The Diversion By Terribv

Whoever said Sunday night family dinners no longer existed, did not live in the Montgomery household. Attendance at the event, and yes, it was an event, was not merely appreciated, it was mandatory.

Alexander Montgomery was a successful businessman. He was generous with his money but demanding of his time and family. He expected great things from his two children for he had given them great opportunities. His oldest son, Stephen, had attended Harvard Law School, served two years as an assistant district attorney and now was a partner in a very prestigious law firm. His youngest daughter, Alexandra, was his worry. Ten years younger than Stephen, she had yet to find her niche. She was spoiled beyond belief and he knew that he was at fault for that. He and his wife had thought there would be no other children after Stephen and when Alexandra came along, she was doted upon constantly. But now was the time to correct the situation or at least attempt to.

The meal was winding down. The conversation had been stimulating, dessert had just been served and he decided that now was as good a time as any to announce his plans. He cleared his throat and was pleased to see that he had his family’s undivided attention. He turned his attention to Alexandra.

“My darling daughter, 90 days from now, you will come upon your twenty fifth birthday. As you know, that is the age in which you come into your inheritance. I had hoped that by this time, you would have made a good marriage or at least found yourself a career. Instead you have toiled in the good life for far too long. Well, no longer.”

Alexandra had waited as she had been trained to do until her further paused his speech before interrupting.

“I don’t understand. I do have a career,” she started but her father held up his hand to silence her.

“Tomorrow morning you will report to Rampart Hospital to begin 90 days of volunteer service. I have contacted the Chief of Staff and he has agreed to allow you this opportunity.”

“Opportunity? This isn’t an opportunity and I don’t wish to volunteer at that hospital. I’m an artist,” she countered breaking the golden rule.

“If you wish to gain your inheritance, you will fulfill this request, Alexandra,” he said sharply. “Your mother and I have let you run amuck since college. For the next ninety days, you will volunteer from nine to five at the hospital five days a week. You will learn that there is a world beyond Beverly Hills.”

She could only stare at him in open-mouthed astonishment. She’d played by the rules; she’d always done what she was told.

“I thought you loved me, Daddy. Why are you doing this to me?”

“I want you to learn about compassion and humility, Darling,” he offered gently.

“You don’t think I’m a compassionate person,” she asked softly.

“Of course I do. You are a very loving and compassionate person. It’s just that it doesn’t reach beyond Rodeo drive. You are loyal to your family and to your friends and I respect that. I would expect no less from a Montgomery,” he said as he placed his hand on top of hers on the table. “But you haven’t been faced with the real world. You won’t truly know what it is to be compassionate unless you get out from beyond the walls of the rich.”

“Did Stephen work there,” she asked pouting.

“No, he didn’t,” her father confessed. “But your brother worked in the district attorney’s office for two years and he still handles a fair number of pro bono cases. I haven’t had to worry about him.”

“But you have to worry about me? Am I such an awful person that you would put this condition on my inheritance? Do you think that little of me?”

Alexander could feel the tug of his heartstrings. He knew she wouldn’t be happy about this request but he hadn’t thought it would sadden her so much.

He used his hand to lift her chin so that she was looking directly at him. “There’s a responsibility that comes with money and it’s more than just being a rich benefactor. Some people give money away because they have to for tax purposes. Some people give it away because it makes them feel good. I want you to understand the world outside of Beverly Hills so that you can make sound financial decisions as well as fulfilling your debt to society. I don’t want you to be one of those people who donate money because it makes them look good. You need to know what you’re giving your money for and whom you are giving it to. I think Rampart General Hospital will provide a good environment for you and after the ninety days, you will receive your inheritance and I will have no further say in what you do with it.”

She could see some merit to what he was saying. They had always been a generous family and she knew that her father sat on the boards of more than a few charities. Her friend’s families all gave to charities as well. She just never knew that her father felt she was so shallow and self centered that he had to put conditions on her inheritance and she said as much to her girlfriend later that night.

“Lexie, Honey, it’s only for ninety days and he said himself that once you’ve done your time, you’ll get the money,” Blair said in consolation.

Alexandra sniffled and waved her hand. “I know that. I just hate all that medical stuff. I could barely stand my sciences classes. I’m an artist not a scientist,” she exclaimed.

Blair shook her head in commiseration. Thank God, her father had never pulled this society trip on her. “You know what you need. You need a diversion to help you pass the time,” she announced.

“What kind of a diversion?”

“Well, you should have a little fun with it. A romance with a handsome doctor would be nice. Who knows, maybe you’ll find the man of your dreams. Or maybe you could introduce me to the man of my dreams,” Blair giggled.

“You wish,” Alexandra chided. But, she thought, a nice little diversion to pass the time wouldn’t be so bad. It could actually be fun with the right person.

~*~*~

Johnny rapped twice on the back door before opening it. Joanne was standing in front of the stove and his two favorite munchkins were sitting at the table. All three turned at the sound of the door.

“Uncle Johnny,” the kids screamed in unison as smiles lit their faces. Johnny couldn’t help but smile in return. Jennifer jumped from her chair into Johnny’s arms and she hugged him tight. Her feet had barely touched the ground.

“We saw you on the t.v. last night,” she said matter of factly.

“Did you now,” he asked seriously and she nodded. “I guess that makes me a celebrity, huh?”

She frowned at him. “I don’t know about cebrities, Uncle Johnny but you sure were messy. You were not very tractive”

“Are you tellin’ me that I didn’t look good, Miss Desoto,” he said tickling her.

She giggled. “No, that’s what Mommy said,” she replied and Joanne cringed inwardly.

“She said that, huh,” Johnny asked as he glanced in Joanne’s direction. Joanne was thankful that she had been cooking so she could continue to tend to the pancakes and didn’t have to turn around. “Well, your mom’s right, Munchkin, I wasn’t very…what’s that word again,” he asked.

“Tractive,” Jennifer told him seriously.

“Right, I wasn’t very tractive on the t.v. last night,” he said as he put the little girl back into her chair. He ruffled Chris’ hair as he stole a piece of toast off his plate.

“Was it a really big fire, Uncle Johnny,” Chris asked with wide-eyed fascination.

“It was routine, Sport,” he said down playing it because he knew that Joanne did not want them encouraging Chris’ interest in firefighting. It was one thing to be married to a fireman it was another to be a mother of one, she’d said on more than one occasion. Chris was only nine years old but already she was worried that he’d want to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the department when he was older.

In reality it had been one hell of a fire and they’d had a hard time knocking it back. At one point, Chet and Marco had become trapped but they’d been able to get them out without any injuries which was a good thing considering that it had only been a little over a week since Roy had been hurt.

Johnny glanced over Joanne’s shoulder to see how many pancakes she had on the griddle and Joanne laughed.

“Would you like some breakfast, Johnny?”

Johnny flashed her his biggest grin. “Now that you mention it, Jo, I am kind of hungry,” he said rubbing his stomach.

“Have a seat and I’ll get you a plate,” she said as she playfully pushed him towards the table.

“Sit next to me, Uncle Johnny,” Jennifer instructed.

“No, he should sit next to me,” Chris countered.

“I said it first,” Jenny said sticking out her tongue.

Chris rolled his eyes at his sister’s antics. Her really wanted to stick his tongue out too but he didn’t want to in front of Uncle Johnny. It wouldn’t be manly, he thought.

“He’s not going to sit next to either of you,” Joanne said coming to the table with a plate full of pancakes. “Because both of you are finished. Now, please go tell your father that his breakfast his ready and wash the syrup off of your hands.”

Johnny watched the kids leave the room and saw Chris stick out his tongue at his sister as he left. He smothered a grin when he heard Joanne’s exasperated sigh.

“So, Johnny when are you going to settle down and have a couple of kids,” she asked sweetly.

Johnny’s head whipped around so fast that Joanne thought it might come off. “Whadda ya mean?”

“I was just thinking that it might be nice if Roy and I could come to your house and get your kids all riled up,” she said as she put clean silverware on the table for him and Roy.

Johnny laughed realizing she was kidding. “Well, I can’t very well get married when the best woman in the county is already taken, now can I?”

“Are you flirting with my wife,” Roy asked coming into the kitchen.

“Who? Me?” Johnny splayed a hand across his chest. “I wouldn’t think of it, Roy.”

Roy snorted and shook his head. “You’d flirt with my 80 year old grandmother if she was here, Johnny, and you know it.”

Johnny smiled around the pancakes he had just stuffed in his mouth.

“You guys made the news last night, I see,” Roy said wistfully not for the spotlight but for the fact that he missed his work.

Johnny swallowed and took a gulp of milk. He wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and Joanne bit back the reprimand that she would have given her children.

“Yeah, although I hear your wife thought I was less than attractive, Roy.”

“Well you are,” his friend replied quickly. “Especially when she’s comparing you to me.”

“Touche’,” Johnny replied. “How’re you feeling,” he asked changing the subject.

“Not too bad. The back’s still a little sore but Brackett says that’s to be expected. Another week and hopefully I’ll be back on the job.”

“I hope so,” Johnny pouted. “I got stuck with Brice this time and we both know that’s not a good thing,” he added matter of factly.

Roy nodded thinking about Gage and Brice stuck together for 24 hours straight. It was not a pretty scene. “No injuries last night, though,” he said thankfully knowing full well how dangerous apartment fires could be.

Johnny shook his head as he finished off his plate. He didn’t know whether to say anything about Chet and Marco being trapped but he figured Roy would hear about it eventually so he relayed the story of the rescue downplaying the danger that he and Brice encountered. He could see the look in Roy’s eyes knowing that his friend was wishing he’d been there and would have been able to help. But also relief that everyone had come out without injury.

Roy knew that Johnny had come over because it had been a particularly harrowing fire. He was well aware that Johnny knew he would have seen the footage on the news and that this was his way of letting Roy know that he was okay.

“So anything new, Junior?”

“As a matter of fact, there’s someone new,” Johnny said happily.

Roy raised his eyebrows. “A new nurse?”

“No, she’ a volunteer at the hospital. Roy, I’m telling ya, she’s gorgeous! She’s got a smile that’ll knock your socks off. Her name’s Alexandra. We’re goin’ out tonight,” he exclaimed with a lopsided smile.

~*~*~

Johnny pulled the Rover into the parking lot at Vito’s. “I hope Italian is okay,” he said glancing at his date.

“It’s fine. I love Italian food, John,” she answered.

Johnny pulled into a space and cut the engine. “Johnny,” he stated.

“Excuse me.”

“Johnny. Call me Johnny,” he replied. “Very few people call me John. My mother, when she was mad and my Captain always,” he said with a laugh.

“All right, I’ll call you Johnny as long as you call me Lexie,” she countered and smiled at him.

“Lexie it is then,” Johnny said. “Ready to go in,” he asked and she nodded.

Johnny quickly hopped out and made his way around the Rover to open the door for her. He held out his hand to assist her out of the car. A lot of the women he had dated had hated his car. It was too high off the ground and not stylish enough. If Lexie had thought so, she hadn’t given any indication of it, which for some odd reason pleased him. He didn’t know why but he had felt awkward about picking her up in it. He’d almost called Roy to ask to borrow the Porsche but in the end had decided against it.

The maitre’ d escorted them to a quiet table secluded in the back of the restaurant and it briefly crossed Johnny’s mind that this was a little too romantic for a first date but he didn’t want to say anything. And again, if felt uncomfortable, she didn’t say so. The waiter was quick to take their orders and there a few awkward moments until Johnny finally spoke.

“So, you’re a volunteer in Pediatrics, huh?”

“For the moment. I’ll pretty much go wherever they need me,” she answered honestly.

“Well, I think that’s real nice. You know, giving your time to those sick children,” he replied. “Most of time, the volunteers are housewives or grandmothers.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I’m not married,” she said holding up her left hand and I hope you aren’t telling me that I look like someone’s grandmother.”

Johnny choked back the sip of water he’d just taken and stammered that it had not been what he meant. Lexie laughed at his discomfort.

“I was just teasing you, Johnny,” she said sympathetically when he couldn’t seem to stop coughing. “Are you okay?” She was actually getting concerned.

He held up his hand. “I’m okay,” he finally managed. “You just caught me off guard with that comment.”

She smiled and he found himself dazzled.

“You hardly look like anyone’s grandmother,” he said huskily. A little too much so and he had to look away out of embarrassment.

She could tell he was embarrassed. “Then let me state for the record that you certainly don’t remind me of my grandfather,” she teased to relieve his nervousness.

He smiled again and this time it was Lexie who was caught off guard. She felt like a schoolgirl and she didn’t know why. She’d never felt like this as a schoolgirl so it was strange that that was how she thought of it.

“So, Johnny, how long have you been a paramedic,” she asked changing the subject.

“A little over four years. But I was a fireman before that,” he answered.

“I suppose that means that you joined the department right out of high school?”

Johnny nodded.

“Were you one of those kids who always wanted to be a fireman when he grew up?”

“Not exactly,” he answered without giving any further explanation.

Hmm, she thought, evasive.

“What about you, Lexie? What do you do with your time when you’re not volunteering?” He was curious about her. She was very attractive and appeared to be intelligent as well. It was a noble thing to be helping out at the hospital but there had to be more to her than that.

“I’m an artist,” she replied and was amused to see the surprise on Johnny’s face and she said as much to him.

“I just wasn’t thinking along those lines,” he answered. If he’d had to guess, he would have figured she was a model. She just had that look about her. She was sophisticated and he’d known from the start that she wasn’t an average woman.

“My father doesn’t think of me along those lines either,” she retorted and wondered why she’d said that. “He doesn’t think of it as a career but rather a hobby,” she offered by way of explanation.

“I know what it’s like not to live up to your father’s expectations,” Johnny assured her.

She brushed her chestnut hair from her face. “I guess that means we have two things in common then. A love of Italian food and disappointed parents.”

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their food. They continued small talk throughout the rest of the meal and the time seemed to melt away. Johnny was, at times, mesmerized by the dark blue eyes that stood out in contrast to her hair.

For her part, Lexie was having a better time than she had expected. She’d heard from one of the nurses that John Gage was a nice date but not to expect it to go any further. Well, that was fine with her. He was quite handsome yet had a boyish quality about him and it was obvious that he was passionate about his job. Anyone with that much passion would certainly be good in bed, she surmised. Her mother would be shocked to know that she thought such things but she was almost twenty-five years old and it had been some time since she was a virgin.

After the evening was over, Johnny dropped her off at Blair’s apartment. Lexie had used her address as opposed to having him pick her up at the house. She’d considered asking him in for coffee as a pretense but decided not to give away too much on the first date. She had to leave him wanting for more and she could already tell that he wanted more. He’d already asked for a second date to which she had coyly replied that she would think about it and let him know. She had never been one to let a man know what she was thinking. Oh, and if he knew only what she was thinking!

He had given her the sweetest kiss when he walked her to the door. John Gage had been a true gentleman and she had enjoyed his company. He was nothing like the men she usually went out with especially Richard. Yes, he would be a very interesting diversion. Definitely a perk to an otherwise boring job.

Once she closed the door, Blair peeked her head out of the bedroom. “I didn’t know whether I should be here or not,” she joked, “But I couldn’t stand Harrison any longer.”

Lexie threw her purse on the table. “Not a problem. Not that the thought didn’t cross my mind,” she laughed. “By the way, thanks for letting me use your apartment to get ready,” Lexie said to her friend Blair. “I didn’t want to be picked up at the house. My date would probably have a coronary.”

Blair raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Coronary?”

Lexie laughed. “I know. A week ago I would have said heart attack and now I’m using words like that.”

“Does this mean that you like working at the hospital,” Blair questioned. She couldn’t imagine spending her days surrounding herself with sick people.

“I wouldn’t go that far but it’s better than I expected,” she admitted. She opened her overnight bag and began emptying the contents onto Blair’s bed.

Blair laid sideways on the bed watching her friend. “So, tell me about this doctor you snagged, and after just one week.”

Lexie looked up and shook her head. “He’s not a doctor, Blair. I told you that. He’s a paramedic. It’s like a step down or something. He actually works for the Fire Department,” she tried explaining but Blair’s laughter stopped her. “What?” she demanded.

Blair tried to control herself. “It’s just that this is too perfect. Your father forces you to work there and now you’ve found yourself a little civil servant.” She sat up and smiled at her friend’s puzzled face. “Don’t you see, Lex, this is your way out. Let your father think things are getting serious with this guy and your father will pull you out of there so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

“I don’t think so. He’d probably be thrilled,” Lexie retorted. “I told you all that crap he was spouting about doing good for the community and living in the real world.”

Blair held up her hand. “Come now, Child, where have you been living the last twenty four years,” she countered. “It’s one thing to put your child out there in the mainstream, it’s another to want them to marry into it and your father is no different.” She jumped up and hugged her friend. “This could be great. For both of us. Maybe he has a friend. I wonder what kind of mileage I could out of this with my father.”

Lexie pulled back laughing and shook her head. “You are too much. I can’t do that. I just wanted to have a little fun. Apparently, John Gage is the guy to do that with. According to the nurses, he’s not into long term commitments and he’s fun to be around.” She walked to the bathroom door but stopped before entering. She turned back to face her friend. “I can’t use him like that, Blair.”

“Lexie, face the facts. You’re using him anyway, aren’t you? You’ll toy around with him for as long as you can and then you’ll wash your hands of him. It won’t be the first time. And guys have been doing it to us far longer than we’ve been doing it to them. No reason to feel bad about it. This fireman of yours has most likely done the same thing to his fair share of women.”

“He isn’t “my” fireman, Blair. It’s just one date,” she reasoned.

“Oh come on, when has any member of the male species not asked you for a second date? They all fall head over heels for you. This one won’t be any different. Men are all alike, trust me.”

“You’re so cynical. But he did ask me out again. To go bowling, no less. How common is that?” She entered the bathroom but left the door open

Blair rolled her eyes. “Have you ever even been bowling, Lex?”

“No, but how hard can it be. And besides it’ll be fun having him “teach” me,” she answered.

“You’re getting to be as bad as me,” Blair said laughing as she came to lean against the door jam.

“I’ll never be that bad,” Lexie teased.

“Have you spoken to Richard?” Blair was serious this time and Lexie lifted her head to look at her friend through the mirror.

“Yes.”

“What does he have to say?”

“He agrees with my father. He thinks this’ll be good for me. And with John Gage around, I have to tend to agree with them,” Lexie said matter of factly.

“You know, he thinks you’re going to marry him, Lex,” Blair said softly.

“Who? John Gage,” Lexie joked.

“No, Richard. He …”

“I know who you’re talking about. But I don’t love him Blair. He’s too much like my father. He bores me.”

Blair rolled her eyes. She never could figure out why Lexie hadn’t accepted his proposal. “So what? He’s from good people and he’s easy on the eyes.”

“I need to take a shower.” Lexie closed the door on her friend. True, Richard was easy on the eyes and he had a successful career not to mention a healthy bank account but Lexie didn’t need that. She would come into her own in three months anyway. She wanted love to be a part of the package. And she wanted someone who would appreciate her art. And until she found that, she would have fun.

Johnny gave the ambulance two slaps on the door sending Brice and their patient to Rampart. He hurried to the squad to follow as he was no longer needed at the scene. The fire was extinguished and clean up was the only aspect that remained.

“Hey Gage, runnin’ out on us again,” Chet Kelly hollered.

Johnny glanced over at Chet as he opened the door. “Duty calls, Chet. You just make sure you do a proper job, ya hear.”

Chet waved his arm at Johnny and he climbed into the cab. He was hoping he’d get a chance to see Lexie while he was at the hospital. He didn’t know if she’d still be in pediatric wing or not. He’d gotten the impression that she would be rotating through different departments. It occurred to him that she never really told him why she was volunteering but he figured it didn’t really matter. It was just nice to meet someone who put others before themselves.

After backing the squad in, he entered the hospital through the emergency room and was glad that Brice was not already at the desk waiting to go. Brice hated wasting time and Johnny knew that he wasn’t going to be very agreeable to hanging around while Johnny chased down a woman. It would certainly be nice to have Roy back.

Dixie came out of one of the treatment rooms as Johnny approached the desk. “Hi there, Johnny,” she said as she took her customary place behind the desk.

“Hey Dix,” he acknowledged. “Brice still in there?”

Dixie nodded. “Ready to leave us already?” She smiled at him and he returned the gesture.

“Course not, Dix. I was just tryin’ to think if I would have enough time to run upstairs,” he explained and Dixie raised an eyebrow at him. His eyes darted to the treatment room that Dixie had come from. “Tell Brice I had to use the restroom and I’ll be right back,” he requested.

Dixie put her hand on his arm as he was turning towards the elevators. “I will,” she told him, “but you have to tell me why.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. John Gage had his eye on someone new and she was curious to find out whom.

Johnny gave her his best innocent look but she didn’t release his arm. “Who is it this time, Johnny?”

“You know, I think you know me too well, Dix. Is it that obvious,” he asked to which she nodded. “Her name’s Lexie Montgomery. She’s a volunteer in Pediatrics.”

“How’d you meet someone in Peds,” Dixie asked curiously.

Johnny leaned in. “You remember that little guy we brought in last week?”

Dixie racked her brain. “The one with the appendicitis?”

Johnny nodded. “Well, I just wanted to see how he was doing so I went up to check on him and well, there she was. Look I gotta go before Brice comes out here,” he said removing her hand.

Dixie shook her head. “John Gage, you are incorrigible.”

His was quickly striding towards the elevator, his long legs carrying his lanky frame but he turned and smiled at her. “That’s why ya love me, Dix,” he called out. “I’ll be back in a flash.”

Johnny jumped on the elevators and as the doors were closing, he caught a glimpse of Brice exiting the treatment room. Whew, that was close, he thought. Another minute and I wouldn’t have had the chance. The elevator ascended to the third floor and Johnny was anxious to see Lexie. However, the fates were not going to allow it, as the handie talkie squawked to life.

“Squad 51, what is your status?”

Johnny held up the HT to his mouth. “Squad 51 available,” he replied shaking his head.

“Stand by, Squad 51.”

“10-4”

“Engine 36, Squad 51. Traffic accident 6^th and Kenmore. 6^th and Kenmore. Time out 11:36.”

“Squad 51, 10-4,” Johnny replied just as the doors opened. He immediately hit the button to go back down and as he looked up, he saw Lexie walking down the hallway. He waved and lifted his hands up as the doors were closing.

Johnny found Brice at the nurse’s station and he called out, “We got a call. Let’s go.”

Brice immediately turned and headed for the doors as did Johnny. Johnny jumped into the driver’s seat and after Craig was situated, he pulled out with lights and sirens flashing.

“So, Gage, since when is the rest room located in the elevator,” Brice asked.

Johnny smiled. He hadn’t gotten to talk with Lexie but he had at least been able to see her, albeit briefly, but for now, it was enough. He pushed thoughts of her from his mind as they came upon the accident scene. It was time to get down to business.

The accident scene was a mess. Both cars were completely mangled. Johnny ran to one car while Brice moved to the other. Before long, Brice was at his side and when Johnny looked up, Brice shook his head. He didn’t need to say that the victim in the other car had been a Code F, the shake of his head was enough.

The Captain from Engine 36 hurried over to them. “What have you got, Gage?”

Johnny pulled back out of the car. “She’s stuck in there pretty good, Cap. We’re gonna need to take the lid off this and pull the steering wheel up.”

The Captain nodded and began hollering orders to his men. Craig Brice ran to the squad a grabbed one of the package containing their yellow blankets. He ribbed it open as Johnny situated himself in the car with the victim. He would stay in there to monitor her condition during the extraction. Once he was in place, Brice covered both of them over and moved away so the firemen could get to work. He grabbed the biophone and alerted Rampart as to the status of the call. He advised that he would update them with vitals as soon as he could. On the other end, Dr. Early acknowledged the transmission stating that he would be standing by.

Johnny talked to his patient the entire time urging her to stay awake but even so she drifted in and out of consciousness and nothing she said was coherent. Once the roof was off of the car and the steering wheel had been lifted out of the way, Johnny was handed a C collar by Brice and they carefully moved her onto a backboard and out of the wreckage.

Johnny knelt beside her and retrieved her vitals, which he passed along to Brice who was back on the biophone with Rampart. Johnny kept up a steady stream of conversation with the young woman the entire time and after starting the IV’s ordered by Dr. Early, they put her on a stretcher and lifted her into the ambulance. Johnny climbed in with her and in no time they were on their way to the hospital.

“Come on,” Johnny crooned as he tried to coax his patient to respond to him. He was rewarded finally rewarded with a rapid blinking of her eyes. “Welcome back,” he said kindly and smiled at her.

“Wha hap…”

Johnny smiled again and squeezed her hand to reassure her. “You were in a car accident. We’re taking you to Rampart General Hospital.”

Tears formed in the corner of her eyes and slowly trickled out. “Bad?”

“You’re going to be just fine. The doctors will have you patched up in no time,” he assured her. His initial assessment indicated that she had a broken tibia and she would need stitches to close the gash on her forehead and he suspected a concussion.

“Hurts,” she said.

“Where?”

“Leg. . . Head… stomach,” she answered weakly.

He rested him palm on her abdomen and felt it’s rigidity. Possible internal injury, he thought and picked up the phone to notify the hospital.

“You hit your head but they’ll stitch that up. I can’t give you anything for the pain because of it, though. I’m sorry,” he told her.

She looked up him and he really did look sorry. “S’kay,” she mumbled.

“We should be at Rampart very soon and they’ll take good care of you. I promise,” he assured her again as the took her hand again.

She nodded but tears came again and, if possible, she clung more tightly to his hand than before. She had never been so scared in her life and she clung to Johnny like a lifeline.

“My name’s Johnny,” he told her. “What’s yours?”

“Katie.”

“Well, Katie, we’re here,” he said as the ambulance stopped it’s forward motion and began backing up. Johnny tried to remove his hand from her grasp but she wasn’t letting go.

“Please,” she begged, “stay with me.”

“For as long as I can,” he assured her.

~*~*~

After finally leaving his patient in the capable hands of Dr. Early, Johnny had caught up with Brice and since they had now missed lunch at the station, they agreed to grab a sandwich in the hospital cafeteria. It had taken some convincing but they had finally convinced the scared woman that Johnny had to go and she’d reluctantly released his arm after he promised to come back and check on her.

He was surprised to see Lexie sitting at one of the tables and he stopped Brice.

“Could you, um, grab me a sandwich,” he asked digging in his pocket for money. “There’s someone I need to talk to,” he explained.

“All right, Gage but don’t be long. We need to get back to the station,” Brice reminded him. “Captain Stanley needs to finish this morning’s drill.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll only be a minute,” he replied already making his way over to her table.

Craig Brice shook his head. He’d be glad when Desoto was back on the job.

“Hi,” Johnny said as he neared Lexie’s table.

She looked up from her book, startled. A smiled quickly crept onto her face. “Hello. What are you doing in here?”

Johnny turned the chair around and sat on it backwards so that his arms crossed over the back of the chair. “Busy morning. We missed lunch at the station so we needed to grab something.”

“I had a good time Saturday night,” he told her finally.

“So did I, John,” she agreed.

“Johnny.”

“Right,” she said smiling. She was so used to using formal names that they seemed to roll right off her tongue.

“So, are you up for bowling on Friday,” he asked anxiously and she couldn’t help but let some of his enthusiasm rub off on her.

“Sure, why not. But I have to tell you that I don’t know how to bowl.”

Johnny was incredulous. “Don’t know how…you mean, you’ve never been bowling before?”

She laughed at his expression and shrugged her shoulders. “Afraid not,” she answered.

“Well, I’ll teach you,” he assured her and she couldn’t help but remember her conversation with Blair.

“Sounds like fun. What time Friday?”

“How does seven o’clock sound? I’ll pick you up at your place, if that’s okay,” he asked.

“Seven is fine,” she agreed. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Johnny smiled and it was so genuine that Lexie felt a twinge of guilt.

“Great,” he replied. He saw Brice making his way towards them. “I’ve gotta go, Lex, but I’ll see you Friday,” he said standing up.

“Not unless I see you first,” she teased

~*~*~

Johnny had been looking forward to his date with Lexie all week. He’d thought about calling her earlier in the week on one of his off days to see if she wanted to do something but he knew that she was working full time as a volunteer while still continuing her painting. He had decided that he would just have to content himself with waiting until Friday to see her.

It was turning out to be the perfect day. Roy had called last night and advised Captain Stanley that Brackett had given the okay for him to return to work and tonight was his date with Lexie. After he’d gotten off duty, he’d gone home to catch some shut eye then finished up his laundry. Now, here he was regretting his decision to go bowling on their second date.

He’d shown up at her house and she’d looked spectacular when she opened the door. She’d dressed down tonight but even in a pair of jeans, she looked elegant. And ravishing. He couldn’t remember a time when he was more attracted to someone than he was to Lexie.

He still couldn’t believe that she had never been bowling before but if he’d had any doubts about her claim, they were laid to rest. Johnny had to show her how to hold the ball once he’d found one small enough for her and every time he touched her, he felt a jolt of electricity surge through him. After demonstrating for her several times, she proclaimed that she was ready to try and Johnny couldn’t help but laugh when the ball dropped as she brought her arm back.

“Don’t you laugh at me,” she said as she playfully swatted at him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “But if you could have seen your face,” he trailed off as he started laughing again.

“I guess you’re just going to have to help me, Mister Gage,” she announced and Johnny was more than happy to oblige. They made quite the pair as they stood on the lane with Lexie in front and Johnny behind her as they slowly approached the foul line. This time, Lexie managed to roll the ball down the lane but was dismayed as she watched it roll into the gutter.

“I don’t get any points for that, do I,” she pouted and Johnny shook his head. “No, you actually have to knock those pins down there over in order to score,” Johnny laughed as he indicated the ten big white pins that stood at the end of the lane.

Again the time with Lexie went amazingly fast and they’d both laughed a great deal and had a wonderful time. Neither one wanted the evening to end when Johnny again dropped Lexie off at Blair’s apartment. He still thought it was hers and she never said anything different. She liked not being the high society girl with him. She felt like she could let loose and not have to worry what anyone would think or how it would reflect on the Montgomery family name. So this time when Johnny walked her to the door, she did invite him in and he accepted.

With Blair being away in Carmel for the weekend, Lexie knew they would have the place to themselves and she was more than a little excited. She knew what she wanted to happen and she was sure Johnny felt the same. The sparks between them at the bowling alley could have signaled the fourth of July.

“Can I get you a drink,” she asked as she closed the door behind them. “I think I have a bottle of wine.”

“That would be great. Thanks,” he replied knowing that she was setting the tone.

The living room, dining room and kitchen were just one big room with a counter separating the kitchen space from the other rooms. It was decorated very stylishly and the thought crossed his mind that it must have cost a fortune to decorate. She must be a very good artist, he thought and as he did so, his eyes were drawn to the scenic painting over the couch.

“Did you do this,” he asked walking closer for a better look. Lexie looked up from the bottle of wine that she was struggling to open. She was surprised to see that Johnny had even noticed the painting. She couldn’t count the number of times that Richard had been in this room and he’d never once commented on it.

“Yes, it’s mine,” she said with a smile. “What do you think?”

“I think I know why you can afford to spend your time volunteering,” he answered honestly. “It’s very good.”

The compliment warmed her more than any other she’d ever been given. “Thank you. It’s one of my favorites,” she replied as she tried again to open the bottle.

Johnny noticed her struggle this time and came over to help. “Here let me do that,” he said as he took the bottle from her. He smiled at her and again she felt her face grow warm.

She laughed to cover her embarrassment. “I have the hardest time with those things,” she said indicating the corkscrew.

Johnny quickly removed the cork and poured them each a glass and they retreated to the sofa in the living room. Lexie had turned the stereo on when they’d first come in and now it was the perfect setting. There were no awkward pauses in the conversation as there had been the first time and each was surprised at how at ease they felt in the others company. It felt so right when Johnny slid his arm around her and even more so when he finally brought his lips down to meet hers.

When he pulled back, he grinned. “I’ve been wanting to do that all week,” he said and she smiled back at him. “Is that all you’ve been thinking about, Mister Gage,” she asked suggestively and she almost laughed at the look on his face.

“Did I say something wrong,” she teased.

“No…it’s just…I’m not…well, I’m just not used to…”

“Used to what, Johnny? Having a woman come on to you,” she said and this time she did laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re old fashioned at heart.”

He smiled. “Well, I guess I am, in a way,” he acknowledged.

“I’m a big girl, Johnny and I know what I want. And right now I want you. Is there anything wrong with that?” She was really into him and she had wanted anyone like this in a long time. Richard and she had never consummated their relationship and she was pretty sure that he thought she was waiting until the ring was on her finger. And of all the others that she’d been with, the heat had never been this intense.

Finally, Johnny smiled. “Not a thing,” he answered as he claimed her mouth again.

The sun shining in the window the next morning woke Johnny. It took him only a moment to remember where he was. The night before had been incredible and had only gotten better as it progressed. He could feel Lexie’s body curled up next to his and he could feel himself stir again as he looked at her.

She stretched and rolled over to face him. “Hey good lookin’,” she crooned.

“I thought that was supposed to be my line,” he teased and couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again. “You really are beautiful,” he said after the kiss ended and she smiled.

“You’re not so bad, yourself,” she replied indicating more than his looks.

Johnny glanced at the clock knowing he should go but not wanting to. He was supposed to go to Roy’s for a cookout this afternoon but things were different now and he was hoping to be able to spend part of the day with Lexie. Any further thought was cut off by her well-placed hands.

After showering, which they did together and which took a lot longer than it should, Johnny suggested that they grab a bite to eat and head to the beach for a couple of hours.

“It’s a beautiful day. Way to nice to be indoors,” he told her.

She mulled it over and as much as she should really go home, call Richard and see her father, she couldn’t bring herself to say no to him.

“All right, you win,” she said with a laugh. “A day at the beach sounds good.”

She borrowed one of Blair’s suits thankful that they were the same size and they made a quick trip past Johnny’s place so that he could grab some stuff and then they were off. He wasn’t supposed to be at Roy’s until four thirty and he was hoping that between now and then he’d be able to convince Lexie to come with him.

He was surprised at the strong feelings that he had for her already and unlike in the past, he didn’t want to run from them but rather he wanted to embrace them.

~*~*~

Dixie spied her two favorite paramedics coming down the hallway and smiled. It was good to see them back together again. She couldn’t quite figure out why it bothered her to see them partnered with other paramedics but it did. And truth be told, it didn’t happen that often, usually when one of them had been injured, off sick or on vacation. Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but feel like she was in for a good day as a result.

“Hey guys,” she called out as they neared the desk. She looked at Roy. “It’s good to see you back in uniform. You doing okay?”

“Yep, Doc says I’m as good as new,” Roy chimed in.

Johnny snorted and Roy cast him a disgusted look. “What?”

“Nothin’. I didn’t say a word,” Johnny said holding up his hands in defense.

Roy nodded his head. “I didn’t think so, Partner.”

Dixie laughed at their banter. It really was good to have these two together and though she would never admit it, they were her two favorite paramedics.

“So, Romeo, how are things with your new girl,” she asked Johnny and was rewarded with a smile which meant that things were going well.

“Great, Dix, really, really great. I’ve never met anyone like her,” he said and Roy rolled his eyes. How many times had he heard that statement?

“I’m glad to hear it, Johnny,” Dixie replied. “Have you met her, Roy?”

She’d asked the question of Roy but Johnny answered. “I was kind of hoping that she’d come with me to Roy’s house yesterday. I went over for a cookout. But she had other things to do. Soon though, I hope.”

“I’m sure it’ll be an experience,” she said to Roy.

“It always is,” Roy deadpanned.

“Hey, she’s a great girl. You wait and you’ll see. She’s perfect,” Johnny said cutting in.

Dixie frowned at his comment. “Nobody’s perfect, Johnny. It would do you well to remember that.”

“Well then, she’s about as close to it as you can get,” he stated happily. “We’re going out again next weekend.”

Two dates and Gage was already hooked, Roy thought. It didn’t take long but this conversation sure could. “Hey Dix we need to get some supplies,” Roy said looking at his watch and he saw Johnny pulled the list out of his pocket and hand it to the nurse.

After Dixie gathered all of their items together and had given them to the paramedics, they said their goodbyes and turned to leave.

“Johnny, I almost forgot,” she exclaimed. “Katherine Dennehy was asking for you.” At the blank look on Johnny’s face, she continued. “Car accident. Tuesday.” Recognition lit upon his face. “She’s going home today but I think she’d like to see you if you have the time.”

No sooner had she said the words than the HT sprang to life. Roy acknowledged the call and was moving towards the doors. “I’ll try, Dix, tell her I’ll try to stop back.”

“I’ll do that, Johnny. Take care,” she hollered to his retreating back. And it couldn’t hurt to ask around about Johnny’s “perfect woman”. Dixie had to admit that he had her curiosity more than piqued and she hadn’t even met the woman.

~*~*~

“So how was he, “ Blair asked.

“What are you talking about,” Lexie challenged.

“Don’t even try to deny it, Lex,” Blair retorted. “I know better.”

Lexie sighed. Blair always knew what she was thinking. They had been that way ever since she could remember. Sometimes Lexie would start a sentence and Blair would finish it. They used to joke that they had been twins separated at birth because they were so much in tune with each other.

“Come on, details,” Blair urged her friend over the phone.

“He was … very good,” she finally acknowledged and Blair smiled. She knew Lexie would give it up eventually.

“Hmm, very good,” she repeated placing an emphasis on the word very, “but you don’t sound too happy. What gives?”

“I don’t know. From what the nurses said, I thought John Gage would be the perfect little diversion…” she trailed off not sure what she wanted to say.

“And…your problem is?”

Lexie sighed again. She had a feeling that she was going to get more than she bargained for with John Gage. And she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“All I heard about Johnny was how he wasn’t into commitment and he liked to have a good time…and he is very attractive.”

“Sounds perfect,” Blair chimed in wondering why Lexie sounded so worried.

“That’s what I thought. Now…well, okay, we’ve had two dates … three if you count the afternoon at the beach and I have to admit that I have a good time when we’re together. It’s just that… well, it’s hard to put my finger on it but something tells me that he’s not just out to have a good time.”

“I’m sure you’re just reading too much into it, Lex,” Blair said matter-of-factly but then paused, “please don’t tell me that you think there could be something more.”

“No,” she was quick to assure her friend.

“Lexie,” Blair warned, “you know this can never be more than a fling. Please tell me you know that. You have Richard and he’s …”

“And he’s boring that’s what he is,” Lexie finished.

“Doesn’t matter, Darling. He’s appropriate and he loves you.”

“But I don’t love him, Blair.”

“Love is quite over-rated, my dear,” Blair assured her. She couldn’t figure out why her friend was getting all worked up about it.

“I know that I’m supposed to marry Richard. I accepted that a long time ago and I figured that it didn’t matter as long as I could still have my fun. But I don’t want to hurt anyone in the process,” Lexie said.

“You don’t want to hurt the fireman is what you’re really trying to say. Am I right?”

Lexie sighed again. “Yes,” was the simple answer. She couldn’t help but worry about how’d he feel and it surprised her but no matter what she told herself she couldn’t shake the feeling.

“Lex, please don’t be upset. It’s not a big deal. If it’s John Gage you’re worried about, he’s a big boy. And it sounds like he’s been with plenty of women. He’ll be okay and go on to someone else when you’re finished with him. Now if it’s you you’re worried about, find someone else to have fun with and forget about the fireman now before you’re in too deep.

Blair had never seen Lexie get herself all worked up over a guy before. Certainly not Richard. She got the feeling that Lexie wasn’t giving her the full story. But she felt bad that her friend was torn up.

“Did you make another date with him?”

“Yes, tomorrow night,” Lexie answered honestly.

“Can you cancel it,” Blair asked bluntly.

“I only have his home number and he’s working today but …”

“But you really don’t want to, do you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. And she really didn’t. A part of her wanted to stop seeing him because she knew in the end he’d get hurt but another part of her wanted to keep seeing him because she had such a good time when she was in his company. She wanted that.

“Look, I’ve have to run. It’s Sunday and Richard’s coming,” she said and Blair knew what that meant.

Richard was the perfect dinner companion to have at the typical Montgomery family dinners. He conversed with her father about business matters, financial matters, politics and golf at the country club. Lexie tried to imagine John Gage sitting through one of these and almost laughed out loud at the thought of it. She didn’t realize that she’d even changed her facial expression until Richard spoke up.

“Do you find that amusing, Alexandra,” he asked.

“I’m sorry, Richard, I was thinking of something else,” she apologized. Thinking of someone else was more like it, she thought to herself. “What were you saying?”

Richard stared at her for a second. He couldn’t very well chastise her in her own house but it wasn’t polite to ignore your dinner companion. She’d been very distracted ever since starting at the hospital and for the first time, he wondered if that had been a mistake.

“I was saying that one of our partners had had a heart attack yesterday,” he said with just a hint of harshness.

“Oh, Richard, I’m so sorry,” she was immediately contrite and she berated herself for not having been attentive to the conversation. She’d been happily thinking of Johnny while Richard was talking about someone being near death.

“You’re forgiven, Darling,” he said covering her hand with his own. “He’s at your hospital,” he told her, “perhaps you should check up on him for me when you’re not busy tomorrow. We can have dinner tomorrow and you can give me a full report.”

“Of course,” she found herself agreeing, all thoughts of John Gage having been waylaid for the time being. It wasn’t until later that night that she realized that she had agreed to have dinner with Richard when she was supposed to have a date with Johnny.

~*~*~

Johnny was waiting for Lexie when she got off work the next day as planned. He had asked her to bring a change of clothes and was pleased to see that she had already changed. She looked amazing in her white jeans and contrasting black top. It showed just enough cleavage to be enticing without becoming sleazy and Johnny smiled when he saw her.

She’d called Richard at work and made excuses for why she couldn’t have dinner with him and she’d listened to him complain but she’d been able to give him encouraging news about his senior partner and it seemed to placate him. She knew that she should have canceled on Johnny. That would have been the smart thing to do. But she couldn’t fathom the idea of sitting through another dinner with Richard, especially after last night. She’d never been more bored in her life and she knew without a doubt that she was destined to a lifetime of that with Richard. That was why she needed to see Johnny tonight.

Johnny had planned an evening down in Long Beach complete with a romantic gondola ride and even a ride on a bicycle built for two. It was something so different than anything Richard would have planned for the two of them and she had never laughed so much in her life. He was warm, affectionate, and good-natured, with a sense of mischief about him and she was surprised at how comfortable she was with him.

They grabbed a quick bite to eat, nothing fancy, no restaurants and she was amazed at how quickly Johnny ate and how much food he could put away. She couldn’t imagine Richard being so playful or energetic and as she thought about it, she realized how often she seemed to be comparing the two men.

A stroll along the beach capped off their evening and though, once again, Lexie hated for the evening to end she knew she had to be back at the hospital again the following morning.

Johnny dropped her off at the hospital since that was where she had left her car and when he kissed her goodnight, she thought her insides had melted. There was no denying that the heat between them was intense and only grew more so each time they connected.

Lexie knew that she should take Blair’s advice and dump Johnny before she got in too deep but the thought of not seeing him was not something she didn’t want to contemplate right now. It felt good to be with him. She was glad that she had canceled on Richard and not the other way around. She would have plenty of time for Richard after they were married.

As the weeks passed, Lexie found herself making more excuses to Richard for not spending time with him and even to Blair. In the beginning, she limited her dates with Johnny to once a week but he was asking more frequently now and often times she accepted.

She tried downplaying her relationship with John Gage to Blair but she was pretty sure that her friend knew there was more to it than she let on. And even Lexie wasn’t sure what it was but there was definitely something more to it and she didn’t want to let that go. Not just yet. She wanted to hold onto it for as long as she could.

She knew that she would be the perfect wife for Richard. She made good decisions, was sure of herself, didn’t whine or complain and didn’t argue. There was no point anyway. But being married to him would be a lonely place and disappointment would become a way of life. It wasn’t that Richard didn’t care about her because she knew he did, in his own way. But he wasn’t a demonstrative person and he didn’t truly value her art or even her passion for it. If he could just show some interest in the things that were important to her, she imagined things could be different between them. If he could just let loose a bit and not be so stuffy. But that had been the world he’d grown up in.

One day after a particularly trying conversation with Blair, in which she’d reminded Lexie for the umpteenth time that Richard was an ideal catch, she had accidentally blurted out, “then you marry him.”

Blair had been speechless and Lexie was immediately sorry for snapping at her friend. Blair just didn’t realize that for every good trait she listed for Richard, Lexie could also apply that to John Gage. Both men were good looking, responsible, respectable and intelligent. Although she knew that Blair would argue that point with her.

Where did he go to college, she’d ask and Lexie would have to admit that he hadn’t. How much money does he make would be the next question and compared to Richard the answer would be a pittance. And in Blair’s mind being respectable had more to do with how much money was in your bank account than how you lived your life. And she came upon the sad realization that up until a few short weeks ago, she’d have thought the same thing.

Johnny pulled the white Land Rover to stop in front of Roy’s house and turned to look at Lexie.

Her face was puzzled as she looked around. “Why are we stopping here? I thought…”

Johnny smiled as he answered. “Roy called last night and invited us to a cookout. I figured it was the perfect opportunity for you to meet my friends.”

Lexie was hesitant. “Johnny, I’m not ready for that. I’ve told you that already.”

He took her hand in his. “Lex, we’ve been going out for almost two months. They want to meet you and I want you to meet them.” He paused but she remained silent. She was chewing on her lower lip contemplating the thought. “They’re good people. You’ll like them and they’ll love you,” he assured her.

“I don’t know,” she finally replied. Johnny opened the door and jumped out quickly coming around to her side of the truck. He opened the door and took her hand giving it a gentle tug.

“We’ll just stay for an hour. How’s that?”

Lexie looked up at the house. Two little faces were pressed against the front window. She really did not want to meet these people. It was going to be hard enough to break things off with Johnny, which she was going to have to do soon enough anyway. She certainly didn’t want to complicate things by getting to know his friends. She’d managed to put it off this long but here she was and she knew Johnny wasn’t going to leave without at least going in for a bit.

“All right. But only for an hour,” she told him sternly. She was a bit irritated that he more or less tricked her into coming here.

Johnny smiled because he knew that he had won. He didn’t know why she was so worried about meeting his friends because he was sure that they’d all get along fine. He helped her out of the truck and closed the door and being oblivious to the faces at the window, he kissed her passionately before taking her hand again and escorting her up the sidewalk.

“They’re here. They’re here,” six-year-old Jennifer Desoto hollered when she first saw her uncle’s truck pull up. John Gage wasn’t technically her uncle but the kids were so fond of him that it hadn’t taken long before he was dubbed “Uncle Johnny”.

“Ewww. They’re kissing,” eight-year-old Chris exclaimed. “That’s so gross. I’m never gonna kiss a girl.”

Roy came into the living room from the kitchen. “You’ll change your mind about that one day, Sport,” he told the boy. “Now get away from the window and stop staring at them.”

Jennifer backed away and ran to the door. “Here they come,” she announced as she ran. The little girl ran to the door and had it open before they even made it to the steps.

“Uncle Johnny,” she screamed when she saw him and when he was close enough, she launched herself at him.

Johnny barely had enough time to drop Lexie’s hand and catch the little girl.

“Hey there, Sweetie pie,” said when he held her safely in his arms. She peered around him at Lexie and then whispered in his ear. “We saw you kissing.”

Johnny blushed despite his amusement and glanced at Lexie who looked like she wished the ground would just swallow her up.

“Jennifer, this is my friend Lexie. Lex, this here is my best girl,” Johnny said introducing them and Jennifer beamed.

“Jennifer, let them come into the house,” Roy scolded from the doorway where he watched the little scene unfold.

Johnny put the reluctant little girl down and they all made their way into the house where proper introductions were made. And it wasn’t long before Roy and Johnny made their way out back and rest of the crew from Station 51 began arriving.

If Lexie had had any ideas about sticking closely to Johnny’s side, they were quickly laid to rest. Between the two kids clamoring for his attention and the fact that the men seemed to congregate together while the women got the food ready, it was all she could do just to get a glimpse of him from time to time. So much for leaving in an hour, she thought.

She couldn’t help but smile to herself imagining what Blair would think of her working in the kitchen preparing food. And she was grateful that they hadn’t actually asked her to cook. She’d never cooked anything in her life and wouldn’t begin to know where to start. At least Blair had the advantage there living on her own as she did.

The women made small talk as they went about their tasks and they all tried to include her in their conversations but they had absolutely nothing in common. The conversation always seemed to drift back to kids, school and other mundane things that Lexie really had no knowledge of. But they were all kind and considerate and very curious about her relationship with Johnny.

“How long have you and Johnny been dating,” Beth Stoker asked.

“About two months,” she replied as she sipped her lemonade.

Beth looked to Joanne. “Could that be a record,” she joked.

“I think so,” Grace Stanley chimed in but Lexie could tell that it was all good-natured kidding. Maybe she was wrong and Johnny wouldn’t really be upset when things ended. She had just over a month left at the hospital and though she had really come to like working there, she knew she would be giving it up. She just didn’t have enough time for her artwork.

Roy popped his head in the door. “The burgers and dogs are just about done,” he told Joanne.

“We’re done in here, too,” she replied and they carried the rest of the food out to the table.

The conversation at the picnic table quickly turned to work for the men as it usually did and Lexie was amazed by some of the stories they told. Granted she hadn’t been seeing Johnny all that long but she never really gave much thought to what he did for a living. And it all sounded so dangerous. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would volunteer to put their lives at risk like they did. But the worst part of it to her was that they all seemed to enjoy it. The way Johnny’s face and Roy’s, too, lit up when they talked about rescuing someone. And all of them had stories that involved running into burning buildings but the scariest part were some of the stories that involved the guys getting hurt. And all of them had at some point but it seemed liked Johnny had had more than his fair share. It also occurred to her that even with the seriousness with which the stories were related, the men were still downplaying the danger because of the wives and kids that were present.

Lexie literally felt sick to her stomach and excused herself to use the bathroom where she splashed some water on her face and tried to regain some of her composure. When she came out of the bathroom, she ran into Joanne who looked at her sympathetically.

“Are you okay, Lexie? You didn’t look too good.”

Lexie shook her head. “Yes, I’m all right. I just … I mean… those stories…”

“I know. It can be a bit frightening at times but you get used to it,” Joanne assured her.

“I just didn’t imagine. I mean… I just never gave any thought to what it’s really like,” she said truthfully.

“Unfortunately, most people don’t,” Joanne told her. “The majority of people don’t think twice about the fire department until they need them.” Joanne felt sorry for the girl. “Come on back outside. I told them no more war stories so you’re safe now,” she joked. “We put the dessert out and the guys are more interested in that than anything right now.”

Lexie followed Joanne back outside and no sooner had she stepped out onto the deck than Johnny was at her side.

“I’m sorry,” he immediately apologized. “Sometimes we get carried away and … well, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

The concern for her was evident in his eyes and she nodded. “It’s been a long day, though, I think I’m about ready to go,” she told him and he agreed.

The afternoon was no different than any other get together with the crew but Johnny hadn’t given any thought to how Lexie would react when they started talking shop. They lingered for a bit and then said their goodbyes to everyone.

Johnny apologized again on the way home but that was pretty much the extent of conversation. Lexie just couldn’t understand why he would want to put his life in jeopardy every time he went to work and moreover she couldn’t understand how Joanne or Beth or Grace could live with that. Now each time she thought of Johnny at work, she would worry about him. At least with Richard she wouldn’t have those worries.

When Johnny dropped her off at Blair’s, he asked about her plans for the week but didn’t suggest anything, which was just as well. She didn’t know why she was so upset. After another month, she wouldn’t be seeing him again anyway but she wasn’t the same person that she had been two months prior and she would always remember the time that she spent with him. And she wouldn’t want to see any harm come to him.

~*~*~

On Monday morning, Lexie was assigned a rotation in the Emergency Department. She had worked on almost every floor but she had yet to be in the ER until today. She knew Johnny was on duty and that she would probably run into him at some point during the day and the thought both pleased and frightened her. She was definitely in too deep with this one.

She wasn’t prepared for the scene that greeted her as she stepped off of the elevator. Firemen were everywhere. She’d been told to report to the head nurse, Ms. McCall and she knew the name from hearing Johnny talk about Dixie.

She made her way to the desk. “What’s going on? Is it always like this,” she asked the nurse stationed there.

The nurse looked up at her. “I’m sorry. It’s crazy right now. You are?”

“Oh, sorry. My name’s Alexandra Montgomery. I’m a volunteer,” she explained. “I was told to report to Ms. McCall.”

“Right, just give me a minute. Ms. McCall is assisting Dr. Early right now. I’m trying to find a place to put all of these guys,” she said indicating the waiting firemen with her hand.

“What are they all doing here,” Lexie was more than curious. They all looked filthy and tired and she couldn’t imagine why they’d be here instead of back at the station getting cleaned up.

“It always gets like this when a fireman gets injured,” the nurse replied. “They show up in droves.”

Lexie’s face drained of all its color. “Someone got hurt,” she asked. “Who?”

“Actually, a couple from what I heard. I don’t know anything more than that. I wasn’t here when they were brought in.”

Lexie looked around but didn’t spot Johnny or Roy anywhere. She hoped it was nothing serious but from the worried looks on the faces of the men draping the hallways, she knew that it had to be and her heart felt heavy.

A commotion down the hall drew her attention and she finally saw him. She breathed a sigh of relief before she even realized it. She felt compelled to go to him and she made her way down the hall

“Johnny, you can’t do anything more for him. Now, get yourself into treatment 4 to get checked out. I’ll send Dr. Morton in as soon as possible,” Dixie ordered.

“I’m fine, Dix,” he argued.

“You are not. At the very least, you need to stitches to close up that head wound,” she said giving him a stern look that brooked no further arguments.

Lexie took a step forward. “Johnny,” she said tentatively. He whirled around at the sound of her voice.

“Lex,” he whispered before pulling her close. He smelled strongly of smoke and he still wore his turnout coat and pants.

Ah, Dixie thought, the infamous Lexie Montgomery. She smiled at the young woman over Johnny’s shoulder. “Perhaps you can get him into treatment room 4,” she suggested and she could see Johnny pull back as soon as she said it.

Dixie sighed. He could be so stubborn. “I’ll come down there and let you know. No go,” she said pointing to the other room.

Lexie grabbed his arm and tugged him along until he acquiesced. As soon as they were alone in the room, she helped him to shed his turnout coat. She’d heard Dixie mention a head wound and she brushed his hair back to see for herself.

“Johnny, you’re hurt,” she said as she scanned his body for more injuries.

“It’s nothing,” he replied as he pulled her in close again. “Coupla stitches and I’ll be good as new,” he assured her. “Man, you sure are a sight for sore eyes,” he told her.

“Are you sure you’re okay,” she asked. She hadn’t realized how worried she had been until she’d seen him. She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him.

“I’m really okay, Babe,” he said again.

“What about Roy? I didn’t see him.” She was so relieved at finding out that Johnny was okay that it just now occurred to her to ask about Roy.

“He’s fine,” he told her. It was nice he thought to have someone that cared about you. He’d always envied Roy of that. Sure, Roy and Joanne were always there for him but it was different with Lexie. This was what he’d been searching for so long.

“Do you want to tell me about it,” she asked him and he cocked his head to the side to look at her.

“Are you sure you want me to,” he countered. He could still remember how she looked the other day. He didn’t want to frighten her anymore than she already had been

She nodded and took his hand. She’d just argued with Blair again last night about him. Blair wanted her to break things off with him but she was still reluctant. Blair suggested telling him that it was the job and that she couldn’t handle it and to some extent, Lexie thought that was true. And she’d been considering doing just that until she came in this morning. But here she was standing by his side and she didn’t want to leave. If she could take the best of Johnny and the best of Richard and combine them, she’d have the perfect man. But there was no such thing. And try as she did to convince herself otherwise, she was starting to believe that she could have a life with Johnny. She was going to start listening to her heart from now on.

Johnny relayed the story about the warehouse fire. It had been abandoned for some time and the owner had been fined for numerous violations in the past. A group of men were caught in a wall collapse. One had been pronounced dead on the scene and four others were brought in for treatment. Marco and Chet were among them and Johnny was extremely concerned for his friends as well as for the other men.

She could easily see how upset he was and she longed to be able to ease his pain. It wasn’t much longer before Roy knocked on the door accompanied by Dr. Morton and Dixie.

“How’re Chet and Marco,” was the first question out of Johnny’s mouth.

“Chet’s in surgery and Marco is going to fine. He’ll be out of work for a while but he’ll be okay,” Dixie was happy to report the news on Marco.

“Let’s take a look at that head, Gage,” Morton suggested.

Lexie wasn’t sure if she should be there or not. “Should I go,” she asked looking at Johnny.

“No, stay,” he answered and reached out for her hand.

Morton and Dixie cleaned the wound and treated it before suturing it closed. When their work was done, Dixie applied a bandage and then he was done. It was a time consuming process and took a few more stitches that Johnny had originally thought but it wasn’t going to keep him off duty.

The rest of the day was a blur to Lexie as she eventually went back to work. She could very well have declined to help but Johnny and Roy were only allowed to stay until they got a call. The rest of the crew was stood down until replacements could be found. And Lexie felt the need to help out. It was a very emotional place that day and people needed privacy from the media blitz that followed and she felt good that she’d been able to do whatever she could.

She was surprised when Johnny asked her if she would attend the funeral services with him. But she knew how much it would mean to him and she readily agreed. She never gave any thought to the media coverage that the services would be given.

Part 2