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What Dreams Are Made Of

Part 2

An Emergency Story by

Dee
 

Links to Parts 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

 

Warning...PG-16...This story contains sexual situations which may not be suitable for all readers.

 

He lost her!  He silently screamed in frustration as he could not sense her presence anywhere.  He thought again, I've lost her.  Suddenly, a soft light filled the darkness and he turned to find the source.  That's when he sensed she was in the room but it wasn't the same.  She seemed to be fading as the light that usually surrounded her appeared dimmer.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I am not that far from you, but I don't know how much longer I can hold on.  You seem to fighting me at every corner.  You still doubt yourself and my love for you."

"Just reveal yourself to me.  Let me know who you are," he cried.

"I wish it were that simple.  It's not.  You need to quit doubting yourself and trust in those who love you."

Before he could say another word, the light went away and once he was plunged into the darkness.

Johnny shot up in bed as his alarm went off.  He couldn't believe it.  For one glorious week, his sleep had been dreamless but since he found Bree (and lost her by his own admission) the dream was back and even vaguer than before.  Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he brushed the hair out of his face and got up to get ready for work.  Glancing into the mirror, he was startled by the dark circles he could see under his eyes.  He looked like he hadn't slept in ages.

After finishing breakfast, he rinsed his dishes and put them in the sink.  Grabbing his gear, he locked his apartment door behind him and headed to work.  He pulled into Station 51's parking area at the same time as Roy.  As he waited for Johnny to park his Jeep, he wondered what type of mood his partner was going to be in today.

"Junior, you look like hell.  I take it you didn't sleep well?" asked Roy as Johnny came walking towards him.

“Brilliant deduction, Sherlock, as I already knew that,” said Johnny with his usual flare for drama.  “That damn dream’s back with a vengeance!  The scary thing is, Roy, I keep thinking I lost her.  Who the hell did I lose?  I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen the woman I’m dreaming about and it frustrates me that I was thinking that I lost her."

Just from that one statement, Roy knew what his day was going to be like but decided to try and make light of the situation.  "Well, you might want to try and keep this from Chet as you know what he can be like once he figures out there is something in your life that’s not quite right."

About that time, Chet decided to make his presence known.  He popped out from the other side of the lockers, looked right at Johnny and said, “So what woman ditched you this time, Gage?  Saturday night must not have been a productive as you hoped it would be.”

“What would you know about it, Chet?” countered Johnny as he turned to walk out of the locker room.

Chet sidestepped around Johnny to block his way out of the room.  “Come on, Gage.  I know you were out with Mandy and Marco at the club Saturday night. 

Mandy must of have tried to set you up with one of her friends.  And I would bet on it that her friend wised up and ditched you before the night ended.”

“Kelly, it is none of your damn business what I did Saturday night and who I did it with!  So bug off!” shouted Johnny.

Roy tried to step in but the argument was already beyond his control.  The two stood in front of the door arguing about Johnny’s love life, or lack thereof according to Chet.  Roy tried to get around them to get out of the locker room but every time he tried, either Chet or Johnny would move to block him.  He finally gave up and walked through the dorm room and out to the engine bay.

Mike was standing next to the engine trying to look nonchalant about the argument that was pretty much being heard throughout the station.  Marco popped his head around the end of the squad and motioned to Roy to follow him.  Once inside the dayroom, Marco handed Roy a cup of coffee and asked, “What is that all about?”

“Not quite sure but I think it has something to do with this past weekend and what happened at the club.”

“I take it you know about the girl that Johnny met at the club…” Marco started to say when Roy interrupted him.

“I know about her and met her.  There’s more to that relationship than meets the eye, Marco,” stated Roy.  “So much more but it’s not my story to tell.”

“I agree with that assumption.  I gathered that much from the reaction Johnny had when he saw her in the club.  Mandy knows more than she is telling me also.”

The two headed back out the engine bay as it was almost time for roll call and they could hear Johnny and Chet taking their argument out into the bay.  It was only a matter of time before Captain Stanley would interject his authority between the two combatants and command that they stop it.

Both Chet and Johnny spotted Captain Stanley and shut up before he had a chance to shout at them.  The Cap, as they referred to him, looked at his lineman and his youngest crew member letting them know with his glance that their argument had not gone unnoticed.  They knew one of them would more than likely be stuck with latrine duty and who knows what the other would wind up with.  Hank kept his thoughts off of his face and in his mind called those two “twits” for their juvenile behavior this morning.  As he handed out the men their daily duties, he stuck Chet with latrine duty and gave Johnny double duty of the dorm room and hanging hose with Mike.

He dismissed the men.  Chet fired off one last shot to Johnny which earned him a formidable frown from his commanding officer but also a childish tongue being stuck out by Johnny.  As he turned away, Hank couldn’t help but smile as the “twits” never failed to liven up his station.

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

Dixie was hoping to catch Brenna when she came up for her lunch break.  She had seen her this morning scurrying through the doors to the lab like she was trying to hide something and laughed as she thought the girl was probably embarrassed that her reaction to Johnny was witnessed by everyone.   Curiosity was eating away at her as she couldn’t wait to tease her about Saturday night and find out the whole story from the young woman as to how she knew Johnny.

Half an hour later Dixie glanced up from her work schedules when she thought she heard Brenna’s voice coming from the stairwell that led to the lab.  It sounded like the girl was arguing with one of her coworkers and it was not a pleasant argument.

“I still think you are acting like a child.  Don’t follow in his stupidity...you are better than that, Bree!” stated Mandy.

“I never said I was any better than he was but I sure as hell am not going to deal with it the way he is!” she shouted back.

The girls were so into their argument that neither one of them realized that they had entered the ER until they heard an authoritative voice behind them.

“That is quite enough, girls.  Remember where you are!”

Both Bree and Mandy stopped in their tracks and turned to see who was right behind them.  It turned out to be Dr. Brackett and the look on his face was enough to shut them up.  Dixie had to glance down at her schedules as the look on their faces when they saw Dr. Brackett just about had her laughing.  She had seen that look numerous times and if they only knew the thought behind that look.

Dixie heard someone stop in front of where she was sitting and looking up, she saw Mandy and Bree both.

“Maybe you can talk some sense into my cousin because I surely can’t,” said Mandy directing her statement to Dixie before she walked away.

She watched as Mandy walked briskly towards the entrance to the cafeteria and when she looked back at Bree, she was shocked as the usually vibrant blonde looked like she got the worst end of a fight.  The dark circles under her eyes and her overall demeanor were enough to clue Dixie in that something had gone seriously wrong after Brenna had left the club.

Carol had just walked into the base station and Dixie asked her if she could watch it for a few minutes while she took a quick break.  She made a motion for Brenna to follow her into the lounge. 

Once inside the lounge, Dixie pointed to the chair and turned to pour both of them a cup of coffee.  Setting one down in front of Bree, she asked, “Just what has you and your cousin at odds with each other?”

“It’s a long story, Dixie, and I don’t really think I want to talk with you about it,” replied Bree with a sarcastic tone in her voice.

"I don’t think you have a choice after what I witnessed in the ER,” replied Dixie with a little bit more force behind her words.  “I will tell you this…I had good intentions of pestering you about the events on Saturday night, but after seeing the way look you right now, am I wrong in assuming things are not all as they seem to be?"

Dixie almost shuddered when Brenna finally looked up again and the expression in her eyes said it all.  Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the nurse and she found it very hard to even say a thing to her.  Then she did the one thing she was hoping she wouldn't do, she burst into tears.

That spurred Dixie into action.  She quickly left her chair and knelt by the young woman, enveloping her in a hug letting her cry her heart out.  When she felt Brenna's sobs begin to subside, she grabbed a box of tissues off the table by the couch.  She handed them to Brenna who smiled her thanks.

"I am so sorry for that display and for the way I talked to you a bit ago," said Brenna as she wiped the remaining tears from the corner of her eyes.  "I really thought I had cried myself dry last night."

“Believe me, that’s not the reaction I was expecting when I brought you in here,”

replied Dixie.  “You look like hell, girl.  What’s going on?”

Brenna looked at the woman she considered a good friend and said, “It’s such a long and convoluted story, I wouldn’t know where to begin, Dixie.  I do know that this is not the place where I want to discuss it with you…too many eyes and ears…and this is not a story I wish to disclose to everyone.”

Dixie wondered what kind of a story someone as young as Brenna would want to keep quiet.  “I can understand that, but you are not going to get out of it.  Like I said, after witnessing your argument in the ER and watching you burst into tears, I believe I have a right, as a friend, to hear it.”

“Agreed, but I will tell you what the argument between me and Mandy was about…I tried to quite today.”

“Why would you try to quit, Brenna?”

“That’s part of the other story, Dixie.  There is also one more thing I would like you to call me by my nickname as I’ve always considered Brenna a mouthful.  Please call me, Bree.”

Something about that name struck Dixie with familiarity, but she brushed the feeling aside as she knew her friend just needed to talk.  “Bree…I can do that.  I will say this though, in the short time that I’ve known you, I’ve always sensed that there was more to you than you have been telling us.”

“That’s true, Dixie, but like I said I really don’t want to talk about it here,” she stated.  "I think we need to get together somewhere private for me to fill you in on the whole story."

“You’re on, girl," replied Dixie as it finally dawned on her why the nickname, Bree, was so familiar to her.  "But I need to ask one thing, you said your nickname is Bree.  Tell me if I’m way off base with this idea…you remind of someone else whose name was also Bree and she used to sing.  Do you who I’m talking about?”

Bree’s head snapped up so fast that Dixie could tell by the expression in her eyes she hit the nail right on the head.  She smiled at Bree to let her know that her secret was safe with her, if it was true.

“How did you….what made you…Oh good grief!  I can’t even complete a sentence,” said Bree with exasperation and frustration oozing through her.  “Dixie, my real name is Brenna Elizabeth Leigh Mon….”

But before Brenna could finish her sentence, Dr. Brackett came into the lounge and she stopped in the middle of what she was going to say.  Dixie turned and gave Kel a very dirty look which made him step back a bit.  She looked like she wanted to strangle him.  He swallowed hard and glanced over at Brenna wondering why the girl looked like her world had just fallen out from underneath her.

“Dixie, you didn’t need to chew out the poor girl to the point where she had to cry.  What did you say to her?”

Both Dixie and Bree looked at each other and started to laugh.  Dr. Brackett wasn’t sure what he said that was so funny and the look of confusion on his face made them laugh even harder.

“She wasn’t ‘chewing me out’ so to speak, Dr. Brackett,” replied Brenna.  “She was trying to find out why Mandy and I were arguing about and brought me in here so we could talk about it privately.  The subject then turned to our outing this weekend.”

“That’s right.  Dixie mentioned to me that she was going to grab Joe Early and meet you and a few others at a new club on Saturday.  How’d that go, Dixie?”

“The evening was very eventful and even had a few surprises.  But I don’t think that’s what you came here for,” said Dixie as she tried not to giggle at him for his reaction to the nasty look she gave him.  She knew she would have to explain that to him at a later time.

“Oh yeah, that’s right.  Carol was looking for you.  Not sure what it’s about but I know it’s not urgent.”

As Dixie and Bree stood to leave the lounge, Kel walked ahead of them, opening the door for the two ladies and followed them out.  The trio walked down the hall towards the nurses' base station in the ER.   Carol was nowhere to be found, but there were two paramedics standing at the desk.  Roy glanced up when he heard Dixie and Dr. Brackett talking as they came around the corner but was even more surprised when he saw Bree walking beside Dixie.  He glanced over towards Johnny who had his back to them as he was getting a cup of coffee.

When Johnny turned around, he locked eyes with Bree.  She could feel the tears well up again as she broke eye contact with Johnny.  Quickly saying goodbye to Dixie, Bree took off down the hall at a brisk walk, almost running.  She had hoped that she would not run into him today at the hospital.  Dixie watched Johnny as he followed Bree’s progress down the hall in her effort to get away.  She smiled at the exchange as she knew there was still something there that neither one of them would admit to. Kel also noticed the tension between Johnny and Brenna and watched as the petite blonde lab tech hurriedly passed by the nurses’ station with not so much of a goodbye to anyone but Dixie.

As Johnny watched Bree heading quickly towards the exit, he muttered something under his breath that both Roy and Dixie heard to sound like 'I can't stand this.'  They looked at each other as Johnny took off down the hall after the petite blonde in hopes that he could catch up with her before she disappeared.

“Would somebody please explain that to me?” Dr. Brackett asked to no one in particular as he watched the pair head down the hall.

Dr. Early came out of Treatment Room 4 in time to see Johnny chase after Brenna down the hallway and heard Kel’s question.  He glanced over at Dixie and Roy who looked like they weren't too sure about the whole situation.  Joe decided to answer Kel's question and said out loud, “I do believe Johnny is chasing after his latest, soon-to-be conquest.”

Dixie and Roy looked at Joe with total amusement on their face and found that they couldn’t hold back their laughter.  Glancing back at other they gave into the absurdness of the situation, leaning against the counter for support.  The expression on Kel’s face combined with Dr. Early’s deadpan comment had sent them over the edge.  While Dixie found the humor in the situation, she knew there was an underlying problem and that Roy had the inside scoop.  As he watched the head nurse and senior paramedic try to regain some semblance of control, Kel knew now that he definitely missed something this weekend at the club.

Watching his partner run down the hall to try and catch up with Bree, Roy thought not only about what he almost witnessed Sunday morning, but also what happened later that day and how it ended.  Johnny had been fairly silent for most of the morning, barely giving anyone a civil greeting.  He knew it would only be a matter of time before Chet would pull some stunt on his favorite pigeon.

About the time Dixie was going to approach Roy to find out what was going on, Johnny came bounding back into the emergency room not looking all too happy.  From the expression on his face…he hadn’t been able to catch up with Bree.

Grabbing the cup of coffee he left on the counter, Johnny turned to see his friends staring at him like something was growing out of the top of his head.

“What?” asked Johnny as he looked at them, confused as to why they were looking at him perplexed.  “Have I sprouted horns on top of my head or something?”  He turned and glanced at his reflection in the glass doors of the medication cabinet to see if he indeed had horns on his head.  He turned back and once again asked his friends “What?”

Before anybody had a chance to answer his puzzling question, the guys’ radio went off sending them back out on a run.  Roy answered the radio call and headed down the hall towards the exit to the parking lot.

Dixie watched as Roy and Johnny sprinted off to their next call and wondered again what happened between Bree and Johnny to make them both look as miserable as hell.  She just hoped she would have the time to talk with Roy if and when the guys came back to Rampart.

Dr. Brackett turned to Dixie and said, “Are you going to clue me in on what exactly happened Saturday night at the Red Wolf.  It seems you have had a lot up your sleeve lately and you are really beginning to scare me.”

“Kel, sometimes you have the worse timing!” cried Dixie as she took a swipe at him with the chart she had just picked up.

“What do you mean, Dix?  Those two who just left?  I just asked you to tell me what I missed this past weekend.”

“I’m not talking about you witnessing Johnny chasing after Brenna.  I’m talking about when you walked in on the conversation I was having with Brenna in the lounge,” replied Dixie.  “She was just about to tell me something about her and Johnny’s relationship.  I could’ve wrung your neck!”

Kel was starting to feel confused all over again and stated, “I was wondering what I did to deserve that dirty look.  But really, are you going to tell me what exactly went on this weekend…including what I just witnessed with Johnny chasing Brenna down the hall.”

“How much time do you have, Kel?  It’s a long story and I think there’s more going on than I know about.  But I really don’t want to talk about it here,” said Dixie.

“Give me the abbreviated version right now and later after our shift, I will take you out for supper for the full version,” Kel replied.

“You’re on!”

While Dixie worked on restocking the nurses’ and base station, she filled Kel in on the goings on at the Red Wolf on Saturday night.  She told him that Johnny had been pleasantly surprised when a young woman he obviously knew showed up at the club.  Kel was even more astonished when Dixie told him about the dance that took place on floor with Mandy and Brenna performing it.  But he couldn’t hold back his laughter when Dixie told him what took place right after Brenna had walked off the dance floor and right into Johnny’s arms for a kiss that had everyone thinking about a cold shower they all could have used right about then.

 

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

As Roy started the squad, flipping on the sirens and put it into gear, he took a sideways glance at his partner. He knew Johnny was having a hard time dealing with what happened this past weekend…first running into the woman who stole his heart over a year ago and then learning that they had a daughter together.  When Johnny first arrived at work, he seemed to be doing alright.  He didn't joke as much but he wasn't biting anyone's head off either, apart from the argument with Chet before roll call.  But as the day progressed, he seemed to get quieter and quieter.   He figured he would let Johnny work it out in his mind before he said anything to him.

Pulling the squad out of the parking lot, Roy took another sideways glance at Johnny.

"Just ask me, Roy," said Johnny with a little bit of exasperation in his voice.  "I know you’re dying to find out what I’ve been thinking."

"Only when you’re ready to talk about it, Junior," replied Roy.  "I am not going to pressure you into talking about what you are thinking."

Johnny slowly let out the breath that he had been holding.  He looked at his partner and said, "I just don't know what to do about this whole situation.  A baby, Roy, I have a child that I didn't even know about it until yesterday.  I've missed so much in the child's first year of life and I’m mad at myself that I didn't even think to ask Bree if we had a boy or a girl.

"

Roy thought about what Joanne told him Sunday night after Johnny had left their place.  Bree had inadvertently mentioned that Johnny had a daughter when Jo had dropped her off at her home.  He thought about how Johnny would be pleased to know about this little girl, but he kept the thought to himself as he felt Bree should be the one to tell this to Johnny.

"Johnny, you just need to give it time.  It's been a shock to your system and you haven't had time to deal with it properly.  If you don't feel comfortable talking to Bree right now, then don't.  Go on with your life as before you knew she was back."

"I know I should go on with my life but at the same time I am constantly thinking why…why she didn't even try to contact me.  I could’ve taken her in and watched over her.  I could have…no, I should have been there for her and I wasn't even given the choice," Johnny said, sounding like he was almost on the verge of tears.  "I am still so angry right now I can't even think straight.  I feel I should hate her for not including me in this, yet at the same time I still care deeply about her."

Roy listened as Johnny went on talking, knowing that his partner was slowly working things out in his own mind and coming closer to a decision on what to do.  He could sense that Johnny was coming to the end of the discussion and turned his head as he heard Johnny say to him.

"You know, Roy, I’m glad that you allow me to sit here and rant to my heart's content without telling me I should do this or do that.  You just listen.  I hope you know how much I appreciate that.  Thanks."

"Junior, you can talk to me anytime.  I don't mind at all."  The guys lapsed into companionable silence keeping an eye out for the address they had been sent out to.

An hour later the guys returned to the station.  Roy couldn’t help but wonder what his partner had on his mind now…until he saw Marco heading into the locker room, remembering that Marco had been there at the club that night.  He pretty much had a good idea now of exactly what his partner was thinking. 

He didn’t even have the squad in park before his partner had his door open and was bounding out of the vehicle.  He couldn’t help but chuckle silently as he knew that Johnny was definitely going to look for Marco.  Shutting the vehicle off, he got out of the squad and went into the dayroom, poured a cup of coffee and waited for Johnny to return.

Johnny checked out the back of the station and didn’t see Marco.  He knew it wasn’t Marco’s turn to cook so he wondered where he was at.  He couldn’t help but worry about Marco might have said to Chet about Saturday night.  He was wanted to talk to him, hoping he would keep what he saw at the Red Wolf to himself for a while and not give Chet any ammo to pester him with.

Entering the locker room, he spotted Marco at the sink washing his hands.  Marco turned his head when he heard the door and saw Johnny walking in with a concerned look upon his face.

“Hey, Johnny, what’s up?  You look kind of worried about something.”

“I guess in a way I am, Marco,” replied Johnny as he leaned back against the sink.  “I was wondering…is there any way you can keep a lid on what happened Saturday night?  Or am I too late in asking that?”

“In other words, you want me to keep my mouth shut on what I saw happen at the bar that night between you and Brenna?” said Marco as he could see at how uncomfortable Johnny looked at that moment.  “You aren’t trying to keep a certain phantom from finding out about this lovely lady, are you?”

“I think you know the answer to that one, Marco.  I just don’t want Chet hounding me about her.”

“Don’t worry, Johnny.  I haven’t said a word to him about what happened Saturday night at the Red Wolf, although it doesn’t mean he hasn’t pestered me about what went on there.”

“I appreciate that you kept it under wraps for me.  Things are kind of up in the air with us right now and I just don’t need him breathing down my neck.”

“No problem, Johnny.  As much as I would love to taunt Chet with the fact that you met a very lovely woman and that you two knew each other previously, I think he would turn into the classic pain in the ass if armed with that piece of ammunition.  Your secret’s safe with me.”

Johnny smiled at his coworker as he knew that Marco would take his secret to the grave if asked.  He felt bad that he couldn't tell Marco about what happened after they had left the bar but he was pretty sure Marco already got the low down from Mandy anyway.  The two walked out of the locker room together and went to join the others for lunch in the dayroom.

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

Bree sat in her car and watched the squad pull away from the hospital, sirens blaring in the quiet of the day.  After speaking with her supervisor, who had talked her into taking the rest of the day off instead of quitting, she didn't know what to do.  Wiping the tears from her eyes, she put her car into gear and decided to head for the beach.  It came to mind that it was time to do a little therapy…the kind that involves shopping.

The one destination she had in mind was Santa Monica.  She loved the boardwalk with its little boutiques and bistros.  She turned on to the Pacific Coast Highway and cranked the radio, singing along as she lazily took her time driving.  Most people driving along the PCH had no problem with someone taking their time…enjoying life.  Soon enough she found herself in Santa Monica.  She pulled into one of the many public parking lots, secured her car and briskly walked towards the shops.

Not one to take notice of her surroundings, Bree failed to see the reflection of the person behind her intently staring at her as she walked along the sidewalk and watching her every move. 

He couldn’t believe it…she was back in California.  After she left Nashville in March of 1975, he had been hard pressed to locate her.  He had spent most of his time roaming around the southern part of California as he knew her cousin lived here, but it was like she had fallen off the face of the earth.  He remembered the rumors that had floated around for months after the announcement she made about quitting the scene…he thought she was just joking.  Not so…she really did quit.  No music, no recording, no nothing.  It almost sent him over the edge but he would not give up.  He knew in his heart that she would come back and fate proved him right.

He would need to take his time before he revealed himself to her.  After the last time when he almost got caught, he knew he would need to learn her habits better and figure out the best time to approach her, primarily when she is alone.  He knew that there was someone she had met here…the rival, the one who ruined her.  He was the one who caused her to quit singing and to disappear…this ‘fire boy’ as he preferred to call him. The rival would have to be taken care of, if she hooks up with him again, as there was no room for both of them in her life.  He settled back to watch her enjoy her day of shopping.  Time was on his side.

Bree squealed in delight as in the window of one boutique she saw a two-piece swimsuit that just screamed her name.  She thought to heck with it and walked in to purchase the suit.  Many stores later, she had her hands full of packages and discovered she was a little thirsty.  Seeing a sidewalk bistro up ahead, she quickened her pace.

Sitting down, it dawned on her that this bistro was the very same one that she met Johnny at for the first time and smiled in remembrance of that special day…where she fell in deep in love for the first time ever.  Picking up the menu, she quickly made her decision and gave her order to the waitress.

Watching the people walking by, Bree went back in her memories to the last time she had been sitting here slowly drinking an iced coffee by herself, contemplating recent events in her life.  She remembered the two young college students who walked by her table, staring at her as they went by.  They had turned around, coming back to her table and pestered her about looking just like the country singer, Bree Montgomery.  Silently chuckling as she let herself get lost in that memory, she never saw the waitress placing her iced latte in front of her.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are the spitting image of Bree Montgomery, county rock singer?” asked the blond haired boy.

Brenna looked at him and replied, “Numerous times.  Let me tell you this…you are barking up the wrong tree with that idea.  I am not this Bree Montgomery.”

“Seriously, I think you are her.  Rumor has it she is on vacation somewhere and I would say she is right here in front of me,” said the dark haired boy.

She shot both boys a very hard glare and once again stated, “Do you both have hearing problems?  I am not the person you say I am.  And I am going to ask you to leave me alone and go back to the classroom you came from.”

Brenna went back to reading the paper she had in front of her, trying her best to ignore the boys who were still standing by her table.  She didn’t want to have to get up and leave but if they continued to stand there, she would have to.  Out of her peripheral vision she had seen another young man walk up to the door of the bistro, stopping to watch the exchange at her table and wondered if she was going to have to deal with him too.

“Come on, lady.  We know you are her.  There is no way you can look that much like her and not be her.”  The dark haired boy was not discouraged by her coolness, putting his hand on the chair opposite of Bree and moving it back so he could sit down.

“Honey, I am so sorry I am late.  Time just got away from me,” said Johnny as he walked up to Brenna’s table.  He reached down, placing his hand behind her head and gave her a thorough kiss.  Before he pulled back, he whispered in her ear to play along with him and maybe the boys would leave.

Brenna looked up at him with a very seductive smile and said, “That’s alright, sweetheart.  And you don't need to worry as I will make sure you pay for it later.”

Johnny found it hard to control his heart rate after that kiss and as he gazed into the girl’s eyes he could tell she was having the same problem as he was.

“I am sure you will.  Are you ready to leave?” he asked her as he put his hand out to help her up from the chair she was sitting on.

“Yes, but do you mind if we walk for a bit?  I would like to do a little window shopping,” she said as she took his hand.

Brenna and Johnny took off down the boardwalk as the two boys stood there with their mouths handing open, looking at each other.  Johnny chuckled as he tucked Brenna’s hand into the crook of his arm and placed his own on top of it.

As they walked, Johnny introduced himself to her and told her that he just couldn’t let those two boys continue to pester her.  She laughed as she told him that the looks on their faces made up for the surprise he gave her when he kissed her.   He told her about his work as a firefighter-paramedic and she told him that she was a newly graduated college student on vacation before settling down to look for a job.

“I am only here for three more days then I have to head back to the East Coast,” Bree said.  “I wish I could stay here and look for a job but unfortunately my parents want me to come home.”

“I know it’s kind of presumptuous of me to ask this…but could I show you around the area over the next three days before you go?” asked Johnny.

“I’d love to spend time with you, Johnny,” she said.  "I really don't know what to do other than sit at the beach and people watch.  It’s kind of hard to do anything actually when you don’t have a car at your disposal."

“Is there anything special you would like to do?  I have the whole weekend off so I am up for anything.”

She glanced at him sideways through her lashes and smiled, “You might think this is crazy but I’d love to go to the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest to do some camping and hiking.”

He couldn’t believe it when she said that…a girl who likes to camp and hike.  As they walked to his car, Johnny told her about a very special place he likes to go camping in the forest, a little off the beaten path and private.  He asked her if she needed to stop anywhere to pick up her belongings and she told him that she had sent most of her stuff home already and had just a small bag with her.  He opened the door to his Jeep for her, got into the driver’s side and they took off.

“Miss?” asked the waitress.

Bree shook her head as she awoke from her musings.  “I am sorry.  I was kind of lost in my thoughts.  Was there something you needed?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I brought your order and to also see if you needed a refill on your coffee.”

Spotting her order on the table, she smiled up at the waitress and said, “It looks wonderful and no, I don’t need a refill right now.   Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome, Miss.  If you need anything, please let me know.”  The waitress went back into the building and left Bree to her thoughts.

In the shadows beyond the store front, he watched her, wondering what had her so distracted.  He could feel the anger in his bones as he knew she was thinking about him, the ‘fire boy’.  Crushing the soda can between his hands he knew he needed to think about how he was going to get close to the man who ruined his Bree and how he was going to wipe him from her memory for good.

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

"Johnny, please, you need to hurry.  I don’t know how much time is left and you are wasting it."

He could hear her voice but he could no longer see her.  The light that used to accompany her was so dim that he could no longer make out even her shadow.  But he knew she was there as he could smell her perfume.

"Show yourself to me.  I can't see you."

"Johnny, you need to quit fighting it.  I love you.  I always have but I can't make you decide that you love me in return."

"Decide what?  Whether I want to love a ghost or a real person?"

He could hear her crying in the background but couldn't understand why.  What had he done to make her cry?  He had already solved one of her riddles…what he wanted…a family like Roy and Joanne and in a way he already had that with Bree.  Together they had a child.  But what was he missing?  He sighed in frustration as he was no closer to that answer than he had been before.

"I'm not a ghost…I am a real flesh and blood woman.  But I can't hold on forever.  You need to open your heart before I am lost."

As she finished talking, her light brightened temporarily and for a moment he actually saw her face.  Johnny couldn't say anything…he just stared.

"Bree?"

Johnny sat up in bed, gasping for air.  He couldn't believe who he saw in his dream.  The woman in his dreams was Bree…it had been her all along and he never realized it. 

"Just who in the hell is Bree?" asked Chet quite grumpily as he leaned on one elbow to glare at Johnny.

"Kelly, shut up," said the Captain from his bed by the door.  "Gage, is this going to start up again?"

"No, Cap, it's not.  I am pretty sure I am done with this."

"I sure hope it is because if not, you will find yourself on the receiving end of latrine duty until the end of the year instead of Kelly.  Understood, Gage?"

"Crystal clear, Cap," replied Johnny as he lay back down.  He could tell Roy was staring at him through the dark but he was going to have to wait until morning for the answers to his questions.

"Gage, come on and tell us who is this Bree you were asking for," said Chet softly as he thought if he could keep Gage talking about this chick, it would be Gage getting stuck doing latrines for the rest of the year instead of him.

"Kelly, one more word and it will be you who will have latrine duty instead of Gage and not just to the end of this year but until the end of next year too."

"Yes, Cap," said Chet rather sullenly as he rolled onto his side trying to figure out how the phantom could get his favorite pigeon to confess about this chick who had him tied up in knots.

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

Johnny followed the ambulance into the emergency room bay and parked alongside of it.  The orderlies and Roy had already entered the ER while Johnny was parking the squad.  He walked over to the nurses' station with the intent to bug Dixie about Bree, but she wasn't at the nurses' station.  Carol finally came around the corner and told him that Dixie had gone into Treatment Room 4 with the patient that Roy had brought in.

Figuring he would be waiting for a few minutes, he poured himself a cup of coffee and waited.

Mandy stepped out of Treatment Room 2 and walked briskly towards the doors that would lead her to the lab.  Johnny spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to check it out.  He was mildly surprised to see Mandy and just a bit disappointed that it wasn't Bree.

"Hi, Mandy, how are you?" he asked her as she approached the nurses' station.

"Hey, Casanova, are you making the rounds again?"

Johnny couldn't tell if she was teasing him or not.  Usually Mandy and he had a flirting thing going on that was harmless as she was dating one of his coworkers.  But since finding out that Mandy’s friend was the same woman he had met on New Year's Eve 1974, he wasn't too sure how things stood between the two of them.

"Again…I am not that bad, am I?"

"I'm just teasing, Johnny," replied Mandy.  "How have you been?"  Even though she asked the question, she could tell how he was by the expression in his eyes.  It pretty much mirrored her cousin's.

"Miserable," Johnny said.  "Have you got a minute?"

Mandy looked the dark haired paramedic right in the eye and said, "I wish I did but I have to get this sample down to the lab ASAP.  I shouldn't have even stopped to say hi.  Why?"

"I really would like a chance to talk with you about something."

"You’re going to have to talk to Marco.  We are doing something this weekend but maybe we can get together for a bit and talk."  She waved bye as she swept through the door and headed to the lab.

Traci watched the dark haired paramedic standing by the ER nurses’ station talking with one of the lab techs.  She could tell that they knew each other but also remembered from when she asked around about him, he wasn’t currently dating anyone.

Johnny was been leaning up against the counter at the nurses’ station trying to act as nonchalant as possible when he noticed her walking his direction.  As she poured herself a cup of coffee, Johnny placed one hand on the wall just above the coffee machine and smiled when she glanced up at him.

“You’re Traci, right?” he asked as he gave her his infamous lopsided grin.'

Traci had spotted the good looking paramedic leaning up against the nurses’ station a couple of days before and decided the next time he was here she was going to meet him.  “Yes I am.  You must be Johnny Gage from Station 51?”

“Correct.  I noticed you the other day when I was here with my partner but didn’t have the time to introduce myself.”

“I figured you had to be busy so I asked a couple of my fellow nurses just who you were and you know…they gave me quite an earful.  I get the impression that you are the local lothario of Rampart General,” replied Traci with a flirtatious grin on her face.

“I don’t think I would classify myself as that bad, but I do know a beautiful woman when I see one,” countered Johnny as he attempted to flirt back with her but finding himself feeling uncomfortable doing it.

Traci couldn’t resist and reached up to brush a lock of his dark brown hair away from the corner of his right eye.  She let her hand linger a little longer than intended as she liked the feel of his hair against her skin.  “So what time do you get done with your shift, Johnny?”

He tried not to laugh at her obvious interest.  “Not until tomorrow morning.  Why?”

She found it hard to keep the disappointment off her face.  “Oh.  I was kinda hoping I could talk you into joining me and some friends for a couple of drinks this evening.”

He chuckled and told the young nurse that maybe another day they could get together for a drink.  The two talked and flirted some more until Roy and Dixie came walking out of the treatment room. None of them saw Bree until it was too late.

Bree had just been called up to the ER for a blood draw in Treatment Room 3.  Her heart contracted as she saw the new nurse, Traci, flirting with Johnny.  She didn’t think it would hit her as hard as it did.  She did her best to look nonchalant about what she was seeing but it was hard.

Dixie felt conflicted, knowing her friend’s heart was breaking with what she was witnessing and she wanted to hurt Johnny for being so callous.  Little did any of them know that the decision to act was about to be taken out of their hands.

Traci hadn’t seen the head nurse for the ER walk out of the treatment room when she decided to up the game a notch grabbing Johnny’s face and kissing him.  Both Dixie and Roy gasped out loud at the audacity of the girl but no one was prepared for the reaction that came from Bree.

“Oh good lord, get a room you two!   This is flipping ER, not a motel!” exclaimed Bree as she brushed by the couple on her way to the treatment room.

Both Johnny and Traci jumped apart, looking quite chagrined at what just happened in front of quite a few people.  Dixie told Traci that she would be speaking with her later. Johnny looked down at the floor quite embarrassed that he allowed their flirting to go that far.  He glanced up to see Roy shooting him a very dirty look and Dixie looked like she wanted to tan his hide.

The trip back to the station was a long one as for the first time in a long time, Roy went on what he called a ‘Gage rant’ about Johnny’s treatment of Bree and wondering just what the heck he was up to.  By the time they arrived at the station, they were not speaking at all and for the rest of the shift they were just barely civil to each other which had their shift mates wondering how bad the falling out between the two was.

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

Bree felt bad that her supervisor had to finally tell her to go home as she could no longer concentrate on her work.  All she could see in front of her was Johnny and the new ER nurse, Traci, kissing.   When Jack, her supervisor, found her crying while holding the lab results for Treatment Room 3 in her hands, he gently took the paper from her and told her to go home.

She was at a loss over what to do when it dawned on her where to go.  She jumped in her car and headed for Long Beach.  She remembered that today the band, Dakota Dreaming, was holding rehearsals and tryouts for a new lead singer.  She decided that she needed to get back to her roots…singing.

Sliding her car into the parking spot, she ran quickly into the club.   It took her by surprise when she saw how many people were there to try out for the lead singer position with the band.

“Are you here for the tryouts?”

Bree jumped a bit and turned to see someone standing beside her.  “Yeah, I am but it looks like everyone else is too.”

“True but so far there has only been one or two who might fit the bill.  Most of them are sticking around to listen to the competition,” he said as he put his hand out to shake hers.  “My name is Dave. I am the manager for the club and have been running interference for the tryouts.  You are…?”

“Brenna Leigh,” she replied.

“Do you have any experience with singing and playing in clubs?” he asked.

“Some, but I am more of a songwriter.  I just thought it would be fun to try out.”

They talked for a little bit more then Dave said he needed to go give her name to the man at the table next to the sound board.  She smiled softly as she knew exactly what the reaction of the man at the table would have.  As soon as he read the name on the paper given to him, he stood up so fast his chair tipped over.  Bree looked at him from where she was standing and shook her head to let him know she wanted a turn at singing just like everyone else.

Dave walked back to her and said that she was the last one on the docket to sing.  He still had a puzzled look on his face, remembering the color draining from the man’s face when he read the name on the paper he gave him.  He saw the look the two had exchanged and wondered if they knew each other from somewhere.  Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he returned to behind the bar to get ready for the 5 p.m. crowd to show up in about 45 minutes.

Bree smiled as she listened to the other aspiring singers performing before her.  She remembered the first time she sang before a crowd at the State Fair in Minnesota.  She had been called to replace a group that failed to show and it was the start of something wonderful for her.  Finally she heard her name being called and headed towards the stage.

“Hello, Brenna.  My name is Jason and I am the band’s manager.  What do you plan on singing for us?”

She smiled at Jason and replied, “I will be singing, ‘Tonight’.”

Bree heard someone in the audience snicker and a few comments were made about how stupid it was to sing one of the songs by their former lead singer and she couldn’t help but grin as if they only knew.  Taking her place in front of the microphone, she smiled at the lead guitarist and waited for her cue to begin her choice of song.  Looking out at the people waiting to hear her sing, she knew deep in her heart this is what was missing in her life.

The music began and she swayed to the beat as she began to sing.

If words could make it real

I’d tell you how I feel

Instead I’m waiting here on my knees love

I know how it feels to breathe

With you beside me

I think about it always

As she started the chorus, there was a collective groan throughout those who stayed behind to hear her sing.  They knew she had the job in the bag.  The song she chose, even though it had been sung first by the band’s original lead singer, had exactly what the song needed.  She had the heart and soul.

Jason kept his head down for most of Brenna’s performance as he did not want her or the other performers to see his reaction…if they only knew who she really was.  He had heard the comments and most of the others knew that more than likely she had the job.  He knew she had the job the minute he saw her name on that slip of paper.  He stood up and turned to all those who had auditioned.

 

“Thank you all for coming and sharing your talent with us.  We will be going over our tapes and in a couple of days we will be letting one of you know about your new job.  Again thanks for coming and have a nice afternoon.”

 

The group of hopeful singers got up and dispersed.  Jason turned to look for Bree and could not find her amongst those leaving.  He glanced over at the band members still on the stage, asking them if they had seen her but they all told him no.  Picking up the piece of paper with her name on it, he laughed as he saw what he had missed the first time…she had written her address and phone number on it, stating that she expected him and the band at her house for supper tonight.

 

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

 

Bree knew Mandy wanted her home earlier.  After her audition last week and the band coming to their home that night, she had found herself with absolutely no time alone or any free time at all.  She would leave work and run to the studio the band was working out of, not getting home until well after 11 p.m.  On the days she wasn’t rehearsing with the band, she would head to the beach for some solitude.   During those times, she found herself wondering how Johnny was doing and if he had thought about her or their child at all.  The only place she couldn’t get herself to face were the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest where she had been camping with Johnny…it was just too special of a place that she just couldn't bring herself to go there without him.

As she let herself into the foyer of her home, she thought about the night the band showed up at her home and Mandy’s reaction to the whole story as Mandy knew that this was what her cousin really needed.  Her cousin then explained the whole story to Bree about the audition, making sure she saw the advertisement in the paper. 

Bree knew when she had been played…they all wanted her back singing.  She chuckled to herself as she knew they were right.  She turned to reset the alarm to her home, tossing her keys on the table in the foyer as she walked towards the kitchen.

As she headed towards the kitchen she could hear her cousin softly talking to someone and wondered who was here.  Then she heard a sound that had been missing for a long time from her life…an infant's cry, she ran into the kitchen and stared into the amber eyes of her daughter facing her over her cousin’s shoulder.  Mandy turned when she heard a cry of pure joy behind her and could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she saw the look on Bree's face.  Without a second thought, she placed the child in Bree's arms and stepped back.

Bree held her daughter in her arms and just stared.  She couldn't believe she was finally here.  The child had grown much in the three months she had been in California.  For how long she stood there, she didn't know…time stood still for her with her daughter where she belonged.  Mandy softly placed her hand on Bree's arm and waited for her to acknowledge her presence.  When she did, she placed the bottle in Bree's hand and left her to feed her daughter.

As she walked into the upstairs rec room, a voice asked her, "How did it go, daughter?"

"Wonderfully, Mom, just wonderfully," replied Mandy as she hugged her mother.  "Sierra didn't cry, just stared at Bree in wonder.  She’s feeding her right now.

"Good.  It's been too long that mother and child have been apart.  I am so glad you called when you did.  I only wish we could have gotten here sooner."

“It couldn’t be helped, Mom.  We needed Bree to realize that she wanted to be back in the world of music before we brought Sierra home.”

The two women sat and talked while Bree bonded once again with her daughter.  The only thing missing, she thought, is Johnny.  She hugged her daughter and soaked in the smell of a child freshly bathed and powdered.  Looking out the patio windows as dusk began to fall she gently rocked as she fed her daughter.  Every once in a while, she had to hug her again just to make sure the weight in her arms was real and she wasn't dreaming.

An hour later, Mandy came back downstairs and found Bree asleep in the chair with her daughter safely snuggled in her arms.  She gently touched her shoulder to slowly wake her up.  As she slowly opened her eyes, Bree smiled at her cousin and gave the child to her to hold so she could get up without waking her.

Walking into her bedroom, she saw that her cousin had already set up the crib in her room so that Sierra would not be far from her.  Telling Mandy thank you, she took her sleeping daughter once more and gently laid her down.  As Mandy softly shut the door behind her, Bree sat down on the edge of her bed and watched her daughter sleep.  It was minutes later before she succumbed to sleep herself.

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

It was a slow day for both Station 51 and Rampart’s Emergency Room.  Dixie had pretty much gotten the base station reorganized and restocked.  She was caught up with her work schedules and now just finished cleaning out the coffee pot.  As she was drying the pot, she realized just how bored she was when they were not busy.

Kel was in Treatment Room 4 with Roy, Johnny and the patient they had just brought in, someone who thought he could skateboard down the same hill his two young sons had just gone down.  Big mistake he told them as he was brought it…totally missed the curve and hit the tree instead.

Roy stuck his head out of the treatment room and asked Dixie to come in.  As she approached the door, Johnny came walking out and held it open for her.  She smiled at him and he knew all was right between them again.

Johnny walked over to the station to wait for Roy and wondered just how he was going to get himself out of the predicament he was in.  He had taken Roy's advice and went back to his life as it was before and now found himself meeting with the new nurse from the ER.  She finally cornered him and got him to agree to meet her and a few of her friends at the Red Wolf this Saturday.  He couldn’t shake the guilty feeling that had been plaguing him for the past two weeks.  His dream was also resurfacing more often and was now disrupting the sleep of his coworkers as well.

While he stood lost in his own thoughts, Roy and Dixie came out of Treatment Room 4 laughing at a joke that the patient had told them.  Dixie looked up to see Johnny staring out into space and wondered what was up.  She turned to Roy who shrugged his shoulders at the questioning look in her eyes as he had no clue what his erstwhile partner could be thinking about.

"Ready to head out, Junior?" asked Roy.

"Oh, hi," said Johnny as he glanced up.  "How's the patient?"

"Telling jokes when we left," replied Dixie.  "What's got you so deep in thought?"

"This and that," he said.  "Just trying to work through a few problems at the moment and I just don't know where to turn next."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain research assistant I know, would it?" asked Dixie.

Johnny looked at Dixie and replied a bit sarcastically, "What do you think?"

Dixie took the chart that was in her hand and swiped at Johnny who quickly stepped back out of her reach.  "Don't be so snide with me, young man.  My suggestion is don't think about it, do something about it!  Good grief, Johnny, do you think she is going to wait forever for you?  The way the rumor mill has it around here, you are giving a few of the nurses a run for their money."

"Seriously?" he asked.  "I’ve only had the one nurse, Traci, chasing me…and I know I am guilty as charged of flirting with her.  The other nurses, well, I’ve only talked to them.”

"Well, that isn't what the rumor mill in this hospital is saying," Dixie retorted noting how Johnny flinched when she said that.  "It's gotten to the point where I have told my nurses that if the gossiping doesn't stop, I am going to take action."

Johnny knew when Dixie puts her foot down the whole hospital trembles.  He wondered how Bree was fairing with all the gossip about him and asked, "How's Bree doing?  I'm sure the rumors have hurt her."

"I don't know what anyone has told you, Johnny, but she tried to quit two weeks ago.  Her supervisor talked her out of it and has been trying to help her out when she needs the time away," replied Dixie.  She didn't tell him that she also knew what had happened between the two of them over a year ago.  Bree had told her the whole story over lunch two days ago, not leaving out anything including the fact that she had given birth to Johnny's child.  Dixie found it hard to believe that the dark haired paramedic whom she knew loved children would not want to see his own.

"She tried to quit?" asked Johnny, looking visibly shaken at the thought that Bree was seriously considering quitting her job and leaving.

He glanced over at Roy who was looking down at the floor which led him to believe that his partner knew more about this than he was letting on.  Before he could say another word, the radio went off next to him.  Roy grabbed it and responded to the dispatcher who was just checking on their status.

Dr. Brackett came out of the treatment room with the patient, both were laughing at another joke the patient had told.  He looked up and saw the paramedics were still there.  He was heading in their direction when their radio went off again.  This time it was to response to a multiple car accident on the highway.  Roy answered the dispatched and motioned to Johnny to follow him.

Just before he followed Roy, Johnny turned back and said, “Hey, I’m almost done with my house and will be moving into it in about two weeks.  I am thinking of having a housewarming/Memorial Day celebration out at my place.  So keep the day open as you all are invited.”

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

Johnny stood outside the Red Wolf nervous about going in.  He couldn’t believe that he was as nervous as teenager about to embark on his first date.  He knew it had nothing do with first dates or raging hormones…it was just he felt like he was cheating on Bree and their child.  Shaking his head, he squared his shoulders and went in to face the music.

Inside Traci was waiting her friends, feeling as nervous as Johnny. She knew what she had done was wrong, pressuring Johnny into meeting her for a drink and the only reason he was doing this was because she kept reminding him that he said they should meet for drinks another day the first time she asked him.  So to keep it lighthearted and to make it look like it wasn’t really a date, she had suggested that he meet her at the club here instead of picking her up.

Once inside, Johnny was relieved to see that it wasn’t too packed yet.  He spotted Traci and her friends right away but detoured to the bar to order a beer.  While he waited for his beverage, he scouted around the place to see if there was anyone he knew.  He was startled when he saw Mandy, Marco and Chet at a table on the other side of the club, almost directly across from where Traci’s table was.  Neither one of his coworkers had mentioned that they were going to be here.

He paid for his beer and walked over to Traci’s table.  “Hi, girls, sorry I’m late,” he said as he sat down.

He could feel three pairs of eyes staring at him from across the room and was glad that he had the chair that kept his back to them.  Traci smiled at him and slid her chair a little closer to him.  Sharon and Sheila could do nothing but giggle every time they looked his direction.

Marco looked at Mandy and asked, “What the hell is he up to?”

“I have no clue, sweetheart, but I know one thing…he is going to be in for one big surprise tonight.”

Chet just sat there and smiled devilishly.  Now he had something on his pigeon that he could razz him about.  He just wasn’t sure if the woman sitting next to him was the one he talked about in his sleep or not.

Backstage, Bree stretched her muscles and slowly brought her heart rate to a normal rhythm.  She had spent the last week rehearsing with the band and getting back into the groove of things.  She felt she was home at last.  Mandy and Marco were out in the audience and before they left, Mandy told her that a friend of Marco’s from work was also joining them.  Her aunt who had wanted to come and watch her perform offered to stay home and watch Sierra instead.

Jason walked up to Bree and asked, “How you feeling, cousin?”

She smiled up at him and replied, “Like I have come home.  I have missed this but until now I never realized just how much.”

“We’ve missed you too.  It’s nice to have you back.  Now get out there and wow them like you used to.”  He gave her a quick hug before he left backstage and headed out to the club to watch the show.

The crowd started clapping as the band walked across the stage.  As they warmed up their instruments, Bree stood off in the wings looking for Mandy and Marco.  She spotted them off to the right of the stage about three tables back.  She waited to hear the solo acoustic guitar riff from the first song they were going to perform…before she joined in from backstage.

Fire like lighting

Burning up the night

A smoke horizon

Won’t give up the fight

As the rest of the band joined in, she walked out on stage singing the same verse again and smiling at the reaction of the crowd.  She stood at the edge of the stage pouring her heart and soul into the song.  Some of those who had auditioned with her were really amazed at how good she really was and knew that she had been right choice for the band to make.

Johnny had just sat back in his chair to listen to the song when he saw her walk on stage.  His mouth dropped and he stared in utter shock.  As he sat and watched Bree perform, he completely forgot who he was with.  Traci watched Johnny’s reaction to the girl singing on stage and wondered what had him so surprised.

When the first song ended, the band moved into the next song effortlessly and Bree’s voice rose in strength as she joined in.  As she glanced out at the crowd who filled the Red Wolf, she just about stumbled when she saw Johnny in the crowd…until she saw who he was with.  Her anger simmered slowly beneath the surface of her skin.

She walked over to Jesse while she sang and when the verse ended and the backup singers took over, she whispered in his ear a change in the lineup and he shook his head that he understood.

“Oh this is not going to be good,” said Mandy when she heard the beginning of the third song Bree would sing.

Marco turned to her and asked, “What’s not good?”

“Bree wrote this song in two nights after her first meeting with Johnny back in March.  It’s not good.”

As he listened to the lyrics, he had to agree with Mandy this did not bode well for Johnny, especially after Mandy finally clued him in on what happened between her cousin and his coworker.  When he turned to say something else to his girlfriend, Marco noticed Chet had left the table and was heading towards Johnny and the girls he was sitting with.

“You think Johnny is not going to like the song,” he said to Mandy as he turned her head in the direction Chet was heading.  “Wait until he notices Chet sitting down at his table.”

Traci had finally been able to get Johnny’s attention after she flicked some water into his face.  He turned and apologized for spacing out like that.  She was trying her hardest to keep his attention focused on her but ever since he arrived, she noticed he didn’t seem to be enjoying himself.

Just when Johnny thought the evening couldn’t get any more complicated, Chet sat down at their table.

“Hey, Gage, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” he asked.

“Where the hell did you come from, Chet?”

“My mother,” Chet retorted.  “What put you in such a bad mood, Gage?”

“Your presence,” was Johnny’s reply.

The two bantered back and forth before Johnny finally gave up and introduced Chet to Traci and her two friends.  At first the girls weren’t too sure about the guys when they started to go back and forth at each other but quickly realized this was the norm for the two of them.  Chet kept eyeballing Sheila before he finally got up the courage to ask her to dance.  Sheila, in turn, found the stocky Irishman kind of attractive in a kooky but funny way and was in the mood to dance.  The two of them ran for the dance floor.

As he listened to Bree sing, Johnny realized he just didn’t want to be there…at least not with Traci.  He turned to say something to the girl to let her know he needed to go and was surprised when she told him that she hoped to see him again at Rampart.  He apologized for his manners and said that he was sorry that he wasn’t good company that night. 

Bree watched Johnny leave the club without Traci and wondered why.  She knew he was surprised when he saw her walk on stage and she knew he didn’t understand the third song of that set she was directing at him.  Ever the professional, Bree put her personal thoughts back into the vault and continued enjoying her return to music.

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

Dixie was humming to herself softly as she came out of the treatment room.  Roy and Johnny had brought in a MVA patient who luckily only suffered bruises and a sprained wrist.  Before they even had a chance to give the doctor the new set of vitals, their HT went off sending them out to a fire in the warehouse district.  Johnny had literally thrown the paper with the patient’s vitals on it at Dixie and took off running after his partner.

Dr. Morton was with the patient now going over some discharge information.  She stopped long enough at the base station to let Carol know that she was going to take a quick break in the staff lounge.  Upon entering the lounge, she noticed Traci and Sharon were also taking their breaks.

Sharon looked up and said hi to Dixie, but Traci continued to concentrate on the paper in front of her.  When Sharon kicked her under the table, she looked up and gave an absentminded hi to Dixie, resuming her perusal of the newspaper.

Grabbing a cup of coffee, Dixie sat down and was talking with Sharon about some changes that they were going to make in the ER.  All of a sudden Traci threw the newspaper over the tops of their heads and stormed out of the lounge.  Both Dixie and Sharon looked at the blonde nurse as she stomped out wondering what had her so upset.

Dixie got up to retrieve the newspaper from the floor when she noticed an article in the Variety section of the paper that talked about the singer at the Red Wolf in Long Beach, California.  What caught her attention was the article entitled” Is she or isn’t she?”  The article talked about the new singer for the band, Dakota Dreaming, and went on to speculate if she was the new “Bree Montgomery” for the band.

As this writer listened to the young woman singing her heart out on stage,

I wondered if she would be able to fill Bree Montgomery’s shoes.  It seemed like

the girl had the right stuff, but still one wonders what would have been if Bree

Montgomery had stayed in the business.

 

Bree Montgomery exploded onto the country music scene in 1970

as a 17-year-old phenomenon catching the attention of the world with

her mixed style of country and rock.  But as fast as her star rose, it also

brought with it…heartbreak.  In 1974, shortly before she finished a national

tour, her parents and grandparents perished in a motor vehicle accident

on their way to see her perform for the first time at the Grand Old Opry.

For the young singer, it meant the end.  She took time for herself to

recover from the devastating loss but a short time after she returned to

Nashville, she told her band, her managers and her crew that she was

done with singing, no explanation, no nothing…just that she was done.

 

My question is as I watch this new singer, is she or isn’t she?  The

girl looks a lot like Bree Montgomery but only with blonde hair instead

of her customary reddish gold.  Did she change her hair color for a

 comeback or is this just a very good lookalike.  I am sending out

this request to all you fans of Bree Montgomery and her band, Dakota

Dreaming…do you know this young woman and is she who I

think she is?

 

Give me a call at the Los Angeles Times and ask for Variety reporter, Dana Reese.

We all love a good mystery…let’s see if we can solve this one.

 

Dixie just about died when she saw the picture of Brenna singing at the bottom of the article written by this Dana

“Sharon, has anybody been talking about this article?”

Glancing at the article in question, she replied, “They sure have, Miss McCall.  It’s pretty much the main topic of gossip…everyone is trying to figure out if she is or isn’t Bree Montgomery.  Personally, I think it is just a publicity stunt so that more clientele frequent the club.”

“Good.  Let’s keep it that way,” stated Dixie.

Sharon got up and rinsed her coffee cup, saying goodbye to Dixie.  After Sharon left the room, Dixie jumped up and called the lab downstairs.

“I need to speak to Brenna Leigh, ASAP!” ordered Dixie.

She could hear someone in the background yell for Brenna, telling her in a sing-song voice that she was in trouble with the head nurse in the ER.  Brenna was laughing as she knew she hadn’t done any labs for the ER so it had to be something else.

“Good Morning, Dixie,” said Bree.  “What’s up?”

“Have you seen this morning’s edition yet?”

“No, why?” she asked, puzzled as to why Dixie sounded a little bit stressed.

“Can you take a quick break and join me in the staff lounge?”

Bree turned to the lab supervisor and asked if she could run upstairs to the ER to meet with Dixie.  Joe smiled at his assistant and told her to go as he didn’t want to get on Dixie’s bad side today.

Checking to make sure the project she was working on was okay, she turned it over to the other lab assistant and headed upstairs to check on her friend.  She noticed Traci standing by the base station talking with Sharon and could tell it was a pretty heated discussion by the way the blonde haired nurse’s body language.

Opening the door to the lounge, she spotted Dixie pacing back and forth with a newspaper in her hand.

“Read this!” the head nurse said as she shoved the paper into Bree’s hands.

Bree sat down as she read the article Dixie had placed in her hands.  She chuckled silently to herself as she finished it, knowing exactly what was running through Dixie’s mind.   She knew the head nurse was worried about what would happen in Rampart should the press catch wind that she was working here.

“Dixie, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.  I don’t think anyone will recognize me as the singer in the band.  I spend more time in the lab than I do anywhere else in this facility.”

“You don’t know that for sure, Bree.  From reading that article, I think everyone and their mother is going to show up at the club to see if they can recognize the new lead singer,” stated Dixie.  “They sure are talking about it here and I don’t think it take them that long to put two and two together.”

Bree looked up at Dixie, who had started to pace in the lounge, and said, “Let’s just play it by ear, friend.  I am not going to worry about it right now.  I have other things on my mind than an article from some reporter who is more than likely trying to make a bigger name for herself.”

Glancing at the clock, Bree told Dixie she needed to get back downstairs and finish up her project for the day.  Promising to keep an ear open for any gossip, Bree left the lounge and let Dixie sit and stew about possible scenarios should someone tip off the LA Time reporter about where Bree worked

.

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

By late afternoon things had finally started slowing down for Squad 51.  Roy and Johnny were worn out.  For most of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon, they would no sooner get one patient dropped off at Rampart’s ER when they would be sent right back out on another call.  As Roy backed the squad into the bay, Johnny leaned his head back and released a long sigh of relief to be back at the station.

Walking into the dayroom, Mike told them that he had their lunch warming in the oven.  Roy grabbed a couple of pot holders to pull out their plates while Johnny grabbed some glasses and got the milk out of the fridge.  The two paramedics were able to eat in companionable silence before Chet finally jumped in to stir up the pot.

“Hey, Gage, how come you took off so early Friday night?  Sheila and I came back Traci was sitting all by herself.   Was Traci not to your liking and did the singer in the band sound awful to someone who prefers rock and roll?”

Speaking around a mouth full of food, Johnny retorted, “How do you know what I like and dislike, Kelly?  Just cause I didn’t stick around to watch you make an idiot of yourself doesn’t mean I didn’t like the music!”

“Right, Gage.  Maybe Traci couldn’t put up with you…after all most of the nurses at Rampart do have you pegged for a non-commitment type of guy.”

“Stuff it, Kelly.  I just wasn’t feeling up to being out last night.  It had nothing to do with Traci or her friends.  Did you ever think I didn’t want to put up with you?”

The look on Chet’s face caused Roy to almost choke on the mouthful of milk he was trying to swallow.  For once, Johnny got Chet to shut up first but you could still see the wheels turning in Chet’s mind as he tried to come up with a snappy retort.  What he said next got them all to listen.

“Have you read the article in the paper on that new singer from the club, Gage?”

asked Chet with an innocent smile on his face.

Johnny turned and said, “What article?”

“The one in the LA Times Variety Page, of course.  The reporter is asking if the new lead singer is a replacement or is actually Bree Montgomery herself in disguise.”

Johnny reached out and grabbed the variety section right out of Mike’s hands.  As he read it, the guys could see the anger rise up on his face.  Roy reached over and placed a hand on Johnny’s shoulder who only shrugged it off as he threw the paper back at Mike.

“Cap, can I use the phone in your office?” asked Johnny as he headed out the door, not even waiting for a reply from his commanding officer.

Hank looked over at Roy and asked, “What is that all about?”

“Cap, I wish I could tell you but it’s a story that only Johnny can tell.   What I do know is that more than likely that reporter is going to wish she hadn’t asked all her readers to hunt for this singer.”

Chet just sat and listened to their conversation.  He waited a minute or two and then got up to go and eavesdrop on Johnny’s conversation.  He just about made it to the door when he was stopped by a command.

“Kelly, I do not recommend you go any further than you have unless you want latrine duty for the next two months.  Understood?”

“Yes, Cap, but come on.  I haven’t had this much fun…”

“Kelly!”

Chet turned around and sat back down, picking up the sports section and tried to read but his mind kept drifting towards the captain’s office.

Sitting down in the captain’s chair, Johnny stared at the phone before he picked it up.  What was he going to say to her, he thought.  He hadn’t tried calling her once since that Sunday when he ordered to leave his home.  He had seen her no more than two times here at Rampart, once in an embarrassing situation.  But since then it was like she didn’t work there anymore.

As he waited to be connected to the lab, he thought more about the past four weeks and his lack of initiative to contact Bree.  He was still finding it hard to deal with the fact that she had not tried to contact him at all when she found out about the pregnancy nor did she attempt to find him right away after the birth.  The more he thought about, the more he didn’t want to talk at that moment.  Before he heard the voice on the other end of the line he hung up.

Exiting the captain’s office, Johnny all but ran over Roy who was standing right outside the door.

“Roy, what were you doing…eavesdropping?”

“No, Junior, I leave the eavesdropping for Chet.  I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he replied.

“I’m fine, Roy.  I had thought about talking to Bree about the article but as I waited, I just didn’t know what I would say to her so I hung up.  Am I being ridiculous?”

“I’m not going to answer that question, only you can.  Like I told you before, Johnny, this is going to take time.  You need to work it out in your own mind and come to terms with it before you can have a decent conversation with Bree.  Don’t push it. 

Okay?”

Johnny smiled at Roy and said, “Okay, pally.  I think I’m gonna just go out back for a while and think.”

The two parted ways.  Johnny found himself climbing to the top of the hose tower to try and sort out his jumbled feelings.  He knew he wanted to be a part of his child’s life and wanted to watch him or her grow.  He also knew he still had deep feelings for Bree but he was finding it hard to get past her lies and the fact that she had not the backbone to call him when she knew she was carrying his child.

While he sat on top of the hose tower, he had no idea he was being watched from across the street.

He watched ‘fire boy’ climb up the tall tower in the back of the station where he worked.  He couldn’t help but smile as he now knew where he worked and what his actual name was.  Johnny was what the reddish blond haired man called him.  So now his rival had a name but he still thought of him as ‘fire boy’.  As he watched him sit on top of the tower, he finished reading the article in the LA Times Variety Page.  She had gone back to singing and he was betting that ‘fire boy’ wasn’t too thrilled about it.  He didn’t care.  He knew where she lived, where she worked and where she was singing.  Now he knew where ‘fire boy, Johnny’ lived and worked and he also knew who he worked with.  Now it was time to start the game.

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

He felt lost as he wandered through the rooms alone.  The darkness enveloped him and intensified that feeling.  He stopped and let his senses take over in the darkness, hoping they would lead him out of the abyss.  He sensed her presence before he smelled her perfume.

"Bree?" he asked.  "Please tell that is you here with me."

"Yes, Johnny, it is I."

He could hear the sorrow in her voice, the pain.  He turned in the direction her voice came from and tried to see her but the light was not there.  He couldn't understand why the light had gone from her.

"I can't wait much longer, Johnny.  The tie that binds us together is unraveling.  I need you."

"I don't understand…what tie?  Has this been you in my dreams all along?"

"Yes, Johnny.  You and I have a connection…one that we did not realize when we first met.  It strengthened and bound us when we made love.  The child strengthened it."

"But why is it unraveling?" he asked as he used his sense of smell to locate her.

"Because of your fear…because you doubt my love.  You need to decide what it is that you fear the most…I made the mistake of leaving you once and I’m afraid I’ve returned too late to save us."

Just as Johnny thought he located Bree…she was gone.  He screamed her name in frustration…

Johnny sat up in bed, once again sweating and gasping for breath.  He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and looked around the room he had slept in for the last time.  He noticed the clock said it was only 6:30 a.m.  Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he walked into the bathroom.  He figured as long as he was up he might as well take a shower and get ready before everyone shows up to help him move.

As he let the warm water run over him, he wondered what she meant by what he feared the most.  His thoughts ran wild through his mind as he tried to solve this puzzle.  When he first kissed Bree, even before they really knew each other, he felt an instant connection…a pull towards her.  He knew she felt the same because of how she looked at him when he ended the kiss.  Rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, he thought of the three days they spent camping in the San Gabriel Mountains.  It had surprised him when she suggested hiking in the forest and camping for three of the four days she was going to be here.

Stepping out of the shower, he chuckled as he remembered when he had talked her into skinny dipping for the first time.  Granted it was December and the water was very cool but at the time he really needed to cool off.  The area he took her to happened to be in a secluded part of the park.  It took a little coaxing on his part, but once she got over the shock of the cold water, she had a blast.  He smiled pensively as he thought of how that swim ended.  It started out innocently enough…she caught him in the face with a huge splash of water.  He in turn dived underneath and grabbed her by the ankles, pulling her under.  As she came up coughing and sputtering, he pulled her towards him to help get the water she swallowed to come up.  He went to place his hand on her back…but she turned towards him and instead his hand came to rest upon her breast.

Johnny smiled to himself as the memories washed over him.  She had never let on that she was a virgin, untouched as his aunt would have said.   He remembered her response to his touch.  He had tried to quickly remove his hand but instead she placed hers over the top of his and with her other hand she pulled him towards her for a long, deep kiss.  The passion he felt led him to believe she was experienced.

Walking towards his bedroom, Johnny let himself get lost in the memories of being with Bree in the woods.  He reached into his closet, grabbing his jeans.  As he reached for a shirt, he spotted the one he remembered wearing that day.  He took it out of the closet and sat on the edge of his bed and let himself remember.

"Bree," said Johnny as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from floating away from him.  "Let's go back to the tent.  For what I want to do to you, I would prefer privacy."

She chuckled as she could feel exactly what he wanted to do to her.  "Are you sure you don't want to try it underwater?"

"Girl, when I make love to you, I want you all to myself.  I refuse to share you even with Mother Nature, Father Sun or the Man on the Moon."

Bree giggled, gave him a push and began to swim rapidly towards the shore.  It didn't take him long to catch up with her.  "Sweetheart, I have longer arms and longer legs than you so beating me in a race won't work."

Her laughter rang out as she stood up in the water and walked towards the shore.  The girl had no shame in her nudity…she was proud of her body.  Johnny watched in appreciation as she stood at the edge of the water waiting for him.  Her beauty surpassed her surroundings.  She smiled at him as he walked towards her…his maleness proudly showing off.  With a giggle, she bolted for the tent just beyond the trees, looking back to make sure he was still following.  He quickly picked up the pace as he collected their clothing on the beach.  Entering the trees, he saw she had left the opening to the tent unzipped.  He pushed the flap aside and sucked in his breath at what he saw inside.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in and warm me up?" she asked seductively, looking up at him from a reclining position on the blankets.

He entered and turned to zip up the tent.  She had opened the vents slightly on either side to allow for a breeze to enter the interior of the tent.  He knelt down beside her, taking her hands in his and raising her up to kneel in front of him.  Gently he began to caress her body, brushing his hands ever so lightly against her skin causing her to shiver in response.  Looking into her eyes, he captured her lips with his, invoking an even stronger response from her.  Without breaking off the kiss, she returned his caresses with some of her own.  As her hands slid down his back, she felt his soft moan in her mouth.  His response was to softly nip her bottom lip and then begin a series of kisses down her neck.  She arched her back in response to this caress and to give him greater access to her body.

As he continued his trail of kisses, he couldn't believe how passionate she was, no shyness, just a willingness to share all of herself.  Stopping his kisses only for a moment, he gently helped her to lie back on the blankets and continued with his kisses. 

When he knew he could no longer hold back his own passion if he didn't join with her, he raised himself up over her body.  He stopped himself as he realized she had never done this before and asked, "Bree, why didn't you tell me?

"What…that I hadn't been with a man before?  Johnny, I was always taught to save myself for the man meant for me.  I did…you are the one."

"Bree, are you sure this is what you want?  I mean, what if…"

She never let him finish his sentence.  She grabbed his hips and arched her back as she felt his hard warmth within her.  She knew she had done the right thing.  She looked into his eyes and slowly moved her hips against his and felt him begin the dance of love with her.

Slowly he became aware of a ringing in his ears and realized it was his phone.

“Hello?”

Roy was on the other end of the receiver letting him know that he and the guys were on the way over to help him move his belongings to his new home.  After he finished talking to Roy, he started getting some of his things ready before the guys arrived.

 

As he packed he thought again of the decision he made to follow Roy’s advice and continue with life before Bree had returned.

He had tried to get back to his old ways and found it not to be to his liking anymore.  He had been flirting with one nurse in particular and wound up meeting her at the Red Wolf one night.  It didn’t turn out how either one of them wanted it to.  On top of that, Bree was now singing with the band at the Red Wolf and he learned about it that night.

Johnny was so deep in thought that he never heard the doorbell of his apartment ring or when the door opened up as Roy used the key Johnny had given to let himself in.

"Junior, are you going to sit there and stare into space all day?" asked Roy.

Johnny shook his head as Roy's question broke through to him.  He had completely been lost in time and didn’t realize someone had shown up. 

"Again…what the heck has you so far out into space?"

"Just remembering, Roy, just remembering," said Johnny.  "Hey, where’s the rest of the gang?”

“They aren’t that far behind me.  We decided to bring my truck and Mike’s just in case.  I will ask this once again, what were you thinking about that had you total oblivious to my knock on the door?”

“I was thinking about that little incident over a month ago and how I really need to find Bree.  I have a lot of making up to do and not a lot of time left to do it in.  I just wish I knew where she was."

Roy figured it was time to come clean with his partner.  "Johnny…"

"You know something, don't you?" asked Johnny.

"Yeah, I kind of do," replied Roy.

The two walked out into the living room.  Roy sat down while Johnny went and grabbed a glass of water, asking Roy if he wanted one too.  Handing Roy his glass, Johnny sat down opposite of him.

"So, fire away, Roy.  What do you know?"

"Just remember, I wanted to tell you but my wife wouldn't let me," he said as Johnny nodded his head.  "Bree wanted to quit Rampart because she couldn't bear running into you and thinking that you hate her for what happened."

"I don't hate her, Roy," stated Johnny.

"Well, think about it, Junior.  Have you tried to contact her at all since she told you the truth about herself and the fact that the two of you have a child?  No.  She and Joanne have gotten together a few times for lunch and have become quite good friends.  She confides in Joanne, knowing that Joanne doesn't hide things from me but that I won't break her confidence either."

"Roy, what is going on?" he asked.

By asking that question, Roy knew Johnny was finally coming to terms with what he learned about Bree and the fact that they have a child together.  "As you know from what Dixie told you that one day, Bree’s supervisor talked her out of quitting so that shows she is considered a valued employee even after only a few months of working there.  From what she has told Joanne, she has no intention of ever leaving California.  And you know that she is back singing, and in fact is looking for a studio she could start recording at."

Roy stood up and looked out the window then back at his friend.  "Johnny, she sold her home in Nashville and is going to reside permanently in California.  Like I said, she has no intention of leaving and hopes someday that you can forgive her. 

Personally, Junior, I think you are an idiot for sitting on your thumbs.   If you don't do something soon, you are going to lose her."

Johnny's head came up and he looked Roy right in the eye, saying, "I know…I’ve been an idiot.  She’s the woman I have been dreaming about…always has been.  In my dream, she asked me what the one thing was that I feared the most.  I figured it out, or at least I think I have it figured out...I’m afraid of losing her again.  Roy, I don't want to lose her.  I want her in my life.  I want to meet my child and watch him or her grow up."

"Well, Johnny, then I think you’d better get cracking and figure out how you’re going to find her because the one thing I swore I wouldn’t tell you is where she lives.  Both she and Joanne made me swear on the bible I wouldn't."

"Don't worry, Roy.  I think I know just the person who didn't have to swear not to tell."

The two friends talked a bit longer while waiting for the others to show up.  As they talked, they took the bedding and mattress/box spring off the bed and took the bed apart.  By the time the rest of the gang showed up, they had everything ready to be loaded to head out to Johnny's new home.

As he looked around the place for the last time, he smiled at the good memories he had in this place and was looking forward to making new memories at his new home.  He shut the door behind him, making sure it was locked and stopped by his landlord's office to drop off his keys.

Mrs. Anderson told Johnny she would miss him and gave him a hug, along with a batch of his favorite cookies, chocolate chip, still warm from the oven.  She said they were a housewarming gift for his new place.  He told her he would be back to clean the apartment in a couple of days, but she wouldn't hear of it.  She told him that she would take care of it as she knows he has a busy schedule as a firefighter-paramedic.  He gave the landlady a kiss on the cheek and left.

In no time at all, the guys arrived at Johnny's ranch and had the trucks unloaded.  After about an hour, they had the beds put back together and everything where it needed to be.

Chet looked around the great room and said, "Johnny, I think you need more furniture."

Johnny looked around.  "I agree, Chet.  It's a little sparse in here.  But, hey I've got time to fill it up.  Come on, let's go outside with the rest and see if the coals are ready for supper."

Hank, captain of Station 51, was just throwing the burgers on the grill when Johnny and Chet walked outside.  Marco had the fixings for the burgers, chips, etc. all set up on the table.  Mike and Roy were lounging in the chairs, drinking a beer.  Roy opened up the cooler next to him and tossed one at Johnny, then at Chet.

The guys relaxed, telling jokes and laughing at some of the crazier rescues it seems they had been doing lately.  They started comparing them to some of the ones they experienced the first year that Station 51 had been in service.  One that Johnny remembered vividly was the first child he ever delivered after being certified as a paramedic.  He smiled wistfully as he retold the story.

Hank broke in with "Burgers are done!"  The guys scrambled to grab a plate and jostled each other to see who would get to be first in line.  The captain just shook his head and laughingly called them all twits.

Chet was watching Johnny and noticed he was just kind of toying with his food, not wolfing it down like he usually does.  Of course, he hadn’t forgotten the day the two paramedics hadn’t been on speaking terms.  He just knew that it had to do something with the mystery woman in Gage’s life, but that it wasn’t woman he saw Gage with at the club that one night.   So he was not about to let the opportunity to needle him get away.

"What's got you off your feed, Johnny?" he asked.

When Johnny didn't look up in response to his question, Chet decided to try a different tactic.  "So did that pretty nurse I saw you with at the club turn you down again, Gage?  Maybe she thought she could do better, huh?"

"Get bent, Chet," retorted Johnny as he finally looked up at him.  "You are so far off base that the search dogs aren't even able to locate you."

"Whoa!  She must have really dented your pride, Gage, if that’s the best insult you can give me," said Chet as he chuckled.  "Maybe you should reintroduce her to me so I can show her who the better man is."

Chet kept chuckling as Johnny rolled his eyes at him.  Roy just sat back and looked over at Mike, Marco and the Captain as they sat back to relax and watch the side show these two were putting on.

"Not really, Chet," replied Johnny.  "You see, she told me that tall, dark and handsome are what she likes.  Short, curly haired Irishmen remind her of leprechauns and that really creeps her out."

As the verbal sparring continued, the guys sat back to enjoy the nice spring evening and laugh at the antics of Chet and Johnny.  A little while later, the men headed out, leaving Johnny alone in his new house.  He wandered around the house for a bit and then headed back outside.  Leaning against one of the patio columns, he gazed up towards the San Gabriel Mountains looming behind his home.

When he had first started searching for a home, he couldn't figure out what was drawing him to this area.  He had contacted a realtor and had told him that he wanted to specifically look in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.  Two days after talking to the realtor, he was called and told of a ranch up for sale in the very area he was interested in.  All it took was one look and he was hooked.  The realtor told him the owners had perished in an automobile accident last year and that the family had already removed personal belongings and donated the rest.

Now as he glanced up at the mountains, Johnny realized that the reason this area was special to him was because of Bree.  They had only spent three short days together but in that time she had wormed her way into his heart and left a lasting impression.   Her last words to him when she left this place over four weeks ago were that she had loved him from the beginning and that she would be waiting for him to forgive her for what she had never told him about in the first place.

While Johnny contemplated events of the past three and a half weeks, the object of his thoughts was sitting in his driveway wondering what possessed her to come out here.  She chuckled as she thought about Mandy’s reaction when she put her daughter in her car seat and headed out to the car.

“Where are you heading to, Bree?” asked Mandy as she noticed her cousin packing her daughter’s diaper bag.

Looking up from her task, Bree replied, “I am tired of waiting for him to make up his mind about what he wants to do.  It’s time I took matters into my own hands and help him along.”

“Poor Johnny…he’s not going to know what hit him,” said Mandy laughingly.  “Seriously though, cousin, are you sure this is what you want to do…force him to make a decision.”

“Not really, but if I don’t do something I’m going to go crazy.  I just hope I’m not wrong in what I feel.  I am only following my intuition.”

Hugging her cousin, she said, “I hope it works out for you.  And if not, we will just have to show him what he lost.”

Mandy carried the diaper bag out to the car while Bree put her daughter’s car seat in its holder and strapped her in.  She wished Bree good luck and watched as they pulled out of the driveway.

Bree shook her head to clear the memory and got out of the car.  Unhooking the car seat from the holder, she gently lifted the seat out and quietly shut the door.  Her daughter slept the whole way out there and she was hoping that she would sleep a little bit longer.

Walking up to the front door, she prayed that it was unlocked, sighing with relief as it opened when she turned the handle.  Quietly shutting it behind her, she softly walked through the foyer to the great room.  She wasn't sure what kind of reception she would receive but she hoped it would be congenial.   She noticed Johnny outside leaning against the patio column and smiled at the picture he made standing there in the shadows.

Placing her daughter's car seat next to the couch, she checked to see if she was still sleeping before she went to see Johnny.  She stood at the door for a few seconds watching him before she walked through it

.

As he stood looking up towards the mountains, Johnny got the feeling he was being watched.  He turned around and was surprised as he watched Bree walk out onto the patio.  She glanced at him and tentatively smiled as if she was unsure if she would even be welcomed by him.   Standing there, staring at each other and not knowing quite what to do, Bree kept telling herself not to cry.  Johnny finally stepped forward and opened his arms to her.  She ran into them and let loose the tears she had been holding back.

Johnny slowly knelt down to the ground, not letting go of Bree as she cried her heart out in his arms.  He could hear her saying over and over again between sobs how sorry she was and if she could do it all over again, she would’ve said to hell with her reputation and returned to him.  When he felt that her sobs were subsiding, he released his hold on her a bit.  Raising her chin up to face him, Johnny cupped her face with his hands and used his thumbs to softly wipe away the lingering tears near the corners of her eyes.

"Don't cry anymore, Bree," said Johnny.  "I’m sorry also for how I reacted to what you had to tell me.  I should’ve tried to understand better and talked about it with you, but instead I sent you away…"

Bree placed her fingers on his lips, saying, "Johnny, I don't blame you for your reaction.  It was only natural.  I only wish that I would have had more of a backbone at the time and worried less about my reputation, thinking more about your feelings."

He tightened his arms around her, breathing in her scent.  "All I know, sweetheart, is I have no plans of ever letting you go again.  You are mine and I want you to be a part of my life."

She smiled as she heard him say that, replying, "I agree with that…you are also mine.  But before we go any farther with this, we need to talk about happenings between us."

"What do you mean…happenings?” he asked, not sure what she meant.

“I believe we have started out quite backwards in our relationship,” replied Bree.  “Most couples meet, date, get engaged, marry and then have kids.  We started out the other way.  I think we need to see exactly what each of us wants and go from there.”

"So what do you have in mind?" he asked her.

She smiled and said, "Right now, I have someone I would like you to meet.  It has been a long time in the making and it's about time it happened."

His head snapped up.  She could see the question in his eyes.  Johnny could feel his heart race in anticipation of what she was telling him, but he had to ask anyway. 

"The baby came with you?"

"Yes, Johnny.  Our child came with me," she said softly as she took his hand and led him back into his home.

Walking over to the side of the couch where she had left the carrier, she knelt down beside it and pulled Johnny down with her.  She pulled back the cover of the baby carrier and turned to Johnny, saying, "I would like you to meet your daughter, Johnny."

He stared in wonder at the little girl lying in the car seat.  She is so tiny, he thought.  He reached out with one finger to softly brush her cheek and was amazed when she opened her eyes and stared right back at him…with his own eyes.  In that one look, she had stolen his heart, just like her mother.  Johnny could feel the tears filling his eyes, threatening to spill over and down his cheeks.  He unhooked the clasp of the belt that held his child in the car seat and picked her up.

Bree sat back and watched as Johnny bonded with his daughter.  She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks but did nothing to stop them.  This is what she had been waiting for, ever since she gave birth.

She watched as he stood up and slowly walked with his child in his arms.  She could hear him talking to her in a language she did not understand but knew that what he was saying could only be terms of endearment meant for their daughter.

Johnny couldn't believe that this tiny bundle in his arms was his.  He spoke to her in the language of his people, welcoming her to his home and into his life.  He promised her that he would protect her, comfort her, take care of her and shelter her for the whole of her life.  He stopped their walk as he reached the end of the patio.  He held his daughter close to him and shared with her the beauty of the mountains within their reach.

He sensed Bree walking up beside him and shifted their daughter to his other arm and placed his free arm around her, pulling her close to his side.  No words were needed for what he felt.

"Would you like to know her name?" she asked.

"Yes, I would," replied Johnny.

"Her name is Sierra…Sierra Rose Gage," stated Bree.  "I did not know your mother's name but I remember you talking about your Aunt Rosemary, so I gave her Rose as her middle name to honor your aunt."

He looked down at the woman by his side and said, "I like it.  It suits our daughter just fine.  But why did you pick the name of Sierra?"

Bree blushed and said, "I wanted to give her a name that meant a lot to me and would bring you closer to me, but I do not like the name of Gabrielle…as in the San Gabriel Mountains where our daughter was conceived.  Sierra fit so much better."

He chuckled and hugged her closer to him.  He once again looked down at his daughter nestled in his arms and could see she also had his unruly hair and her mother's slender nose and full mouth.  He could tell already that he was going to have to protect her from the boys.  As a chill was settling in for the night, Johnny walked his two beautiful ladies back into the house and closed the doors.

Bree warmed up a bottle for Sierra and once she was comfortable on the couch, Johnny placed their daughter in her arms.  He sat down next to her and continued to gaze as his child.  Every so often he would brush the back of his hand or a finger against her cheek as if to make sure she was real.  As he watched Bree feed their daughter, he finally realized that this is what he had been missing all along.

"Bree, can I ask you something?" asked Johnny.

She looked up from their daughter and said, "Go ahead."

"Would you be willing to…um…spend the night here with me?" he asked suddenly feeling shy about asking her.

She couldn't help but smile as she noticed his hesitancy.  "We would love to spend the night with you, Johnny," replied Bree as she heard his sigh of relief at her answer.

"I'll go find something for Sierra to sleep in that will keep her protected," said Johnny as he started to rise from the couch.

"You don't need to do that, Johnny.  I have what we need in the trunk of my car."  He gave her a very surprised look as he turned around.  "I was half hoping that you would ask us to stay…so I put the essentials in the trunk of the car just in case."

Johnny couldn’t help but chuckle at the sheepish grin on Bree’s face that somehow seemed to fit with the blush creeping up her cheeks.  He leaned down to kiss her softly and asked her where her car keys were.  Still gazing into his eyes, she told him they were next to her purse on the island in the kitchen.

Placing a kiss on his daughter’s forehead, Johnny walked over, grabbed Bree’s car keys and said he would be right back.  He knew that this was what he needed to do…to let Bree and their daughter into his life.  He couldn’t see denying what he was feeling anymore now that he was ready to admit it to himself…he was in love with Bree and had been all the time.  He put in the key in the lock and opened up the trunk.  What he saw made him laugh as Bree packed enough items for a small army.

As he reached into the trunk to begin unloading the items belonging to his small daughter, he thought he could hear a car coming up the driveway.  Straightening up from the trunk, he turned but saw nothing so he assumed he was hearing things.  Once more reaching into the trunk, he grabbed the two packages of diapers and a smaller suitcase, placing them on the ground next to the car.  He then pulled out what he assumed was a portable crib/playpen for Sierra.

Realizing that he had enough to fill his hands, he grasped the crib in one hand and reached down to grab the diapers and suitcase.  He still had the feeling he was being watched but shook it off as nerves and excitement for having Bree and their daughter finally here.

He watched Johnny walk into the house from the shadows of the trees lining the driveway.  He couldn’t believe his luck this morning when he showed up near the apartment complex where he lived and found him in the process of moving.  He had waited patiently down the street for them to head down the road and followed them out to the ranch.  Memorizing the location of the ranch, he began to devise a plan to come back later and take care of this guy.

“Bree, how much more stuff does a person need for a child?” shouted Johnny as he walked back into the house.

She chuckled as she stood up with Sierra and shifted the child to her shoulder to coax a burp out of her, walking out to the foyer to talk with Johnny.  “For all the times you have been around Roy and Joanne’s children, have you never seen how much stuff they cart around?”

“Their kids are a little bit older.  I never realized babies needed so much stuff,” he replied as he set the diapers, suitcase and crib down just inside the foyer.  “It looks like you packed enough for a small army in your trunk.”

Just as Bree was going to reply to Johnny’s statement, their daughter burped rather loudly.  Johnny laughed and replied, “Gee, Bree, I didn’t think you were that comfortable around me to let loose like that.”

“Funny, smart aleck,” retorted Bree.  “Your daughter takes after you in this as I believe I have better manners than that.”

The couple kept up the banter as they walked back outside so Johnny could retrieve the rest of the items that Bree had brought with her.  Chuckling at something Bree had said to him, Johnny reached into the trunk to get Bree’s suitcase.

The person in the tree line cursed silently to himself as he spotted Bree standing alongside ‘fire boy’ as it put a crimp into what he had planned for the man.  When he discovered his new home was in a remote location, he congratulated himself on his good fortune as it would make his job so much easier.  What he hadn’t counted on was the object of his affection also being there.  He realized he would have bide his time until he could get his target alone.

Shutting the trunk, Johnny reached out to Bree and pulled her close to him as they walked back towards the house.  They both turned when they heard the gravel flying out on the road just beyond the driveway.  Bree looked at Johnny who shrugged his shoulders indicating he had no clue what that was all about.

Bree helped Johnny set up the portable crib in his bedroom, showing him the right way to do it as he was finding it difficult to figure out.  She chuckled a few times at his efforts before she had jumped in to assist.  Once they had the crib up and ready for use, Bree went into the kitchen and prepared the farm-style sink for Sierra’s bath.

Johnny couldn’t help but laugh as he tried to assist Bree in his daughter’s bath.  The seven month old child was in a playful mood and had just recently figured out that if she slapped her hands against the water, she could not only make noise but make the water jump.  Bree found it hilarious as she watched her daughter soak the front of her daddy’s shirt with her antics.

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

As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, he glanced at the clock and realizing it was only three o’clock in the morning.  He could hear Bree gently breathing alongside him and thanked the stars above for the second chance they had been given.  While he counted his blessings, he could hear another noise softly in the background.  He smiled when he realized his daughter was softly cooing in her crib near the bed.  Quietly getting up, he walked over to the crib, picked her up and headed toward the living room.

“Why don’t we let your mother sleep, little one?  I think your daddy is capable of getting you changed and fed,” whispered Johnny to his little girl.

Johnny was amazed at how natural it felt to have a child in his arms.  He smiled wistfully at Sierra as he placed a bottle in a pan of water to warm on the stove.  While it was warming, he placed his daughter on the couch with a blanket underneath her as he changed her diaper.  He softly kept up a conversation with his daughter, chuckling at her antics of waving her arms up at him while trying to grab his hair anytime he got his face close to her.

Getting the diaper changed quickly, he gathered Sierra in his arms and cuddled her close.  He checked the bottle the way he had seen Bree do it, on his wrist, and discovered it to be the right temperature.  Sitting down, he positioned his daughter on his left arm and chuckled as she opened her mouth knowing that the bottle was not too far away.  He gently rocked back and forth as he fed Sierra, going over his and Bree’s conversation from earlier in the evening.

Returning to the living room after she had put their daughter down for the night, Bree sat down on the coffee table directly across from Johnny so she could look directly in his eye.

“Why not sit down next to me?” Johnny asked as he patted the cushion next to him.

“Because you are a distraction when I sit next to you,” replied Bree.  “We need to talk about what we want and where we go from here.”

He chuckled when she said he was a distraction as though she was reading his mind.  He had plans of cuddling with her on the couch but knew she was right…that they needed to talk about things between them.

“So where do you want to start?” he asked as he gave her his infamous lopsided grin, still hoping to deter her line of thinking.

She smiled back at him knowing exactly what he was trying to do.  “Nice try, Johnny, but I am learning to look at your eyes and ignore that smile.  We need to start by looking at whether we want to have a relationship or not.”

“I am pretty sure that I want a relationship with you and our daughter.  I would love to see you both move here to live with me.  There is a lot more but I have the feeling that you have something quite different in mind.”

“In a way, I do,” replied Bree.  “We started this relationship in a backwards sort of way.  We only knew each other for three days and then parted ways.  Like I had said earlier tonight, most couples start out dating, get engaged, marry and then start a family.  We started out at the opposite end of that scenario.”

Johnny pretty much by then knew where Bree was going with this but he couldn’t resist teasing her.  “So in other words, you want me to wine and dine you, take you to fancy places and show you off before we can go any further?  What if I don’t want to do that…what if I want to jump right in and have a complete and intimate relationship with you now?”

Bree couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  She thought for certain that he would agree with her…that they need to get reacquainted, to get to know one another better before they had a more serious relationship.  She never saw the mischievous look in his eyes or the smirk being formed by his lips as he knew she was confused by his answer and not sure what to do next.

She glanced up at him for one moment and realized as soon as she saw his eyes that he was teasing her.

“Damn you, Johnny,” she said giggling.  “You just had to do that, didn’t you?”

“Yes, sweetheart, I did,” he replied as he leaned forward and took her hands in his.  “But I agree with you…we do need to take it slow.  As much as I would love to have you and Sierra move in with me right now, I want to get to know you all over again.  I want to be able to take you out and show you off…to let everyone know that you are my girl and how much I love you.”

When she heard him say he loved her, she jumped off the coffee table and right into his arms, sending them both backwards onto the couch.  He was completely taken off guard by her reaction and by sheer luck had grabbed a hold of her as his back made contact with the cushions.  He steadied Bree as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, holding her against his side and smiling as she settled in comfortably.

“I take it I said something you like?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“You know you did.  I just wasn’t expecting to hear it,” she replied as she took a glimpse at him through her eyelashes.  “I love you, too, Johnny.  I did from the first time you kissed me in Santa Monica.”

He pulled her a little closer to him when he heard her tell him that she loved him too.  They sat and talked for a long time…finally agreeing to continue their discussion at a later date due to the fact it was midnight and Johnny had to work in the morning.

As he sat rocking his now sleeping daughter, Johnny couldn’t help but wish he had insisted on them moving out here with him.  He could understand Bree’s wish to get reacquainted again but he was never known for his patience and wanted to just jump in head first.

She leaned against the wall, smiling as she watched the father of her child gently rock their daughter to sleep.  When she had woke up and realized both Johnny and Sierra were not in the room, she almost went back to sleep.  Something made her go check on them instead.  She found him sitting in the rocker feeding Sierra and once again talking to her in a language she did not understand.  She had no desire to interrupt the two as she knew a bond was forming between father and daughter.

Not realizing he was being watched, Johnny placed a kiss upon his sleeping daughter’s forehead before he stood up to take her back to her crib.  Turning around, he noticed Bree learning up against the hallway wall, smiling at him.  As he approached her, he reached out to take her hand and lead her back to the bedroom.  No words needed to be exchanged as the couple crawled back into bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

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

His body felt cramped from spending the night sleeping in his vehicle.  He had decided to wait until Bree left before he made his move on the man.  But Bree never left.  It angered him that she chose to spend the night with the man he considered his rival.  He knew now deep in his troubled heart that he needed to eliminate this man.  She had no restraint when it came to the ‘fire boy’.  He exited the car and headed to the tree grove to relieve himself then stretched to try and get the kinks of his back and neck from a night of sleeping upright.  Once back in his car, he mediated to try and keep calm while he waited for the man to leave his home.  Soon his wish would be answered.

Johnny quietly shut the front door as he left for work.  He knew Bree would be not be happy with him as she had asked him to wake her up before he left, but she was sleeping so peacefully that he didn’t have the heart to do it.  He had checked on his daughter before he walked out and she was sleeping soundly also.

He sat up quickly as he heard tires crunching on the gravel.  Chuckling out loud, he noticed that ‘fire boy’ hadn’t even spotted him sitting along the roadside.  Putting his car in gear, he slowly pulled out and began to follow him.  He had spent most of the night trying to figure out what he wanted to do to his rival and came up with the plan to just rattle his cage first.  He figured a bump and run would work for the first time and then he would back off for a bit.  He chortled evilly as he began to pick up speed to catch up with the ‘fire boy’.

Checking his rearview mirror, Johnny noticed a car slowly catching up to him.  He thought this idiot must be in one hell of a hurry to be driving that fast on gravel.  Keeping an eye on the guy coming up behind him, he realized that the car behind him wasn’t even trying to slow down.  Just as he made the decision to try and move his vehicle close to edge of the road, he felt the other car hit his back bumper. 

Subconsciously, he immediately began to correct his car to avoid hitting the ditch.  He could feel the loose gravel on the edge of the road grabbing his tires and slowly pulling him into the ditch.  He knew now that he could do nothing but hold on and try to enjoy the ride.

Glancing in his rearview mirror as he flew by the other vehicle, he watched as the Jeep slowly slid sideways into the ditch.  He couldn’t help chuckling about the guy’s ‘misfortune’.  He knew ‘fire boy’ would view it as an unfortunate accident due to someone not paying attention…if he only knew the truth.  This was just round one.  Eventually the next time he wasn’t going to be as lucky.  He kept driving towards LA and laughing out loud to himself.

Once the Jeep came to a rest at the bottom of the shallow ditch, Johnny released his seatbelt and got to inspect the damage to his vehicle.  The first thing he noticed was that the driver of the other car didn’t even bother to stop and see if he was alright.  As he walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle, he immediately noticed two flat tires on that side.

‘Well, I guess I better start hoofing it back home,’ thought Johnny as he grabbed his gear out of the back of the Jeep.  Once he got up to the road, he glanced back at his vehicle and thanked his lucky stars that he only slid into the ditch instead of rolling.  Knowing he was going to be late for work, he began a brisk walk back to his ranch so he could make a phone call to the station and also to wake up Bree so she could give him a ride to town.

She tried to pull the covers up over her head but something was stopping her from doing so.  She gave them one more yank and surprised when they disappeared from her grasp altogether.

“Bree, honey, I need you to wake up,” said Johnny.  “You are going to have to give me a ride to work.”

That statement woke her up.  “What happened?” she asked.

“I will tell you on the way in, but first I need to call the station and let them know what happened.  Then I need to call a tow truck and have them come and get my Jeep out of the ditch.”

“The ditch?” questioned Bree as she hopped out of bed and proceeded to get dressed.

“It’s a strange story,” he replied.  “You finish getting yourself and Sierra ready while I go make my phone calls.”  Before he left the room, he leaned over and kissed Bree soundly on the lips.  For a second Bree stood there and stared at his retreating back, wondering what would make him slide into the ditch on his way to work.

Johnny dialed the station and was relieved when Roy answered the phone.

“Junior, what the heck is going on?” he asked him.

“Someone thought we needed to play bumper cars on the road and I wound up in the ditch,” said Johnny.  “Can you let the captain know that I’ll be on my way to work shortly?”

Roy’s reply echoed Bree’s.  “In the ditch?  How bad is the damage to your vehicle?”

“Two flat tires.  I’m gonna call a tow truck to pick it up and haul it to the garage then Bree will be bringing me in to work.”

“Bree’s at your place?” asked Roy, wondering about this turn of events in his partner’s life.

“Yes, Roy, she came out here last night.  I will tell you all about it when I get into work,” replied Johnny.  “See you when I get there.”

While Roy was on the phone, Chet couldn’t help but ‘overhear’ the name, Bree, mentioned by his coworker and once again wondered just who she was.  Johnny hadn’t been acting like himself and he just couldn’t help but think that this ‘Bree’ had to be his pigeon’s latest obsession. 

“Who’s Bree?” asked Chet trying to be nonchalant about it.

Roy looked over at Chet and knew that once he got an idea into his head he would not let it rest until he got his answer.  Marco and Roy exchanged a glance before Roy answered Chet’s question.

“I’m afraid that is a question I cannot answer for you, Chet.  The answers you seek will have to come from Johnny,” replied Roy.

Chet had seen the look that passed between Marco and Roy.  It wasn’t hard to deduct from that one look that Marco also knew what was going on.  He knew it would be nigh to impossible to get Roy to tell him about this woman as he was as protective of Johnny’s privacy as Johnny was of Roy’s.   Instead of pestering his coworkers, Chet headed to the locker room to work on a plan to tease his pigeon about the newest woman in his life.

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

Bree put her car in gear and left the ranch.  She was still baffled by the turn of events that put Johnny’s Jeep into the ditch.  Sierra was sitting quietly in her car seat in the back, cooing to herself and to the amusement of her father.

Glancing over at Bree, Johnny said, “I suppose you’re curious as to what happened this morning, aren’t you?”

“To say the least,” replied Bree.  “I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you wound up in the ditch without rolling over.”

“Believe me, so am I.  Luckily for me when I saw the car coming up behind me fast that I’d already started slowing down to move out of his way.  When he bumped the back of my car, I was slow enough that when the loose gravel on the edge grabbed my tires, my momentum was down enough to only pull me into the ditch.”

“Thank God for that,” she said. “Did the driver stop to check if you were alright?”

“Nope,” he said.  “Just kept on going like he didn’t even know he had hit someone.  Kinda ticked me off that they wouldn’t notice what happened, much less stop to check if see if everything was alright.”

Bree looked at Johnny and smiled just happy that he was alright.  “Well, no matter, I am glad that you are okay.”

Pretty soon, Johnny was off and running on one of his tangents about irresponsible drivers and once he was rolling, Bree knew from what Roy had told her weeks ago that there was no stopping him.  She couldn’t help but giggle every once in a while as he kept on about people who shouldn’t be allowed driver’s licenses.  Eventually she could not hold back her laughter and let loose with a deep rumble of laughter that caught Johnny’s attention causing him to stop in mid-sentence.  As he realized what he had been doing, he joined in, chuckling until he was laughing just as uncontrollably as she was.

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

Roy paced back and forth in the dayroom of Station 51.  The engine had been called out on a run for a trash bin fire and that left just him and Dwyer in the station.  Dwyer was sprawled out on the couch trying to catch a few winks in hopes that Johnny would be there soon.  Lucky for them the squad was having a quiet day…something that was rare but enjoyed nonetheless.

Finally Dwyer had enough of Roy’s pacing.  He sat up and looked at the senior paramedic and said, “Roy, just go pace out in front of the station.  You are gonna wear a path in the floor if you don’t stop.  Besides, you are driving me nuts!”

Dwyer’s little outburst took Roy by surprise, so much so that he didn’t even argue but headed straight outside to wait for his partner.  He didn’t have to wait long as a black Jeep pulled up in front of the station with Johnny sitting in the front seat.  He walked over to the passenger side and poked his head in the window.

“Hi, Bree, nice to see you again,” he said.  “Nice to see you could make it in to work, Junior.”

“Funny, Roy, real funny,” replied Johnny with a smile on his face.  “I hope Cap isn’t too upset with me for being late.”

“No, he was just glad that you didn’t get hurt.  So what exactly happened anyway?”

“I’ll fill you in later.  I’d better get inside so Dwyer can head home and catch some shut-eye.”

He leaned over and gave Bree a quick kiss.  Before he grabbed his gear from the floor of the back seat, he softly kissed Sierra’s forehead and brushed her hair back from her cheek.  He motioned to Roy to check out what was in the back seat and smiled when Roy caught a glimpse of Sierra.  Roy told Bree that she and Johnny had a beautiful little girl.

He waved goodbye to his two ladies as Bree pulled away from the station and followed Roy back inside.

“What do you think of my little girl?” asked Johnny.

“A little cutie, Junior,” replied Roy as he heard the pride in Johnny’s voice.  “Just to give you a heads up, Chet is scheming to find out who Bree is.   And when he finds out about that little girl, it could get interesting.”

“How does he know about Bree?” asked Johnny.

“He was in the room when you called and heard me mention Bree’s name.  Of course, the minute I got off the phone he immediately tried to be innocent when he asked who she was.”

Johnny chuckled as he stored his gear away in his locker.  “Like I told you before, Roy, there is nothing that is innocent about Chet when he is asking questions and trying to get answers.  I’m sure he will pounce on me as soon as they get back.”

The guys walked into the dayroom where Dwyer looked relieved when he saw Johnny and after chatting a bit, he headed out.  No sooner had Dwyer left did the tones go off, sending the guys on one run after another for the next four hours.

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

It had been over a month since Dixie had witnessed the ‘kiss’ in the ER and saw the article on Bree in the newspaper.  Rumors had run amok after that to the point where she threatened disciplinary action against two of her own nurses in her department.  She found herself getting frustrated with her favorite paramedic as she thought he was being just plain stupid.  And Bree…well she wasn’t fairing any better.  The girl kept up a brave face but Dixie felt that the girl was hurting deep inside.

She had finally been able to get a hold of her friend and they were going to meet for lunch in the cafeteria.  After picking out something to eat, she walked out onto the patio and spotted Bree sitting at a table near the fence.

Dixie decided to get straight to the heart of things and asked her friend, “So have you heard from a certain paramedic yet?”

“No,” replied Bree as she looked down at her coffee cup.  She felt bad lying to her friend like this but she and Johnny had decided to keep the fact that they were seeing each other under wraps for a while.  They had talked about it the night that Bree and Sierra had first come out to his new home. 

Dixie watched the conflicting emotions flicker across Bree’s face.  She thought to herself sometimes that boy could be so hard headed.  “I’m so sorry to hear that.  What the hell is wrong with him?”

“Dixie, please don’t worry about it.  He is a big boy and he needs to make up his own mind and if he doesn’t want to grow up, so be it.”

“I know, Bree, but he is being so idiotic.  He is a grown man and has a child.  He should own up to his responsibilities.”

Bree had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from say something.  “That’s his choice, Dixie.  I can’t make his change his mind.  Hopefully he will come to his senses soon and not later.”

Sensing that the subject was a little tender for her friend, Dixie decided to drop it.  Just as they started talking about the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, the skies opened up and it began to rain.  Running back inside, Dixie told Bree to meet her in the staff lounge near the ER and they could finish their lunch break there.

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

Since Roy was still in the treatment room with the patient, Johnny headed over to the base station for a cup of coffee.  Carol saw him heading her direction and told him the coffee pot was on the fritz so he would need to go to the staff lounge for a cup.  He said thanks and headed that direction.

Entering the lounge, he noticed Traci and Sharon were both sitting in there talking.  He smiled at them both and grabbed a cup.  While his back was towards the two girls he missed the knowing wink that Sharon gave Traci as she got up and left the room.  He turned around and noticed that it was just he and Traci left in the lounge.

“Did I scare off Sharon?” he asked Traci.

“No, she had to get back to work.  She got pulled to the Pediatrics ward for this shift.”

Johnny started to walk towards the window but Traci stood up to stop him.  She reached up, placing her hand on his shoulder and smiled as she glanced up at him.

“You don’t need to be shy around me, Johnny.  I know that I had pressured you into meeting me that one time for drinks and that you were uncomfortable with it.  I figured out that you are probably the type of guy who likes to be the one to ask the girl out.  And I know how you feel about me.  I feel the same way.  I really like you,” Traci stated as she moved to put her hand on the nape of his neck.

Johnny’s conscious really started screaming at him.  At the time he had been flirting with Traci, he hadn’t been sure about his future with Bree.  Now he was wishing he hadn’t led this girl on, that he had just talked with her and had done no flirting.   He didn’t even notice when Traci had removed his coffee cup from his hand.

She was trying to put her other arm around his neck and was just about to kiss him when Johnny heard the door open (breathing a sigh of relief and hoping it was Roy).  He had been trying to remove Traci’s arms from around his neck when he heard Bree behind him.

“You have got to be kidding me…again… this is a hospital, not a motel!” stated Bree as she stood there in disbelief at what she was viewing once more.

Johnny jumped as he knew how this was looking to Bree.  He turned around and not only saw Bree behind him but also Dixie and Roy, the latter looking quite upset with him.

Bree strode into the lounge and stated to the two behind her, “Roy, would you take your erstwhile partner out of here and Dixie, shut the door and wait outside while me and ‘racy Traci’ chat.”

Johnny figured his best defense would be to hightail it out of there.  He followed his partner out of the lounge and couldn’t even look Dixie in the eye as she shut the door behind her and stood guard in front of it.

A few minutes later, Traci walked out of the lounge with a look upon her face that said she was not very happy.  Dixie watched in total astonishment as the girl practically ran to the elevator to get back to the floor she worked on.  She turned and walked back into the lounge to find Bree looking like she wasn’t sure if she should be angry or laugh at the whole silly situation.

Looking at the expression on Dixie’s face, she broke into a fit of giggling, “Oh……oh my God, I have not had fun like that in a long time.  The look on her face when I flat out told her that she was barking up the wrong tree and that he already was dating someone here.  It was so worth it!”

Dixie couldn’t believe the change in Bree.  “What are you talking about?  She ran out of here looking like she had lost her best friend or something along that line.  What did you say to her?”

“Dixie, I basically told her that Johnny has been dating someone and that she would not get very far with him.  She tried to tell me that wasn’t true but I told her it was, that he likes to flirt with all the girls and most of the time it doesn’t mean a thing.”

“Who is Johnny dating?” asked Dixie.

“Well, not in so many words did I tell her who he was dating, but she got the picture that he is not in the market for a new woman in his life.”

Dixie found herself getting a bit frustrated with Bree as she was not making much sense and finally barked her question like an order.  “Just who the heck is Johnny dating at this facility?”

She gave the answer so softly that Dixie wasn’t sure if she heard her right.  “Me.”

When it finally sunk in what Bree had told her, Dixie almost shouted out loud her approval.  She grabbed the young woman and whispered to her that it was about time they came to their senses.

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

Roy stood beside the squad and looked at Johnny with disgust written all over his expression and he didn’t even try to hide it.  Johnny swallowed hard but couldn’t find the words to explain to Roy what he had seen in the staff lounge.  Neither one of them could figure out what to say that wouldn’t cause hurt to the other.

As the partners stood glaring at each other from either side of the squad, Bree came running through the ER doors, stopping short as she noticed the guys facing each across the hood of the squad but not saying a word. 

“You two didn’t have to wait for me,” she said as walked up to the squad trying to lighten up the mood she was sensing.

Johnny turned and grabbed both of Bree’s hands in his and replied, “I’m so sorry you saw that.  I had only flirted with her that one time when you saw her kiss me at the base station.  I never tried to encourage her.  I guess she was really convinced that I was interested in her.”

“Yes, she was and I don’t think it helped when you met her for drinks at the Red Wolf,” Bree said softly as she looked down at her feet.  “You definitely had me convinced that you enjoyed your bachelor status that night.”

“Honey, look at me.”  Bree glanced up at him and he could see the tears in her eyes.

“I am so sorry about that night too.  She had been bugging me to meet her for a drink that I finally gave in.  I was so shocked when I saw you up on stage singing.  I didn’t know what to do, so I left before the first set was even finished.”

“I know.  I saw you leave and without Traci,” stated Bree.  “Johnny, I don’t know if I can do this…hide what you mean to me from everyone.  I thought I would be able to handle seeing you act like nothing is happening between us but after the last few weeks of hearing rumors and then seeing that nurse try to kiss you again, I just can’t do it.”

“If you want the honest to God truth, sweetheart, neither can I,” replied Johnny with a huge smile on his face.  “I want to let everyone know who you are and what you mean to me.  I want to be able to kiss you if I see you in the hallway at Rampart, to send you flowers at work for no reason at all except to say I love you.”  He released Bree’s hands and placed his on her cheeks, pulling her closer for a very thorough kiss and he didn’t care who saw him do it

.

The young couple forgot about Roy who had gone over to talk to Dixie in the doorway of Rampart General’s ER and were now watching their exchange, astonished at what they were witnessing.   Roy looked over at Dixie who whispered something in his ear that set them both laughing.

Johnny leaned over one more time to kiss Bree and then sent her on her way.  He got into the squad and waited for his partner to join him.  Shaking his head as he said goodbye to Dixie, Roy got in and started up the squad.

The two rode in silence on the short trip back to the station.  Roy was still trying to figure out what his partner was up to.  Johnny had told him three weeks ago after Bree had dropped him off at work (due to two flat tires on his Jeep) that they were going to see each other but keep quiet about it as they wanted to have privacy.  He thought his partner was nuts for doing that as all anyone had to do was look at Johnny to know that there was something significantly different with him.  Now he gets caught in a somewhat compromising position with another nurse in the staff lounge, witnessed not only by himself but also by Dixie and Bree.

“Junior, I have to admit I am totally confused by what I witnessed at Rampart.  What exactly are you up to?”

It was a couple of seconds before Johnny answered him.  “Pally, I think it’s time I introduced the crew to Bree and our daughter.”

“What?”

“I think it’s time everyone met Bree and Sierra.  Bree was right…we can’t keep this under wraps.  I want everyone to know what she means to me, how proud I am of my daughter."

“When are you thinking of springing this on everyone?” asked Roy.

“I was thinking of having my housewarming party on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and have everyone out there and introduce them to my girls.  What do you think?” asked Johnny.

“I’m thinking it’s about time,” he replied.  “But I hope you plan on cluing her in on the like-hate relationship between you and Chet because you know he is going to start razzing her the minute he meets her.”

“Yeah, I know...but I’ve no doubts that Bree will be able to hold her own against the phantom and anything he might throw at her.

 

Continueed in Part 3

Posted to site 9/1/12

Links to Parts 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

 

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