Unlike Yesterday

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters associated with the Roughnecks, if I did I would be finishing the series…

Summary: Jeff Gossard came home like he did everyday, nothing in his life changed very often or very much. Everyday it was the same, up in the elevator into his Park Avenue apartment after a hard day at the office and eating alone as usual but today was different. She was staying with him.

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Jeff Gossard heaved a sigh and pressed the button on the elevator. He was so tired and really just wanted to be left alone. All day he had people demanding things of him, his time, his company money or his answer to this and that. It was very rare that he wanted company at home. He didn't even understand why he had gone into business in the first place, yet that's where he was at this point in his life. New York had certainly changed since the war but he carefully reminded himself that all cities had. People were more cautious and fearful of strange noises and tended to move together in packs like animals. Gossard could not blame them however; the war had been terribly traumatic for everyone, especially for those involved like himself and his fellow Roughnecks.

As he stepped into the elevator his thoughts drifted to the Roughnecks. Although the got together quite frequently for birthdays and holidays and the like, Gossard truly missed their company as they were scattered across North America and seemed to spend inordinate amounts of time travelling elsewhere. Time together was precious and tended to be spent simply sitting and catching up rather than doing anything to exciting or scintillating. They were all so busy that arranging times outside designated holidays or birthdays could be quite challenging.

The Roughnecks had gone far since the end of the war just two years ago. Juan 'Johnny' Rico played for the Atlanta Falcons. He was quite popular and well liked amongst his team mates and fans as well as being an excellent player. Carl Jenkins worked in Washington for the Government but he was always a bit vague about what he actually did. Both Jean Razak and Francic Brutto were still with the military but Razak tended to travel quite often and was rarely home in Washington and Brutton had been stationed in San Diego for a few months now. Doc Lacroix was still in the medical profession but stationed in Chicago and didn't manage to get away much. Robert Higgins was a hot shot young journalist who despite having a home in Detroit, spent much of his time covering stories in Continental Europe. Gossard himself had risen the ranks in the corporate world although he was now finding it quite tedious to drag himself out of bed in the mornings to go to work, the others had jobs that changed everyday; he did not.

He stepped out of the lift on the top floor. He hadn't particularly liked the penthouse, he hadn't even wanted it. The company bought it for him anyway as well as a BMW convertible which he rarely drove. He wanted to be away from the public spotlight, hard when one was living on Park Avenue in New York City. He rarely left except to go to work and never ate out. People still stared and whispered which was something he just couldn't stand. He opened the door and stepped inside and smiled when he heard music. He usually hated coming home, he would much rather work than be here by himself. The music meant that she hadn't decided to return home and face the music (and the press). He smiled a bit more when he recognised the song, High School Musical was blaring out of the sound system in the living room. Dizzy had taken quite a liking to the movie, unusual choice for someone like her. He walked towards the sitting room and leant against the doorframe.

Dizzy Flores was staying in his Park Avenue apartment. She was sitting in an armchair, legs hanging haphazardly over the arm. Her nose buried in a book, also most unusual. She had always been beautiful, the Roughnecks would venture to call her stunning sometimes. Her hair was still brunette but slightly longer, tied behind her head in a ponytail. Although he couldn't see them, her eyes were still bright blue and but changed when he mood did. She was also quite thin, something his housekeeper had mentioned to him only yesterday, but he suspected the stress was doing a lot to her body as well as her mind. He glanced at the ring finger on her left hand and noted with some satisfaction that her diamond and emerald engagement ring no longer rested on her finger.