her head.  "Nicole, come over here with us.  Mr. Gage will take care of Kellie."

            The little girl looked hesitant, but when Johnny glanced up at her and gave her an encouraging smile, she found the nerve to smile back and walk over to the main group.  She gave the gunman a wide berth as she passed, but then ran to sit beside her teacher.

            Joanne studied their little group.  Chris and Mikey were pressed against her on either side, and another little boy she recognized as Jeffrey Chao, one of her son's playground buddies, was close to Chris.  Nicole was sitting between Miss Perry and a dark headed girl Joanne didn't know.  Jennifer was nestled in Joanne's lap, her thumb in her mouth, her blue eyes wary.  Besides the teacher's wounded arm, there were a few cuts and scrapes among the children, but nothing that looked serious.  Joanne glanced back over to where Johnny was kneeling and prayed that the child he was tending wasn't hurt badly.

* * *

            Johnny felt his hands tremble as he gently probed the child's abdomen.  Though he'd been a paramedic for over a year, he hadn't yet gotten used to treating badly injured or sick children.  To see them so helpless always left a knot in his stomach and he had wondered on occasion if it was a sign of weakness or just inexperience.  It would be hard to say since he and Roy started functioning as paramedics at the same time, and he really had no one else to compare himself to.  All he knew was that his partner never seemed to be bothered by stuff like this, at least that he showed on the outside.  But then, Johnny had learned fairly quickly that Roy wasn't the type to wear his heart on his sleeve.  Mostly he kept things bottled up inside, but the younger man was certain this was a situation even his partner would find hard to deal with.

            The little girl on the floor beside him seemed so small.  Her auburn hair was in disarray and freckles stood out starkly on her pale face.  She tensed and gave a weak cry when he found the entry wound just to the left of her navel.

            "I'm sorry, sweetie," Johnny told her softly.  "I just have to check you out here.  I'll try and be more careful."  He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, then felt carefully along her side and back.  He didn't detect any sign that the bullet had exited her small body.

            "She okay?" a hoarse voice asked suddenly.

            Johnny glanced up.  Except for the weapon, the man holding the rifle could have been just another businessman on the street.  His white shirt was neatly pressed and he wore a conservatively dark tie.  But there was something in his face that separated him from the rest of the working world.  Something dark in his eyes.  The paramedic let his gaze flick across the room at the huddled group of hostages, then return to the gunman.  He seemed uneasy, his hands clenched so tightly around the barrel of the gun that his knuckles were white.  Johnny wasn't sure what the man's problem was or what had made him start shooting, but he got the definite impression that this man, Franks, didn't want this child to die.

            "I don't know," he answered softly, so not to frighten the children.  "She's bleeding.  I'll do what I can, but she needs to get to a hospital."  He glanced at the teacher.  "Do you have any towels I could use?"

            The woman nodded and started to get up, but then paused halfway, waiting for permission.  Their captor nodded brusquely and waved her on.  She stood and opened the cupboards over the sink, pulling out several well worn hand towels.  Franks moved over and grabbed them from her, then tossed them to the paramedic.

            Grateful for even this much, Johnny laid the towels carefully over the still bleeding wound, grimacing apologetically when the little girl cried out at the pressure.

            "I know that hurts, honey," he said soothingly.  "But I have to keep it there for now."  He glanced around for something to hold the makeshift compress in place.  When he didn't find anything, he unbuckled his belt and slipped it out from his jeans.  He slid it gently under the little girl, bringing it around to fasten the dressing in place.  "What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked to keep her mind off what he was doing.

            "Kel... Kellie," she answered weakly.

            "Kellie?  That's a pretty name," he told her with a smile.  "I have a friend named Kelly, but he's not anywhere near as cute as you are."

            He got a small smile from the child at that comment and he grinned in return.

            "My name's Johnny.  I'm a fireman.  You ever been to a fire station?"

            "N...no."  Her head moved feebly.

            "No?  Well, are you in for a treat."  He pulled the belt a little tighter.  "When we get outta here and you're feeling better, you have your mom bring you to my station and I'll give you a personal tour.  How's that sound?"

            "My... my brother likes fire trucks.  C...can he come, too?"

            "Sure he can."  Johnny fastened the belt the best he could, then turned to face their captor.  "She needs a doctor.  You gonna let her outta here?"

            The man frowned darkly.  "No.  Not now.  Not yet."  His eyes moved around the room in a frantic gesture.  "I don't know yet.  I don't know.  I have to think."

            "Well, you better think quick."

            Johnny spoke without thinking, his fear and frustration making him rash.  He never saw the rifle coming until the butt end connected with the side of his face, sending him sprawling.

            "Don't tell me what to do, you snot nosed punk!" the man shouted angrily, his eyes flashing as he stood over the downed paramedic, the rifle pointed at Johnny's chest.

            It took a while for Johnny to even register what the man was saying.  He lay with his cheek on the cool, linoleum floor, one hand holding his head, waiting for the pain to recede and the room to stop spinning.  When his senses began to focus again, he could hear the man hollering above him, the kids crying, a confusing mix of voices.

            "You hurted my Uncle Johnny.  You're a bad man."

            "Jenny, no!  Come back here!"

            "You stay where you are.  Get her away from him."

            Unexpectedly, he felt a small hand patting his.

            "Are you okay, Uncle Johnny?  Do you need a band aid?"

            He opened his eyes and saw a blurred blond image, and then a darker head appear next to it.

            "Johnny, are you all right?"

            Joanne.  He blinked and her face came into focus.  She was holding onto her daughter, her fearful eyes moving between Johnny and the gunman towering over them.  Realizing this was a volatile situation, Johnny made an effort to sit upright, hoping Jenny would calm down and Joanne would take her back to sit with the others.

            "All right, that's enough.  You two get back over there."

            The man shoved Joanne's shoulder with his rifle.  She gave a stifled cry and moved away from Johnny, holding Jennifer to her.  Johnny's brows drew together in anger as he watched, but he refrained from saying anything.  He didn't want to take the chance of pushing this guy any further over the edge.

            Still dizzy, he crawled back over to the wounded girl.  Her eyes were closed and for one heart stopping moment, Johnny was afraid she was dead.  But a quick check on her carotid and he found her weak and thready pulse.  He let out a shaky breath, and felt the rifle poke his back.

            "You get her and take her over with the others.  I want you all in one place."

            "I don't want to move her," Johnny answered thickly and grimaced.  His whole face hurt when he talked.

            "Why?" the man demanded irritably.  "Is she that bad off?"  His expression quickly grew panicked.

            Johnny didn't know what made him lie.  He just suddenly knew that if this little girl died, if this man thought he'd killed a child, the rest of them had little hope of getting out of here alive.  He met the man's gaze and shook his head, his eye on the gun, wary of further outbursts.

            "Nah.  She'll probably be okay.  I just didn't want to make things worse by moving her.  You really should let her go though, so she can see a doctor."

            The man's eyes narrowed again.  "I'll think about it.  For now, take her over with the others."  When Johnny hesitated, he pushed the gun harder against the paramedic's back.  "Now!"

            Realizing he better obey, Johnny slid his arms under the child and lifted her carefully.  She gave a feeble moan, but didn't regain consciousness.  She wasn't heavy, but he was still a little unsteady from the blow and it took a moment for him to get to his feet without jostling his precious burden.  He was glad he didn't have to walk far.

            As he approached the corner, Miss Perry and Joanne both got up and helped him settle Kellie as gently as he could onto the hard floor.

            Joanne took off her sweater and laid it under the little girl's head, while Johnny took off his jacket and used it to cover her in an attempt to ward off shock.  It was all he could do for the moment, and it was woefully short of what he knew she needed.  With nothing else to be done, he sat down and leaned up against the wall, holding his hand to the side of his throbbing face.  With all of them together in one place again, the gunman moved over to the windows and peered out the drapes.

            "Johnny?  Are you all right?"

            Joanne's voice was quiet, but there was fear and concern in that question and her hand on his arm told him at least part of that was for him.

            "I'm... I'm okay," he told her a bit breathlessly.

            "No you're not, Uncle Johnny, you're bleeding," Jennifer observed from her mother's side.

            Johnny's brought his hand down and saw the blood there.  It seemed to be coming from a gash somewhere near his right cheek.

            "Don't worry, Jenny Bean," he told the child and flashed her a weak smile to add weight to his words.  "It only looks bad."  He leaned forward to catch the teacher's eye.  "Are you okay?  I should probably look at your arm."

            The woman glanced at the still bleeding wound and looked surprised, as if she only now realized she'd been injured.  Johnny traded places.  Upon inspection, he saw that the bullet had only grazed the woman's arm.  He cleaned it up the best he could.  While he was working, he asked in a low voice, "Do you know what this guy's problem is?"

            Miss Perry cast a nervous glance toward their captor, then turned back to Johnny.  "His name is Will Franks," she whispered.  "His daughter is in my class.  It's a bad divorce... custody of the children, you know?"  She shook her head.  "We were told to call the office if he ever showed up looking for the kids."  She shrugged helplessly.  "I don't think anyone ever expected this.  I know I certainly never..."

            "Shut up over there.  I didn't tell you to talk."

            Will scowled at them from where he stood.  He took one more quick glance out the drapes then suddenly seemed to make up his mind.  He came back toward his captives, stopping at the teacher's desk and rummaging through it until he came up with a note pad and a pencil.  He tossed them at Miss Perry's feet.

            "I want everybody's names... and the kids' ages.  Write it all down."

            The teacher reached a tentative hand toward the items, then began to make the list.

            While she was busy doing that, Johnny scooted back over to check on Kellie.  He didn't like what he found.  The child's pulse had weakened and her respirations had grown more labored.  The towels were now soaked through with blood.

            The paramedic was torn now.  If he pressed Franks again to get her out of here, he would be bringing the critical nature of her injuries to his attention, but if he kept silent, this little girl would certainly die.  He glanced over his shoulder at the small group of frightened children, at Joanne and Chris and Jenny.  Roy's entire family's safety was at stake here.  What would Roy think if Johnny risked their lives to try and save someone else's child?

            But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he knew.  Roy risked his own life nearly every day to save strangers, at the risk of leaving his own family alone.  It wasn't something either one of them dwelt on or agonized over.  It was just what they did.  Johnny knew then that he had to try at least once more to convince the gunman to let the little girl go.  He moved back a bit, not wanting to appear overly concerned.

            "Uh... Mr. Franks?  Um... Will?"

            The man turned to scowl at Johnny, his rifle aimed at the paramedic's head.  "What?"

            "I, uh..."  Johnny cleared his throat and tried to sound reasonable.  "I was just thinkin' that, well, you know the police are probably out there already.  They, uh, they might be more willing to work with you if you made a gesture."

            "What are you talking about?  What kind of gesture?"

            "Well, you, uh, you could send Kellie here out... let her get treated.  They'd take that as a good will move on your part."

            "Good will?  Good will?  You think I give a rat's ass about showing good will?"  Will was waving his rifle wildly as he shouted at the paramedic.  "Nobody cared a shit about my good when they took my kids away from me."  He moved closer, his gun leveled at Johnny, but his eyes on the wounded girl.  "Besides, you said she wasn't hurt that bad.  Are you trying to pull something here?"

            "No, no... not at all."  Johnny held up his hands to try and calm Franks down.  "She'll be fine.  I just thought..."

            "Well, don't think!" Will retorted angrily.  "I'm getting tired of you anyway.  I don't need you to think for me."

            He stood there and stared at Johnny for a few moments, then turned back to the teacher.  "You got that list done yet?" he barked harshly.

            Johnny let out a long, breath.  That hadn't gone well at all.  An almost inaudible moan caused him to glance up and see Kellie's brown eyes were open and she was watching him.  He brushed the hair away from her face and gave her a smile.

            "Hey, there, sweetheart.  How ya doing?"

            A crease appeared on her forehead.  "I'm c...cold," she whimpered.  "I want my mom."

            Making a decision, Johnny reached down and took her into his arms.  He wasn't going to be able to get her out, and he was certain now that even if she were to get to a hospital, she was past the point of recovery.  Nothing he did now would make her injuries worse.  The only thing left he could do was to try and help her not to be afraid.

            "Don't cry, sweetie," he murmured to her.  "I've got you."  He tucked his jacket tighter around her small body.  "I'll keep you warm."

            "I wish my mommy were here."  The child's voice was barely a whisper, but Johnny could still hear the anguish in the words.

            "I know you do," he told her softly.  "But I'm sure she's just outside waiting to see you."

            "Are you sure?"

            "Cross my heart."  Johnny said with a weak attempt at a smile.  "But until I can get you to her, will you keep me company?"

            She gave a small nod, and her eyes closed again, but Johnny could have sworn she nestled closer to him.  He felt the lump rising in his throat and worked at keeping his emotions in check.  He leaned his head against the classroom wall and closed his own eyes in weary frustration.

Part 2