Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Emergency! I can't get any more emphatic than that.

A/N: This is the sequel to my first Emergency! story, The Researcher. If you haven't already, you should really read that one first.

"Good morning everyone!" John Gage called out, walking into the locker room. Whistling, he went to his locker and opened it. He didn't seem to notice that everyone in the room was staring at him. "It's going to be a great day, you know? There's not a cloud in sight."

His partner exchanged looks with Marco Lopez. "Uh, Johnny," Roy DeSoto spoke up. "Do you realize what time it is?"

Glancing over, Johnny shrugged. "Sure," he answered easily. "It's quarter to eight."

Stepping over, Chet Kelly reached over and put his hand on his team mate's forehead. "It doesn't feel like he has a fever," he reported, as Johnny batted his hand away. "Are you feeling all right, Johnny? Maybe Roy should check you out just to be sure."

"Of course I'm feeling all right," Johnny answered, his tone becoming a little annoyed. He worked his boots off his feet and reached for his shiny black shoes. "What's the problem? Can't a guy show up a little early for once? You don't have to make out like it's a big deal or something."

Raising his hands, Roy shook his head. "Ok, ok, take it easy," he said. "We're just not used to seeing you here before eight o'clock."

"I know!" Chet said, snapping his fingers. "I bet you had a date last night! Right? What was she like? If she was going out with you, my guess is she was kind of plain."

"Kelly, so help me, if you don't back off right now, I'm gonna…" Johnny growled, curling his right hand into a fist.

With the air of one resigned to intervening for the pair, Roy stepped between them. "Let's not get into a fist fight this early in the morning," he said, sending a pointed look at Chet. "I'm going to grab a cup of coffee. You want me to pour you a cup, Johnny?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Johnny responded, glaring once more at Chet. "Some people just know how to ruin a good day."

Shaking his head, Roy went to the kitchen. "What makes this day so good?" Marco asked curiously as Mike Stoker came in.

Startled, Mike stumbled when he saw Johnny. "You're all a bunch of wise guys," the young paramedic groused. "Now I'm not so sure this day is going to be good."

He finished changing and wandered off to find his partner. He'd just taken his first sip of his coffee when Cap. Stanly role call. Even the captain raised his eyebrows on seeing Johnny already waiting with the rest of the team. Unlike the other men, he made no comment.

"Our first order of business is the State Fair which begins today," Cap said, checking his clipboard. "As you all know, this will alter our usual schedule. This afternoon, we and Station 13 will be at the fairgrounds at two o'clock and will stay there until the fairgrounds close at 11."

Swiftly, Johnny glanced up at the clock. "While we're there, Station 34 will be covering for us," Cap went on. "Until then, we're going to carry on as usual. Lopez, you have lunch. Kelly, you're on latrine-."

As Chet groaned in disbelief, the klaxons sounded. Roy frowned as he saw disappointment on his partner's face, but they were already scrambling to their places. "Station 51. Station 51, house fire. 108 E. Taleline Street. Time out 08:10."

"Station 51. KMG-365."

It was a small house in a residential area. Smoke rose from the windows and roof. Across the street a large group of people had gathered, as was common, to watch. Engine 51 pulled up alongside the curb first. Chet and Marco were the first off, dragging the hoses into place.

Roy parked the squad right behind them. The officer on scene met the paramedics. "It's an empty house," he informed them. He gestured at the For Sale sign in the front yard. "No one should be inside."

"Thanks Charlie," Roy said, reaching for his turn out gear. He and Johnny joined the rest of the team in getting the fire subdued.

The fire was threatening to jump to the next house over. As a precaution, Cap had the men wet the roof of that house before instructing them to concentrate their efforts on the burning house. They had almost subdued the wild flames when a white car pulled up in front of the house.

"You've got to be kidding me!" the man exclaimed, jumping out of his car. He strode forward. "I don't believe this!"

"Stay back, sir," Cap said, intercepting the man on the front lawn. "Do you own this house?"

"No, the bank does," the man answered, staring at the blackened remains. "I'm the agent in charge of selling it. I was here not more than two hours ago to get it ready for showing this morning! Do you realize how much I'm going to lose over this?"

The police officer joined them. "Is there a problem here?"

"Yes! My listing just got burned to the ground!" the real estate agent raged in obvious frustration. "I could lose my job over this!"

"I'm going to have to ask you a few questions, sir," the officer said, pulling out his notebook. "Do you know who owns this house?"

Leaving the officer to deal with the man, Cap returned to his men.

It was just after ten o'clock by the time the squad and engine pulled back into the bay. "What a way to start the morning," Roy commented. He glanced over when his partner made no response. "You've been awful quiet so far today, Johnny. What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing," Johnny answered with a sigh. He checked his watch. "I was just hoping we'd be back earlier than this."

"Why?"

Johnny just shook his head and climbed out of the squad. He headed for the kitchen, and ran right into Chet's back. Though he pushed, Johnny couldn't get Chet to move. "Guys, move along," Cap ordered from behind Johnny. "It's fine if you want some coffee, but we all have things that have to get done this morning."

"I don't believe it!" Chet said slowly.

Annoyed, Johnny looked over the man's shoulder. At the table, a brown haired woman was carefully building a house of cards. Mike and Marco were next to her, watching. The house wobbled and then crashed down. "You almost had it," Marco said, shaking his head.

Colette Alderman laughed and bent to pick the cards up. "Colette!" Johnny exclaimed, grinning. "You're here!"

The curly haired young woman looked up and a big smile appeared. Dropping the cards she held, she rushed forward… right past Johnny, who'd started to spread his arms. "Roy!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the paramedic. "It's good to see you again!"

Startled, Roy returned the hug as Johnny turned to stare at him. "I made you guys some fresh coffee," Colette informs them all, pulling away from Roy. She turned and held her hand out to the captain. "Captain Stanley, it's been far too long since I've seen all of you!"

"How are you, Colette?" Cap responded, shaking her hand. "I didn't expect to find you here."

Smiling, Colette went back to the table and picked up her bag. "I was told to bring you this updated schedule for the fair," she said, pulling a black folder out of her bag. "There were some last minute changes, and all stations needed to be informed, so here you are."

Surprised, Cap accepted the file. "You could have left this on my desk."

"Yeah, I could have," Colette admitted, instantly blushing. She pushed her hair behind her ears. "But then I wouldn't have gotten to see my favorite firefighters. It doesn't matter. I already stopped at most other stations."

Nodding, Cap flipped the folder open and walked out, reading the contents. "So, do I get a hug like Roy did?" Chet asked.

Turning her head, Colette pursed her lips. "Absolutely not," she answered sternly. "I blame you for causing my house of cards to collapse, Kelly." Her glare turned to a look of glee as Mike held a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. "Thank you, Mike! That earns you a hug!"

Grabbing the cup in one hand, Colette gave the quiet fireman a one armed hug. Chet scowled as Mike blinked in surprise. Johnny snickered. "How long has it been since your last cup, Colette?" he asked. "An hour? Or only thirty minutes?"

"For your information, I am trying to cut back on my coffee intake," Colette told him haughtily. "It has been a grand total of two hours and fifteen minutes since my last cup." She sipped the black liquid. "And now I'm back down to zero. But it's worth it."

"Are you going to the fair?" Chet asked, edging closer to her. "We're going to be there this afternoon."

Colette smiled at him. "Yes, I know," she answered, stepping away. "And yes, I'm going to be there. I think its going to be fun."

"Fun?" Roy said skeptically. "Do you know what kind of things we'll probably run into?"

"So what?" Johnny asked. He put his arm around Colette's shoulders. "I'm with Colette. This is going to be fun. It's not every day we get to be at a fair and get paid for it!"

Fully expecting the young woman to push the paramedic away, the rest of the men were astonished as Colette just laughed. She checked her watch and reluctantly set her cup down. "I better get going," she said. "I do have three other places to get to before noon."

"My wife and I are throwing a barbeque tomorrow night," Roy told her. "You should come. Joanne would love to meet you."

Swiftly, Colette glanced up at Johnny, who looked away. "I'll think about it," she told Roy, pushing Johnny's arm away. She grabbed her bag and slung it onto her shoulder. "Just give me your address sometime and I'll let you know. I'll see you guys at the fair."

The firefighters chorused their good byes and she waved as she walked out. "So, Johnny," Chet said slowly. "Can I have her number?"

Johnny narrowed his eyes at the man. "What?"

"Chet don't get anything started," Roy warned, putting his coffee cup on the table. "Johnny, let's check supplies. We've still got the floor to mop before we take off for the fair later."

"No, I want to know what Chet means," Johnny said stubbornly. "He's been getting on my nerves all morning and I've had enough."

Firmly, Roy grabbed his partner's arm and pushed him out. "What'd I say?" Chet demanded.

The tones sounded. "Squad 51. Man injured. 3728 W. Boulevard. 3728 W. Boulevard."

The squad sped down the streets. "Make a right turn here," Johnny instructed, pointing up to the next street sign.

"Squad 51 cancel."

Sighing, Johnny pulled his hat off and grabbed the radio. "Squad 51 returning to base," he said and then set the mic back. "Man, by the time we get back, we're barely going to have time to eat before we have to hit the fairgrounds," he complained.

"Johnny, it's a fair," Roy said patiently as he turned the squad around and headed back to the station. "I'm sure there's plenty of food there." He glanced over at his partner, who was staring out the window. "Something on your mind you want to talk about?"

"Not really."

Roy shook his head. "I know you're stewing over something," he said as they stopped at a red light. "You might as well get it off your chest so the rest of us can have some peace."

Resigned, Johnny turned to face him. "Fine. Colette and I have been going out for the past four months," he announced.

Raising his eyebrows, Roy glanced at his partner. "I see," he said slowly. "Is there a reason you haven't mentioned this fact?"

"You all knew I went out with her when she got out of the hospital."

"Yes, and then you said nothing else about her," Roy answered. "The way you always seem to date a girl and then break up with her, we figured it hadn't worked out."

"Her grandfather is the chief," Johnny said. "I didn't want everyone to think that I was going out with her to get some kind of favor or rubbing it in that I was dating the chief's granddaughter or something like that. Only now I think Colette is mad at me and I don't know what I did wrong."

"Maybe it's the fact that you haven't told your workmates she's your girl," Roy suggested, refocusing on the road. Frowning, Johnny considered that and then shook his head. "Look. If you want to know why she's mad, you're just going to have to talk to her."

Johnny heaved a sigh. "I was afraid of that," he said. "Everything was fine last night. We had a great date. I don't know what went wrong, Roy!"

"I'm sure you don't."

In spite of the hot afternoon sun, the fairgrounds were humming with activity. Engine 51 joined Engine 13 by the parking lot. HT in hand and leaving the rest of the guys with the squad and engine, Roy and Johnny set off to walk the grounds and find their fellow firemen.

First, though, they stopped at the first aid station and left their equipment there. The attending nurse was putting a band aid on a little boy's arm. "I'm glad you guys are here," the older woman said cheerfully. She sent the boy on his way with his mother. "Before paramedics came along, all we could do here was call for an ambulance and send them to the hospital."

"We're happy to help," Roy told her.

"I'll shout out to you over the PA system if I need you," the woman said, waving for them to go.

The merchants' building was air-conditioned and packed as tight as could be. In the middle of the building, the paramedics found the booth where Chief McConikee was talking to a group of children. "And here we have two paramedics," he said, on seeing Roy and Johnny. "If someone's hurt, they take care of them and get them to a hospital."

Over a dozen wide eyes turned to the paramedics. "That's right kids," Johnny said cheerfully. "If you fall out of tree, or something like that, my partner and I just might be the ones to come put you back together."

"Who wants a Smokey Bear sticker?" Colette called out with a grin. Johnny's hand joined the smaller ones, making Roy shake his head in disbelief. Placing a sticker in all the children's hands, the young woman pushed Johnny's away. "Sorry, Fireman Gage. You already have one."

"Really?" a twelve year old boy asked, looking between Colette and Johnny.

"He has it on his locker door at the fire station," Colette confided in low tone. The boy mouthed 'wow!' and took off with his friends. "Johnny, could I speak to you for a moment?"

Handing the HT to Roy, Johnny stepped off to the side with the woman. Roy turned his back to give them some privacy. "Are you and Gage ready for this afternoon?" Chief McConikee asked, glancing down at his clipboard. "There's a demolition derby on schedule and you know how those usually end up."

"Yes, sir," Roy answered. "Cap…Captain Stanley has the engine scheduled to do some routine games before then."

The chief nodded. "He cleared it with me," he said. He glanced over Roy's shoulder and a frown appeared. "It's always crazy when fair time comes around."

Bracing himself, Roy glanced over his shoulder and winced. Their voices drowned out by everyone else in the building, Johnny and Colette were arguing. Johnny snapped something and Colette responded in kind, jabbing the paramedic with her finger.

Another group of kids interrupted the argument. Colette broke away from Johnny and joined her grandfather, a forced smile on her face. Staring after her, Johnny waited a moment and then walked up to his partner. "Let's go," he said tersely. "Cap's going to want us around for the drills."

Nodding to the chief, Roy followed his partner out into the heat. "What was that about?" he demanded.

"I don't want to talk about it."

There was one minor call over the PA system for the paramedics; a woman over come by the heat. Roy and Johnny managed to convince her to take off the sweater she'd worn to not get sunburn. After collecting their equipment from the nurse, the paramedics were back to the engine in time to watch the scheduled drill with Engine 13.

To the delight of the gathered audience, the two engines battled it out that afternoon. A small ball attached to a wire hung suspended between the two engines. Chief McConikee arrived to signal the start. Both teams aimed their hoses at the ball, trying to force the ball to the other side.

The spray of water hit the crowd, causing them to cheer, but the ball didn't move. Chief McConikee called a stop after ten minutes and studied the ball carefully. "Well, it looks like we have a draw," he announced as the crowd groaned in disappointment. "Nice job, both of you."

"You guys are soaking wet," Johnny said as Chet and Marco started winding the hose back up. "What did you do? Not win so you could stay under the water under longer?"

"Well, at least we're cool," Chet fired back. "Where have you two been? Flirting with Colette?"

"Kelly, you are really getting on my nerves," Johnny snapped. Turning on his heel, he stalked to the front of the engine.

"Geez, what's his problem today?" Chet muttered. "Everything I say seems to get to him."

"Maybe it's the topic you keep bringing up," Roy answered sharply.

Frowning, Chet paused. "You mean Colette?" he asked. "Why would that upset him? Just because she was smart enough not to keep going out with him, doesn't mean he should take it out on the rest of us. I don't usually go after the same girls as Johnny, but I think Colette would be worth it."

"Chet, if you had any sense at all, you wouldn't go near Colette Alderman," Roy warned seriously.

Even Mike looked up at that. "Why?" Chet demanded suspiciously. "Afraid Johnny would get to hard to handle if I get somewhere with her?"

"Someone help!" a woman screamed suddenly. "Please! I need a doctor!"

Instantly, Roy grabbed the drug box and bolted for the stands. With Johnny right on his heels with the rest of the equipment, the paramedic pushed through the crowd to where a woman was leaning over a young boy. Laying on the bench, the boy's eyes were closed and blood was running from a nasty gash on his forehead.

"Everyone move back!" Roy ordered, kneeling by the bench. "What happened?"

Roy gently maneuvered between the boy and his mother. "He was trying to get a good look at the fire engine, even though I told him I would walk up with him if he wanted," the woman tearfully explained. "I only turned around for one moment and he slipped. He hit his head on the edge of the bench. Please? Can you help him?"

"Just relax, ma'am," Johnny told her, getting the bio-phone hooked up. Roy was getting the boy's vitals. "We're paramedics. We'll do everything we can for your son." He lifted the phone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read me? This is Squad 51."

"This is Rampart," came Dixie McCall's voice answered several moments later. "Go ahead, 51."

"Rampart, we have a young male, approximate age 10 years old," Johnny reported, glancing at the mother for confirmation. She nodded. "Patient fell and hit his head on a wooden bench. Patient is currently unconscious and bleeding from a laceration on his forehead. Please hold for vital signs."

He relayed the vitals as Roy told him. "Is he going to be all right?" the mother asked anxiously. "Why won't he wake up?"

The crowd around them had grown larger as people came to see what was going on. "Ma'am, just let them do their job," Chief McConikee said, stepping up beside the woman. "They're the best in the area." He looked at Roy. "I radioed for an ambulance. It should be here any minute."

"51, is there a parent with the boy?" Dr. Early asked.

"Affirmative, Rampart," Johnny answered. "We have his mother right next to us."

"51, request permission to start an IV, D5W," Early instructed. "Slow the bleeding and transport as soon as possible."

"10-4, rampart," Johnny said and put the phone down. "Ma'am, we need to start an IV. Do we have your permission to do that?"

She nodded and Johnny got into the drug box. He handed everything over to Roy, who got the IV started. The wail of a siren alerted them to the ambulances arrival. "Transporting now, Rampart," Johnny informed the Rampart. "ETA, about ten minutes."

Driving the squad, Johnny followed the ambulance to the hospital. Roy transferred the boy into Dr. Early's care and joined his partner at the desk. "Roy, do you know why Johnny here is looking so down?" Dixie asked, leaning forward. "I try to get a conversation started, and I get nothing from him."

"He's been like that all day," Roy told her honestly.

The nurse eyed the young paramedic and shook her head. "How's the fair going?" she asked.

"Pretty well," Roy answered when Johnny stayed silent. "It could be worse. A lot of people don't seem to be taking the heat into consideration."

"Well, have fun," Dixie advised. "I'll be headed out there once my shift is done. If I see you, I'll treat you to an elephant ear and a lemonade, how about that?" She glanced at Johnny. "And, Johnny? Try to work on your mood before then, all right? You'll never get a girl acting like this."

Pushing away from the desk, Johnny stalked away. "Now you've done it," Roy groaned. "He just had a fight with his girl this afternoon."

"Oh. Well why didn't he say so in the first place?"

"Because he doesn't want to talk about it," Roy told her. He went out to the squad where his partner was already waiting. "You know, you might feel better if you don' go around looking like that. And you shouldn't be rude to Dixie. She deserves better than that."

Sighing, Johnny bounced his fist on the dashboard. "Yeah, I know," he answered. "It's just...I don't know what to do, Roy!"

"I know I'm going to regret this, but why don't you tell me what you and Colette were arguing about," Roy told him, sliding behind the wheel.

For a moment, Johnny was quiet. "She's mad that I haven't told everyone we were dating," he finally admitted. "She'd asked me to come over for dinner tomorrow night, and I told I had other plans. She's mad I didn't tell her about the barbeque. I really don't see why it's such a big deal! Especially since she hasn't told her mother she was dating a fireman. She has no right to get so mad at me for keeping it quiet!"

"Why hasn't she told her mother?" Roy asked curiously.

Johnny turned to face him. "Now that's an interesting story. Colette's mother is a real estate agent in the east. And she doesn't like firemen, despite the fact that Mrs. Alderman's father is the chief here. She resents the fact that Colette dropped out of Yale and then journalism classes to work for the fire department."

"Please tell me you didn't throw that in Colette's face," Roy said.

"I didn't throw it in her face," Johnny answered. "I did bring it up. It's the same thing she's mad at me about! Only now she's even madder at me and I don't know what to do to fix things between us, Roy."

Roy hesitated, his hand on the ignition and key. "Junior, if there's one thing you've got to learn it's that women don't appreciate it when you...bring something like that up into an argument," he said carefully. "My best advice is that you apologize and then tell the guys about you and Colette."

"Yeah, but what if Colette doesn't want to go out with me anymore?"

"Then, you better talk to her and figure that out," Roy answered, starting the squad. "You know, it was almost easier when you weren't serious about someone."

"I know what you mean," Johnny agreed emphatically.

It was quiet up until six o'clock when the demolition derby began. Before the event began, Engine 51 sprayed the track down and an ambulance had arrived just in case. The crowd gathered was huge, cheering on the revving engines. "You know, I used to like watching this," Johnny commented, watching the cars slam into each other. "Now all I can think about is how stupid it is."

"Same here," Roy answered.

"Hey, Johnny!" Chet called out, walking towards them. Roy groaned as Johnny turned. "Mike and I are headed over to the booth to see what's going on over there. And, Johnny, if you're not comfortable with me trying to get a date with Colette and everything, just say so."

Johnny stared at him. "No, man," he said after several moments. "If you ask her, and Colette wants to go out with you, its fine. Just don't take her bowling, all right? She hates it. And the chief expects her to be back by ten at the very latest. He's very protective that way."

Startled, Chet blinked a couple times. "Thanks Johnny!" he said, clapping his friend on the back. "You learned a lot from just one date."

"Honestly though, I don't think you have a chance, Kelly," Johnny told him. "If anyone, she'd go out with Mike over you. And don't forget, she's visited a lot of other fire stations in the past few months. There's probably a line of firemen who want to date the chief's granddaughter."

"I hadn't thought about that," Chet admitted, frowning. "No one's said they were going out with her, and that's the kind of thing someone would brag about right? Colette's a great girl."

"Yeah, she really is," Johnny answered, turning back to watch the cars smashing into each other.

Motioning for Mike to follow, Chet left. "So, that's your plan?" Roy asked. "You're just going to give up? I thought you wanted to fix it."

"Well, here's the way I figure it," Johnny answered, with a shadow of a grin. "If Colette's says she'll go out with Chet, then I'll know its over between us and I can move on. Everything will work out. But, if she says no, I'll know I still have a chance."

"There are days I just don't follow your logic," Roy informed him. "What if there really is a line of firemen interested in her? They'll see Chet ask her out and figure they have a shot. What if she likes one of them?"

Johnny opened his mouth to answer, but their conversation was interrupted by a particularly loud crash. The crowd gave a unanimous gasp of horror. In the middle of the stadium, two cars were smashed together. Smoke was already rising from the hood of the blue car. No one was moving to get out.

Grabbing their equipment, Johnny and Roy started forward with the crew of Engine 13 right on their heels. The green car backed up slowly as they approached. "I win!" the driver yelled ecstatically through the open window. He raised a fist in the air, making the crowd cheer.

"Are you hurt?" Roy asked, pausing by the car.

"No, but I won!" the man answered, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. "Man, did you see that? It was totally incredible!"

Shaking his head, Roy moved to join his partner, who was kneeling on the ground beside the blue car. "He's alive," Johnny reported, pulling his hand out of the car. He cast a quick glance over the side of the car. "We're going to have to cut him out of here before we can do anything."

As their fellow firemen moved in with the right tools, Roy set up the bio phone. "Rampart, this is rescue 51. How do you read?" He waited for several moments, glancing over at the ambulance being driven onto the track. "Rampart, this is Rescue Five-One. How do you read?"

"Go ahead 51."

"Rampart, we have a male victim of approximately 24 yrs old, involved in a car...wreck," Roy reported over the whine of metal being cut. "Victim is unconscious. Will relay vitals once we have them,"

"24, 51. Standing by."

The door was bent open. Together, Roy and Johnny pulled the driver out of the mangled car and laid him on the ground. Johnny carefully removed the man's helmet and set it aside. Within moments, Roy transmitted the man's vitals. "Victim has a lump forming on his forehead," the paramedic added. "Also, there appears to be massive bruising of the abdomen."

"51, start IV Ringers Lactate and transport as soon as possible," Dr. Brackett instructed. "Time is of the essence, 51."

"Internal bleeding," Roy said to his partner, who was already getting the IV started. "Let's get him to Rampart."

The ambulance attendants pulled the gurney forward and helped lift the derby driver up. Holding the IV, Johnny jumped into the back with the man. Roy gathered up the equipment and hurried to the squad. As he followed the ambulance out of the stadium, Roy shook his head as he saw the other driver celebrating.

At Rampart, Dr. Brackett made a swift examination of the man. "What kind of car accident was it?" he demanded.

"No accident, Doc," Johnny answered, hanging the IV and stepping back. "Demolition derby. One of the other contestants got a little competitive."

Shaking his head in disgust, Brackett ordered x-rays and began making arrangements for the man to be taken to OR immediately. Johnny left the room and joined his partner at the nurses' station. "Brackett's sent him to OR," Johnny reported before Roy could ask.

"People do some stupid things," Roy said.

Glancing between them, Dixie raised her eyebrows. "You two look like you're beat," she commented. "Long day?"

"Very," Roy answered, leaning against the desk. He shook his head. "It's not that we've had many runs; in fact, it's been unusually quiet. But, being out on the fairgrounds, all I can think about is how there's thousands of people in that one place, and I'm expecting a call at any second."

Dixie nodded sagely. "And knowing exactly how many people are in that small space means you keep thinking about how much easier it is for there to be accidents," she added.

"Exactly," Roy said. He glanced at his partner, who was checking the time. "Let me guess. You want to get back and see how Chet faired with Colette."

Johnny shrugged, trying and failing to casual. "Am I going to get the story behind this?" Dixie demanded, looking between the two. "Or are you going to make me wait until after I get off in an hour and track the two of you down at the fair? I won't be treating either of you to an elephant ear if you do!"

"How would I survive?" Johnny joked. He raised his hands as Dixie sent a mock glare at him. "I'm just working something out, Dix. I'll tell you about when it's over."

"That's not going to be any time soon, I think," Roy commented. "Come on, Junior. Let's get back to work."

"Oh, by the way," Dixie said, stopping them. "That boy you brought in earlier this afternoon is doing well, though Dr. Early had to give him six stitches. He's upset that he was unconscious for the ambulance ride and keeps asking if he could do it again."

The paramedics grinned. "Tough kid," Roy replied. "The next time we come in we'll stop in and see him. Maybe he'd like to come down to the station one of these days."

"Oh, I can tell you he would love an invitation," Dixie told them. "I'll see you boys later."

The sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time the paramedics reached the fairgrounds. The merchants building had shut down. The area was lit up with bright neon lights. The rides were moving and the majority of the crowd was now on the midway.

Mike was the only one with the engine. "The fair officials received a complaint about faulty wiring," he explained. "Everyone is out checking for fire hazard."

"Did Cap leave a message of where we should meet him?" Roy asked, shifting his grip on the drug box.

"No."

Dropping their equipment off in the dark first aid station, Roy and Johnny headed for the midway to look for the rest of 51's crew. "Hey, Marco!" Roy called out, spotting the familiar fireman among the crowd. "Any place specific we should check?"

Leaving the man he'd been talking to, Marco jogged over. "It looks like we're almost done," he said. "Did Mike tell you what's going on?" The paramedics nodded. "We haven't found anything, and no one can track down who left the complaint."

"OK, well, call us if you need help."

With a quick nod, Marco went back to the fair worker and ducked behind a tent to follow the wires. "So, do you think Colette accepted Chet?" Johnny asked, looking at the crowded midway.

"Johnny, how would I know?" Roy asked.

"I'm not asking what you know; I'm asking what you think!" Johnny pointed out. "Do you think Colette would go out with a guy like Chet? Or any other fireman?"

Roy turned to him. "Johnny, I'm only going to say this once," he warned. "I. Don't. Know. You should know Colette enough to figure out whether or not she would accept a date from another guy when she's supposed to be your girlfriend. And if you want to know what's going on, you're going to have to find her or Chet and talk to them!"

Surprised, Johnny stared at him. "What's your problem?" he asked. "All I did was ask a question."

"Well, you're acting like yourself again," Roy commented, choosing not to answer his partner's question. "I suppose that's a good thing."

Before Johnny could demand what was meant by that, there came a shout, "The Ferris wheel is stuck!"

Turning, the paramedics saw the big wheel frozen in spot and all the lights were dark. The passengers were leaning over the sides, looking down. Simultaneously, Roy and Johnny started for the ride. "Someone's going to fall out if they keep that up," Roy said to his partner as they pushed through the crowd.

"Who's in charge here?" Johnny asked, approaching the small group huddled over the controls.

"I am," the youngest of the group, a man barely over twenty, answered. His voice shook. "I don't know what's going on. The controls just froze up."

He turned to the man beside him. "We've sent someone for an engineer, but they're out looking for a possible fire hazard," the grey haired man explained to the paramedics.

"Well, you've got to find a way to calm those people down," Roy told them, gesturing up. Over half of the passengers were leaning over the sides. "It's not safe for them to be doing that. Do you have a mega phone or something to talk to them and tell them to stay in their seats?"

Nodding, the older man darted off and returned soon with a mega phone. He held it out to Roy. Exchanging a quick look with Johnny, the paramedic lifted the megaphone. "Everyone!" he called out. More heads appeared above him. "This is the L.A. Fire Department. We're doing everything we can to get you down. I need you all to stay calm and most importantly, stay in your seats."

One by one, each of the passengers pulled themselves back into their cars. A carnival engineer arrived with Chet. "Help!" a woman cried out. "I think my husband is having a heart attack!"

On the ground, all heads turned up. "Ma'am, stay calm," Roy said through the megaphone. He turned to the carnival men. "How soon before you can get them on the ground?"

"We don't even know what the problem is yet!" the engineer objected, crouching by the controls.

"I've got to get up there," Johnny said, turning to his partner. "If that man really is having a heart attack, by the time they figure out what's going on, it'll be too late." Before his partner could respond, the dark haired paramedic was facing Chet. "Chet, I need rope and the climbing gear."

Nodding once, Chet took off through the crowd. "Ma'am, is your husband still breathing?" Roy asked through the megaphone.

"Yes!" came the answer moments later. "But, he's not talking to me any more, and his hands are cold and clammy! What do I do?"

"Just stay calm. Help is on the way," Roy answered as Cap and Marco came running up. "Wave your hand to let us know where you are."

A hand waved from the far right side, half way up. "At least it's not the top," Johnny said as Chet came back. Grabbing the safety harness, Johnny slipped it on and grabbed the HT. "Once I'm up there, tie the drug box to the rope and I'll pull it up. I'm going to need light up there."

"You got it," Cap said. "We've got a spotlight ready to go."

As if on cue, Marco turned the spotlight on and angled it towards the metal Ferris wheel. "Be careful, Junior," Roy advised.

A quick nod was all he got in response as Johnny headed for the carnival ride. Grasping the first metal spoke, Johnny pulled himself up and reached for the next one. Though the other rides continued to move and music played, around the dark Ferris wheel, everyone was quiet as they watched the paramedic climb.

Within minutes, Johnny reached the main spire connected to the car he was headed to. He hooked his belt to the spire and began to edge his way across. Several times, he had to stop and move his safety hook around a connecting spoke. A third of the way across, his foot slipped on oil.

The crowd exclaimed in horror as the paramedic fell, saved only by the harness connected to the Ferris wheel. Quickly, Johnny pulled himself back up, looked down to give his partner a thumbs up, and continued on to the car. The crowd seems to breathe again.

"Oh, be careful, Johnny."

Startled by the slightly muffled voice right next to him, Roy looked down quickly to see Colette at his elbow. She was staring up at the Ferris wheel, her hands over her mouth. "Johnny's our mountain goat," Roy told her, focusing back on his partner. "He'll be fine."

Tying off one end of the rope, Johnny heaved it out, and watched it fall to the ground. In the Ferris wheel car, Johnny crouched next to the older man. "I told him everything would be fine," the wife babbled anxiously, "that it would be a romantic thing to do on our anniversary. But when it stopped and didn't move, he started to panic. Please, help him!"

"Ma'am, I'm sure he'll be fine," Johnny said soothingly, getting the man's pulse. "They're working on how to get everyone back on the ground, so just stay calm."

The woman nodded, pressing against the side of the car to give him as much room as possible. "HT-1, this HT-2," Roy's voice came over his HT. "I'm set up to relay to Rampart."

"Victim is male approximately fifty years old," Johnny responds and gives the man's vitals. "Victim is unconscious and unresponsive." Letting the HT down, Johnny pulled the drug box up as he waited for Rampart's instructions. "How many years have you been married, ma'am?"

"25," the woman answered, fondness in her voice. She reached over and took her husband's hand into hers. "It's been wonderful." Her eyes harden with determination. "And he is not going to leave me now. You hear me, Ron? You're not leaving me here alone!"

"HT-1, Rampart instructs to start IV and administer oxygen," Roy informed him, "and requests you send an EKG."

"10-4," Johnny responded. Swiftly, he started the IV and began hooking up the electrocardiograph leads. "This will be lead 2. Inform Rampart that at this time, I cannot administer oxygen."

As he spoke, the lights came on, making him squint. A cheer rose from the crowd below and from the various other passengers. The ride slowly jerks into motion. The engineer carefully brings it back to a halt when Johnny's car is in line with the platform.

In an instant, Roy was by the door, holding out the oxygen. "The ambulance got as close as possible," Roy told his partner. "Rampart instructs we administer the oxygen and transport as soon as possible."

Johnny slipped the oxygen mask onto the man's face. The ambulance attendants pushed the gurney up next to them. They lift the man up. Keeping the IV up, Johnny jogs alongside as the crowd makes way for them. "Oh, Ron!" the man's wife wails, her determination slipping back into fear.

Colette ran to the woman's side. "Hurry," she urged, putting her arm around the woman's shoulders. "You can ride with him to the hospital. Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine."

The engineer began to let the rest of the passengers off as Colette escorted the woman after the gurney.

It was nearly midnight by the time the Engine and Squad 51 backed into their places at the station. "What a day," Chet groaned, as he got out of the engine. "I hope next year, we're not on the rotation to cover the fair. It would be inhumane, I'm telling you!"

"How would you know, Kelly?" Johnny asked innocently. "You'd have to actually be human for anything to be inhumane to you."

"Ha, ha," Chet answered. "I bet you think you're a barrel of laughs, don't you, Gage?"

"Enough," Cap said before it could go any farther. "Lets all turn in."

The crew headed for their bunks. "Hey, Chet, how'd it go with Colette?" Marco asked from the back of the group. "I saw you talking to her earlier."

For a moment, Johnny paused, but then continued on to his bunk. "She turned me down," Chet answered, sitting down on his bed. "I even promised I wouldn't take her bowling. Maybe that was my problem: using Gage's advice! After all, it wasn't of much use for him."

Glancing over, Roy saw that his partner was grinning from ear to ear. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.

"Colette turned him down!" Johnny responded in a low voice. "That's good!"
"What about the other firemen?" Roy asked wearily.

Johnny waved his hand dismissively. "I've still got a chance to fix things!" he said. He glanced at the clock. "Maybe I should call her now."

"I can tell you for sure if you call her now, I will kill you," Roy threatened.

Cap turned out the lights. "Yeah, it might be a little late," Johnny decided. He laid down on his bed and put his hands behind his head. "But, first thing tomorrow I'm going to call her. No. I'm going to go right to her house and see her in person. Face to face is always better, right?"

"Johnny, shut up!"

A little before eight o'clock the next morning, the A-Shift finished their coffee. "Is Johnny in a hurry to get out of here?" Matt Dwyer, with the next shift, asked in amusement as he came into the kitchen. "I thought I just saw him in the locker room already changing."

"He has some place he wants to be this morning," Roy answered in amusement.

"He seems to be in a better mood today than he was yesterday," Cap commented, setting his cup in the sink. "Well, I'll see you lot in two days." He turned to the door and came to a stop. "Miss Alderman. What brings you down to Station 51 today?"

All activity stopped as the men turned to see the young woman in the doorway. She was wearing a bright red, sleeveless dress. "Is Johnny still here?"she asked, her eyes flicking around the room.

"Yeah, he's in the locker room," Cap answered, seeming to be the only one capable of speech. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all," Colette replied with a smile. The curly haired woman turned and headed back to the lockers, her high heels clicking on the cement.

Watching her go, Cap shook his head. "Whoa," Dwyer said after moment. "Johnny's a lucky guy."

"I can't have heard that right," Chet said, bolting for the door.

"Kelly, you're not going to go spy on them," Cap snapped. An instant later, Chet froze in the middle of the doorway. "What now, Kelly?"

When Chet made no response, the rest of the group walked over to see. Their eyes widened as they saw Johnny and Colette in the bay. The woman had her arms around the paramedic's neck and he was kissing her. Exchanging looks, Mike and Marco each took one of Chet's arms and pulled him back.

"Why do I get the feeling Johnny's been keeping something from me?" Chet asked.

Roy shrugged in answer. "So, see you all tonight?" he asked, glancing his crew mates.

"Definitely," Johnny answered from the doorway, getting everyone's attention. He had his arm around Colette's waist. He sent a pointed glare at Chet. "Oh, and for the record, Colette is my girl so you all better stay clear."

"See you tonight," Colette called as she left the station with Johnny.

The firemen gathered in the bay, watching the couple walk to their cars. "Did you know about this?" Chet asked, looking over at Roy.

"Unfortunately," the paramedic answered, "but don't ask me about it. I wouldn't be able to explain even if I did understand."

The tones sounded and the B-Shift rushed for their places. "Engine 51, Squad 51, car accident. Cross streets Maple and 28th. Time out, 08:05." The engine and the squad left the bay, sirens sounding.

A/N: So, I've decided to do a trilogy of one shots about Colette and Johnny. I don't want to get stuck in a rut or anything like that.

Anyway, please leave me a review!