No More Mr. Nice Guy By Wanda Hargrove

The phone rang; Johnny sat down on the couch, picking the receiver up. "Hello?" he asked.

"Hi, Johnny," Roy's voice answered, "Joanne wants to invite you and Shiloh over to dinner tonight."

"Roy, I'd love to say yes," Johnny paused to gather his thoughts for a moment. "Shiloh's not dealing with the baby's loss very well."

"Johnny, that was two month's ago," Roy was beginning to loose his with his partner. 

"Yes it was, Roy," Johnny shook his head in agreement, "but you've got to understand that this is a loss that she's gonna have to deal with for the rest of her life."

"Johnny," Roy paused, "Shiloh has to start living again."

"Roy, I know... but you've got to let me deal with this in my own way."

"Alright, Junior, I guess you know what she needs the most. I've... Got to go. Take care of her, John."

"Bye, Roy." Johnny put the receiver down on the cradle, as Shiloh walked in drying her hands from doing the dishes.

"Who was on the phone?" she asked.

"That was Roy. Joanne was trying to invite us over for dinner again."

"Again!" Shiloh shouted angrily. "When will they leave me alone? Don't they understand that every time I see Chris and Jennifer it tears me apart?" She began
to cry.

Johnny went over, embracing her, letting her cry into his shoulder.  "I know, baby," he murmured to her.

~*~*~

Roy slammed the phone down on the cradle as Joanne entered the room noting the expression on her husband's face. "They said no again," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Dammit, Jo, I feel like I'm losing my best friend."

Joanne sighed, "Roy, I promised Johnny that tomorrow I would stay with Shiloh when he goes back to work. Besides, she also has an appointment to see Dr. Brackett to see if he'll clear her to go back to work."

Roy embraced his wife, "I don't understand it, Jo. Why are they avoiding us?"

Joanne returned his embrace; "I'll have some time to have a talk with Shiloh tomorrow, so I'll find out what's going on."

Roy kissed Joanne, "I sure hope you do, because I can't get anything out of Johnny."

Joanne began nibbling on Roy's ear, as she whispered into his ear.  "While the children are gone, the mice can play."

Roy grinned down at his wife, "You always know how to make me feel better." Joanne led Roy upstairs.

~*~*~

Shiloh was startled out of her sleep, she had a feeling, and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She shuddered involuntary causing Johnny to mumble next to her, "Hon... Anything wrong?"

"No dear, there's nothing wrong go back to sleep." She rose and throwing on her robe, and walked into the living room trying to grasp onto what it was that
awakened her. Walking over to the full-length mirror, she opened up her robe, tracing the scar on her abdomen. She could count at least thirty maybe more suture scars. She also noted how thin she looked. Since the accident she had lost about twenty or twenty-five pounds, and she wasn't sleeping or eating well. For the first time she noticed the teddy bear that had been tossed into the corner, that Johnny had bought for the baby before the accident. 

She picked it up, cradling it in her arms, as she sat down on the couch, tucking her legs up underneath her. "Why?" Shiloh asked herself again, "Did I do something
so bad, that god had to punish me by taking the baby?" A single tear began to slide down her cheek, soon to be followed by more.

She buried her face into the bear, never hearing when Johnny padded into the room, and knelt down in front of her. "Shiloh... please don't cry anymore. My heart
breaks just a little more when I see you cry."

She looked into his face, "Did we do something so terribly wrong?" Her grief and pain became almost intolerable for her to bare.

"No, we didn't... the baby was one of those things that for some reason wasn't meant to be." He paused for a moment. "Shiloh... my aunt says that God only gives us what we can handle, which in the long run makes us stronger. I have to believe that, and I hope you can believe that, also." 'She looks so thin,' he thought to himself. 'It's almost as if she were willing herself to die.'

"Darlin'... I know you feel so much pain and grief right now, but you have to believe me that eventually this pain will become a dull ache, not as sharp as it is right now." Johnny cradled her in his lap, as if she were a child. "I've talked to Aunt Jackie, and she had a miscarriage a very long time ago, she assured me that right now is the most difficult time, if we can get though this together, then we can get through anything." He buried his face into her hair, drinking in the scent of her hair.

Shiloh leaned her head against his chest, as she listened to his words.  She knew deep down in her heart that he was right, but the ache hurt too much. Johnny tilted her face up with a finger under her chin as he looked into her eyes, the windows to her soul. He could see the pain embedded in them, the pain from so many past hurts. He wished he could wipe all the pain from her with a kiss, but he knew that wouldn't happen.

Shiloh could see the pain that she was causing Johnny, because of her pain. "Maybe I should leave for awhile," she stated as her lower lip began trembling.

Johnny embraced her tightly, fiercely, as if he were protecting her from something. "I wouldn't be able to make it another day without you.  Shiloh, I love you, I
need you."

"I love you too, Johnny. But I hate seeing all the pain I'm putting you through."

Johnny shushed her and held onto her.  He wasn't about to let anything get in between them.

~*~*~

Joanne gave Roy and the kids a kiss, as she got ready to leave. "Jo, why do you have to leave so early?"

"I told you last night, silly, but you had something else on your mind." She grinned lecherously at him. "Johnny wants me to be over at his house before he has to leave for the station."

"Be careful," Roy kissed her good-bye as she headed out the door.

~*~*~

Johnny rose and padded off into the bathroom, taking a quick shower.  He turned off the water toweling himself off as he headed for the bedroom to get dressed for work. He noticed Shiloh was still sleeping; he grabbed what he was going to wear not wanting to wake her and dressed in the bathroom. Then he crossed from the
bathroom to brush a tender kiss across Shiloh's lips before heading into the living room to wait for Joanne to get there.

He didn't have time to wait too long as he heard Joanne's station wagon pull up. He walked outside and gave his best friends wife a quick hug.  "I've got to run, Shiloh's still asleep, she had a rough night last night."

"Okay, Johnny," Joanne smiled and waved goodbye to him as he climbed into his Land Rover and headed out for Station 51. Joanne entered the house and for the first time since Shiloh and John had been married, took in the decor of the room. There was a beautiful blanket thrown over the back of the couch, also on the wall
there were pictures of some people that she had never seen before, although she did notice the picture of Johnny's parents. It was an old picture, probably taken before their death.

Joanne heard a slight rustle, and noticed Shiloh standing in the hall. "Hi," Joanne smiled brightly, she noticed how thin Shiloh looked, not healthy at all. 'She looks like she doesn't weigh over a hindered pounds soaking wet,' Joanne thought. "Do you want anything? I could fix us some breakfast."

"I only take coffee and toast," replied Shiloh going back into the bedroom to get dressed. As she put on her jeans and T-shirt she noticed her ribs practically
showing under her skin. She sighed as she finished getting dressed and headed into the kitchen where Joanne was placing a cup of coffee and two slices of toast in front of Shiloh's seat, and the same in front of her own.

"Chris and Jen wanted me to give this to you," she handed the folded piece of paper to Shiloh as she sat down. Shiloh's hands trembled noticeably as she took the proffered piece of paper.

She unfolded it and began to read the words written on the paper. Hi Shiloh, We miss you and Uncle Johnny a lot. We hope you get better soon. We're sorry, and
mom says that the baby is now in heaven with God. Bye Chris and Jen. Shiloh's hands were shaking very badly as she folded the paper back up and wiped at the tear that slid down her cheek.

Joanne reached out her hand to hold Shiloh's in support, "I'm here if you want to talk."

Shiloh squeezed Joanne's hand, as she began to try to tell the older woman what was going on in her head. "Joanne... this is very hard for me, because I haven't
much luck with expressing my emotions to others.  I even have a hard time telling them to Johnny." She stopped as she regrouped her thoughts to start again.

"Joanne, loosing the baby was like loosing a part of me that I'll never be able to get back, and every time I see Chris and Jen it just tears my heart apart. Because the ache comes back, the longing to hold Johnny's son. I sometimes feel like I can't go on anymore, then Johnny brings me back." She looked into Joanne's eyes hoping the other woman understood what she was trying to say.

"My heart aches each and every time I see a pregnant woman, or a woman with a baby. Sometimes I just want to scream Why me? What did I do that was so bad that I had to be punished? There's also been a couple of times where I came so close to taking my own life, that's if Johnny hadn't been around I probably would
have."

Joanne went over to Shiloh's side giving her a much-needed hug, "I didn't know that's how you felt. I didn't realize that Roy, and myself were being that insensitive."

Shiloh flashed Joanne a weak smile, "I know you didn't, but I hope now you do understand. I would love to come over to your house. But I'm so afraid how I will react when I see Chris and Jen, I might freak out or completely fall apart in front of them, and I don't want to. I might scare them."

Now it was Joanne's turn, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She checked her watch noting the time. "We've got about 30 minutes before your appointment at Rampart."

"Then we'd better go, since we don't have a squad to get us there in a few minutes," she smiled a genuine smile for the first time in two months.

John pulled into the station parking lot noticing that Mike Stoker had a medium sized box wrapped in festive paper. "Hey, Mike, I didn't know anyone's birthday was today," John called as he climbed out of the Land Rover.

Mike hollered over his shoulder at Johnny, "It's not, but it's addressed to you and Shiloh care of Station 51."

"Oh yeah?" Johnny grinned from ear to ear, as he followed Mike into the dayroom.

Mike set the package down on the table, and Chet's interest piqued.  "What's that, Mike?"

"It's for John and Shiloh."

"Well go ahead, Gage, open it," Chet stated. His interest in what was inside was eating him up.

"Chet," Johnny said exasperated, "I'm going to take it home with me, that way Shiloh and I can open it by ourselves. Without the prankster hanging around to
ridicule me when we open our present."

"Aww, Gage, you always take the fun outta everything," Chet groused.

"Yep, I'm the party pooper," John elbowed Roy in the ribs and gave him one of his lop-sided grins.

Roy grabbed John by the elbow and steered him over into a corner. "Just what in the hell is going on with Shiloh?" Roy asked the younger man.

"What do mean?" John asked.

"I mean why the two of you are always turning down Joanne's invitations to dinner."

"Do you truly want to know?" Roy took in the look of sadness in John's eyes.

"Yes I want to know."

Johnny sighed, and ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Like I told you last night, Shiloh is not dealing with the miscarriage very well. Last night I found her on the floor hugging onto a teddy bear, wondering if God was punishing her for something she may have done. I hate to see her like this, and the thought of seeing Chris and Jen is tearing her apart. She's falling apart on me, Roy, and I'm trying to hold her together, but it's... it's so hard to see her cry like last night." He looked up at Roy, "Every time she cries it breaks my heart, cause I try to say the right things to her to make her feel better, and I don't know if I'm succeeding."

"Johnny, I didn't know," Roy put a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder. "You know I'm here for the both of you if you need anything."

"I know, Roy, I know," replied Johnny sadly.

The tones sounded calling both the squad and engine out on a traffic accident, with the package left on the table.

~*~*~

Shiloh left the examination room followed by Doctor Brackett, "You've healed nicely, Shiloh, and although you have a lost a bit more weight than I would have liked. So follow this diet, and you'll be back up to your normal weight in no time."

"Thanks, Doc. Uh... What about going back to work?"

"I don't see any problems there, you passed our tests. Here's the paperwork you'll need to get back on the job."

"Thanks again, Doc," she hugged Brackett leaving a stunned doctor standing in the hallway. 

Shiloh noticed Joanne talking with Dixie, "Hi, Dix," called Shiloh.

"Well hello yourself, you sure look happy today," Dixie, answered with a bright smile on her face.

"Who wouldn't be, I get to go back to work next shift, and Doctor Brackett gave me this diet that's supposed to help me get my weight back up to where it should be."

"That's great! You missed the guys, they were here about 30 minutes ago with a victim."

"Thanks, Dix," Shiloh smiled again. "Come on, Joanne, let's go see our guys."

Joanne gave Dixie an apologetic smile as Shiloh grabbed her arm, like Jen would do when she was excited over something. "I'm coming, I'm coming," Joanne laughed as both women headed for the DeSoto station wagon.  They pulled into the station parking lot; Joanne had never seen Shiloh so bubbly with excitement as she was now. Joanne grinned as she thought; 'Shiloh's just as bad as Johnny in some ways, especially not being able to stay still.' She giggled at the thought.

Shiloh walked into the dayroom, followed by Joanne. "Hi, guys," she waved at the other men looking for the one face she was hoping to see. "Where's Johnny?"

A round of 'Hi's,' greeted her, Captain Stanley motioned over his shoulder, "He's in the dorm, Shiloh."

"Thanks, Cap," she hurried across the bay to the dorm, and peeked in the door. She could see both John and Roy sweeping the floor, and Roy noticed her peeking
in. He was going to say something to Johnny when Shiloh motioned him with a finger to her lips, not too. Roy looked down intently on the floor, with a small smile creeping across his face.

Shiloh snuck into the room and came up behind Johnny, "Now this is what I like to see, my man doing housework." She giggled as Johnny jumped.

"Damn, Shiloh, you nearly scared me to death," he took in her composure and the fact that she had an actual smile on her face, and was giggling.

Shiloh hugged Johnny fiercely, and proclaimed loudly, "I get to go back to work next shift."

"Now that is great news," Johnny smiled and returned her hug with a kiss. John remembered the package, "Let's go into the dayroom, there's something there for the both of us."

Shiloh practically drug John into the dayroom, with Roy following.  Joanne went over to her husband's side as Johnny put the package on the table. The other guys
crowding around to see what it was.

Johnny and Shiloh began tearing paper after John had checked to see if there was a return address, which there wasn't. 'Maybe there's a card inside.' They opened the box; instead of the smiles of happiness the other men expected on the newlywed couple's faces, Johnny's face had a look of horror on it, and Shiloh was beginning to shake uncontrollably as tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach, as her knees began to turn to rubber and she fainted in Johnny's arms.

Hank peeked in the box, and saw what was inside, almost making him sick to his stomach. It was a baby doll with fake blood poured all over it, and a butcher knife stabbed into the plastic body. Johnny carried Shiloh into the dorm and laid her down on his bed, while Roy went and grabbed the drug box and started taking her vitals, which were all normal although her blood pressure was a little high. But then again whose wouldn't be high after seeing something like that.

Johnny brushed her hair away from her forehead, as Roy got out the smelling salts and broke the capsule open, waving it beneath her nose.  Shiloh flinched and
gasped trying to get the capsule away from her nose. Johnny sat down on the edge of the bed, holding her and raging inside himself, he had an idea who would do
such a thing.

Shiloh pulled herself out of Johnny's arms and let Joanne embrace her as she cried, and Joanne comforted her like she would do for her own children. "I know it hurts, let it out, let it all out. You'll feel better when you're done." Joanne rocked her and rubbed her back while Shiloh cried for it seemed to her an eternity.

Johnny and Roy both left the dorm, letting Joanne do what she could for Shiloh. The two paramedics walked into the dayroom, "How's she doing, pal?" asked
Stanley.

"Joanne's helping her," Roy answered.

Chet shook his head, "Who would do such a mean thing?"

Johnny looked up at Chet, "I'll tell you who," his blood was boiling, he was so angry. "It has to be Nancy Rice!"

Roy looked over at his partner in shock. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Of course I'm sure," Johnny practically shouted. "Only Nancy would be this demented, you didn't see what she did in the hospital when she found out that Shiloh was my wife. She deliberately ignored a call, she deliberately told Shiloh about her miscarriage, and her smug look when she was called on it. If she'd been a man, I would've knocked that look right off her face!"

"Hey, hey, we believe ya, pal," commented Hank Stanley squeezing John's shoulder.

"I can't believe Nancy would do something like that," commented Marco.  "I thought she was a nice girl, but to do something like this she would have to be demented."

"Damn straight she's demented! She told me the last time that I saw her, that it wouldn't be the last time I'd see her!" Johnny ranted.

Captain Stanley walked off to his office leaving Johnny ranting with the other men, who were just as upset as he was over the present. He made a phone call and then came back into dayroom. "Gage," Stanley called, "when Shiloh's calmed down go ahead and take her home, Dwyer's going to be your replacement for this shift."

"Thanks, Cap," Johnny looked up as he heard a noise behind him, and noticed Joanne standing with a shaky Shiloh next to her.

Johnny was immediately by her side, "Honey, are you okay? You really gave us all a scare."

She smiled up at him, "I'm doing better, thanks to Joanne," she smiled and gave Johnny's hands a squeeze.

Johnny was happy to see her smile again, "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Let's go home, I have some things I need to do," commented Shiloh.  They said their good byes and headed out to the Rover, climbed in and headed for home.

~*~*~

Later In The Evening

"Johnny," she shook him awake. "There's someone in the house, and I smell smoke."

Johnny woke hearing the noises and smelling the smoke, also. They hurriedly got dressed, and Shiloh ran out the back door, over to Mr. Wilson's house next door,
while Johnny went to investigate.

"Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson, please open the door. I have to use your phone," she called urgently while pounding on the door. Every couple of seconds she'd glance over at her house until finally Mr. Wilson let her in his house.

"Shiloh, what's the matter?" asked Mr. Wilson taking in her haphazard dress and the way her body shook with involuntary tremors.

"Our house is on fire, I need to use your phone."

"It's over there on the table."

"Thanks," her hand trembled as she dialed for the operator. "I need the fire department and the police sent to 2412 Peoples Drive. Someone broke into our home, and now the house is on fire." She listened to the voice on the other end of the line for a moment. "No... No, I'm not still in the house, I'm using my neighbors phone. My husband is still in the house though, please send help. Hurry..." She realized what she said eliciting a small giggle from her, as she realized how many times she'd heard victim's relatives and friends say the same thing.

She hurried outside to watch from the porch as Mr. Wilson followed her, she was hugging herself trying to calm her nerves for fear of what might happen to Johnny. "Did I hear you correctly? Someone broke into your house?" asked Mr. Wilson. Shiloh nodded yes.

"I think I saw someone nosing around your house earlier today, and if I'm not mistaken it was that man who tried to kidnap you about two months ago."

A hand flew to her mouth, as she cried "Oh no... not Roger again."

"Who's Roger?" asked Mr. Wilson perplexed.

"He's my abusive ex-husband, he thinks he's still married to me." Shiloh responded as waves of unease flowed over her.

Then she visibly began to calm down as the familiar sounds of sirens were heard approaching the scene. The first vehicle on the scene was a CHP patrol car, and Shiloh immediately recognized who was climbing out of the car, her brother Adam.

"Adam," she yelled as she ran over to her brother. "Johnny's still in the house, and Mr. Wilson, my neighbor, said that he thought he saw Roger nosing around our house earlier today."

First Adam looked to Shiloh and then at the house. "Stay here, I'll go in and see if I can find Johnny," Adam ran towards the house, entering the burning building.

~*~*~

Johnny walked into the spare bedroom looking for the source of the sounds; he didn't find anyone there. Then he headed down the hall towards the living room,
and saw a figure moving about the room. It was a man, "Who the hell are you?" Johnny shouted at the man.

The man turned to face Johnny, and then John recognized the man. "Roger!" he shouted, "Why the hell can't you leave Shiloh alone? She's my wife now!"

The man in question raged as he advanced on Johnny, "Shiloh is my wife, and she'll always be my wife. Although, she's living as a harlot with you." He came face to face with Johnny and Roger punched the younger man in the jaw. Then Johnny began throwing punches and the two began a melee in the middle of the ever-growing inferno.

Johnny had almost pounded Roger in the ground when Roger reached out and grabbed a pair of scissors sitting on the table. He snuck around Johnny's defenses and grabbed him around the throat from behind while stabbing the scissors in a vicious angle, causing Johnny to gasp in pain.

He released his hold on John as a new voice yelled at him from behind.  "Freeze, police!" Roger moved behind Johnny and shoved him into the waiting arms of the CHP officer as a burning beam fell down on top of Roger. Adam was visibly shaken hearing the sounds of Roger's screams as the man was slowly burned to death.

That's when Adam felt something wet, and sticky on his hand and looked down to find blood, noticing Johnny's pain glazed eyes. He quickly helped John out as a Fire Department Rescue Squad and Engine pulled up in front of the house. Adam could see they belonged to 51's.

Shiloh ran over to the pair, taking in Johnny's pain filled face and Adam's state of being. "Johnny... Johnny can you hear me," she asked going into paramedic mode. He mumbled something to her as she noted the amount of blood coming from the wound in the back, and helped Roy and Dwyer take care of him. They bundled him up and Shiloh rode with Roy to Rampart.

There it was found that John had a lacerated liver and a punctured lung causing internal bleeding, and would have to be taken up to the OR to repair the injuries.

Dr. Early found Roy, Shiloh and Dwyer in the lounge. Shiloh looked up at him expectantly, Johnny had been taken up to OR almost immediately upon arrival, and
she hadn't been able to say anything to him. 'Now it's my time to worry about him, and I feel so lost. What will I do without him? How will I live with myself,
knowing Roger did this to him? Right now I wish I'd never been born.' She was so deep in her thoughts she never heard at first what Dr. Early was saying.

"...He's in recovery right now, but so far everything looks good," Dr. Early gave Shiloh a fatherly smile.

"Thanks, Doc. When can I go up and see him?" Shiloh asked, the unshed tears threatening to start.

"As soon as he's out of recovery, and we've moved him to his room."  Shiloh felt relieved.

"We've got to go back to the station, but we'll let the other guys know that Johnny's okay," commented Roy as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Dwyer added before the two men left, "We're sorry about your house, but at least the good thing is that you both still have your lives."

"Thanks, Tom," she smiled at both men as they left.

Twenty minutes later Adam walked into the lounge, and pulled up a chair to sit beside his baby sister. "How's Johnny doing?" he asked concerned.

"Johnny's going to be fine," she smiled and slowly frowned again.  "How are you doing? I could hear the screams from the house, Roger died didn't he?" it was
more of a statement than a question.

"I'm fine, and yes Roger died. I'm glad Johnny's going to be okay, but your house is a total loss. Where are you two going to go?" Adam asked.

"Well while Johnny's laid up here, I thought maybe a certain big brother of mine would let me stay at his place?"

"Well..." Adam started then a smile began creeping across his face, "Sure you can stay. But you better watch out there's some other CHP officers living in the building also."

Shiloh laughed, "And I bet I know at least two of them, since I usually run into at least one or two while on the job."

"Yeah, but they know you as Shiloh Davis, not Gage."

"Well then I'll have to set a few of them straight if they start chasing my tail. I'll have to put them to chasing someone else, now don't I."  A little mischievous gleam shown in her eyes, "And I know the perfect person for them to chase." "Who's that?" asked Adam taking in her look, and knowing his sister was up to something.

"I'll have to sick them on a certain Nancy Rice." She had an air of genius about her as she cocked an eyebrow at her brother.

Adam took in her face, and then burst out laughing. "You are evil woman, do you know that?" he pointed at her while continuing laughing.

"I know Adam, and it's even more ironic don't ya think?"

"I love it!" Adam crowed.

~*~*~

Two days later Shiloh met with the homeowner's insurance agent, and received a check for the loss of the house. It would be enough for them to put a good down payment on another home when Johnny was released from the hospital. Shiloh was regaining her weight, and everything was looking up for her and Johnny again.

Shiloh drove the land rover into the parking lot of her brother's apartment building. As she was climbing out of the land rover ex-nurse Nancy Rice walked up to
her. "How did you like my little present I sent to Johnny and you?" Nancy sneered.

"You Bitch!" Shiloh's voice took a lower pitch than normal. "You'll pay for everything you've done, one way or another you'll pay."

Nancy reached out to slap her across the face, when a tanish colored gloved hand reached out and grabbed Nancy by the wrist. Shiloh looked over at the face of
the owner of the glove and sighed in relief, she recognized the face of Jon Baker. "Is there a problem here?" he asked.

"No. No problem," Nancy answered.

"Hi, Jon," Shiloh purred sweetly. "This woman is the person I've been having problems with."

Jon looked at Nancy, "Maam, if you give this lady anymore problems, I'm afraid I'm going to have to run you in."

Nancy was visibly shaken, "Ye... Yes sir," she answered as Jon let go of her and Nancy ran over to her car, peeling out of the parking lot.

Jon leaned up against the Land Rover, "So, Shiloh, are you going to explain to me why your driving John Gage's truck?"

Shiloh laughed, "I thought you'd heard by now. I'm now Mrs. John Gage."

"Well Congratulations, I think," Jon shook Shiloh's hand as Ponch joined them.

"Hey what's going on here, partner?" he asked while giving Shiloh one of his best smiles.

"Oh nothing, partner, other than meet Mrs. Shiloh Gage."

Ponch's smile fell, "You and Gage... married? Why am I always the last to know?"

Shiloh giggled, "Because you don't work the same shift as Adam, that's why."

"So where's Gage at?" asked Ponch.

"He's in the hospital, I was getting ready to get some things together to take to Johnny."

"What happened to him?" asked Baker.

"It's a long story, Jon, that I really don't want to get into right now.  But right now I can tell you that someone broke into our house and set it on fire. Then Johnny was attacked by the person and stabbed in the back, and our house burned down to the ground."

"Man, we're sorry," commented Ponch, "Well... give Johnny our best, and tell him to get well soon."

"I will, and thanks," Shiloh responded heading for Adams apartment.

"Mmmm.. Mmmm.. Mmmm...," muttered Ponch watching as Shiloh walked away from them. "What a waste of woman on Gage."

Jon slapped Ponch on the shoulder, "I can't believe you said that."

"What?" Ponch shouted defensively, as he and Jon headed to their motors. 

"You know what! Man I can't believe your busy checking out another man's wife."

They started up their motors, and headed off to CHP Central to start their day.

~*~*~

Finally the day came and Shiloh brought Johnny home to Adams place, soon they would start looking for a new place. Johnny was still pretty sore, but Joe Early
had let John know that next week he would be able to start back to work, with Shiloh starting back tomorrow. Her next day off would find them house hunting, so they could get out of Adam's hair and start their life over again.

What neither of them expected when they walked into Adams apartment was the many faces greeting them, welcoming Johnny back. As they walked in Chet almost slapped John on the back, when Shiloh gave him a look that said if he did he was a dead man. Mike Stoker was there, along with Captain Stanley and his wife. Shiloh helped John to the couch and brought him back a Coke from the kitchen; since he was on pain meds it wouldn't do to have him drinking beer.

Shiloh had grabbed herself a Bud, and sat down next to John with her legs tucked up underneath her. She waved at Roy and Joanne, with each taking a respective
seat on the armrests to talk about how each of their friends was coping. Shiloh took a sip of her Bud, and saw Ponch in a heated argument with Adam and Jon
Baker, she didn't know what was up but ever once in a while she caught a glance from Ponch in her direction.

Marco had overhead some of the comments made by Ponch in Spanish as the argument continued, and came over and hissed in Ponch's ear, "Man, just what is wrong with you? Can't you tell that John and Shiloh are happily married, they've gone through alot, and now other than finding a new place to live, they have no more obstacles in front of them."

"Look, amigo, I don't tell you how to live your life and you don't tell me how to live mine. I personally think that maybe their not as happily married as you all think they are."

Adam made one more comment toward Ponch, before turning away for a moment. "If you do anything that hurts my sister, I'll have your hide nailed to the wall one way or another. Capish?"

"Perfectly, but if anything happens between her and Gage, give me a call. Okay? I'll be there to pick up the pieces."

Miguel Martinez had heard a few comments made before he sidled up to the group. "Well the only thing that I'll add is that if Adam nails your hide to the wall, don't call for a paramedic. 'Cause you'll need everyone in the CHP to save you, since you'll have practically everybody who works for the LACo Fire Department on your butt. Especially anyone whose ever worked with John and Shiloh."

Jon had a bit of a wicked gleam to his eye, as he mentioned to Ponch, "Now that this is settled, Ponch I know the prefect girl for you. She looks great and her name is Nancy, Nancy Rice."

Ponch looked like a bird dog on the scent of his next prey. "Really?  Where can I find her?"

Adam grinned and Jon winked at him, "She lives in the building across the street, here's the address."

"Thanks partner!" Ponch said a few good-byes and went to check out this Nancy Rice, while Adam came over to Shiloh and whispered in her ear, and she began
giggling trying to hide it. Then John wanted to know what was so funny, and it spread all the way around the room. With everyone having a well deserved laugh.

The End . . .