A/N: In order for the timeline of this story to work, please assume that Gage and DeSoto were not promoted to Captain until at least twelve years after the pilot episode aired. This story contains adult content. There is no slash between canon characters. If adult content is offensive to you, please do not read. The story has been edited in order to meet the guidelines of this site. Thank you.
Humanity is Vulnerable-1e
Roy stepped out of the shower and began to dry off. Today was the day he'd been waiting for for nearly three months. He had finally been cleared to return to work as a paramedic at Station 51 following a horrific traffic accident while he was driving the squad. He had been following his partner, John Gage who was accompanying a patient to the hospital when a young driver, high on speed, had run through an intersection T-boning the squad on the driver's side. Roy ran a finger along the abdominal scar following the removal of his damaged spleen. He'd suffered a concussion and abdominal injuries resulting in significant blood loss; requiring three units. He silently said a quick prayer of gratefulness for the blood bank at Rampart General Hospital.
Using his towel, he cleaned the mirror that the hot shower had steamed up. His eyes then shifted to the small bruise just beneath his right collar bone and a warm blush began to color his chest, neck and face. The bruise was the first hickie Joanne had left on him in years and the sight of it took him back to the previous night.
"Kids are sound asleep, Roy." Joanne announced as she entered their bedroom wearing her robe and slippers.
"Good. Join me, Baby?" He asked seductively nodding his head towards the bed and removing his own robe; allowing it to fall to the floor. He was clad only in boxers and his intentions were obvious.
Joanne sauntered up to him placing her hands on his bare chest and smiling into his crystal blue eyes. "Are you sure?" She asked, still somewhat fearful of causing him abdominal pain.
His answer was swift. He clutched her face in both his hands and with hooded eyes he lowered his lips to hers. His tongue was warm and hot as it brushed along her feather soft lips searching for entrance. She quickly parted hers with a slight groan as their tongues danced together in a familiar rhythm. His hands quickly sought out the tie of her robe and with swift dexterity he loosened it and pulled it down over her shoulders. She relaxed her arms allowing it to fall to the floor in a puddled heap near his robe as his mouth began to trail hot wet kisses down her neck. He buried his nose into her hair as his arms wrapped around her thin frame pulling his hips against her flat belly.
"God I need you, Jo." He mumbled into her ear as he began to slowly push her backwards towards their bed.
"I need you too, Roy. I've missed this." She said in a breathy whisper as her arms snaked around his waist and her delicate fingers wiggled beneath the elastic of his boxers and walked down his buttocks gripping them hard and digging into his flesh with her fingernails. Her actions pulled his boxers lower revealing his erection before falling to the floor.
One final step and the backs of her legs made contact with their bed. Before she could lie down, Roy dipped down to grab the hem of her knee length gown and pulled it up over her head. His eyes took in the form of his beautiful wife naked except for a pair of pink lace panties. His fingers lightly brushed across her erect nipples on their way up to the back of her head. His eyes never left hers as he leaned down and once again devoured her mouth with his own.
Joanne felt her knees go weak at the touch she'd been longing for. She allowed herself to be pushed gently down onto their bed onto her back with Roy lying on his left side continuing the passionate kiss. He held up his weight with his left elbow as he held her head in his left hand and allowed his right hand to roam across her body searching out the places he knew she liked to be touched. He was encouraged further by her obvious readiness for him and he quickly divested her of the only clothing remaining between them.
"Oh Roy….yes…" she heaved as he positioned himself and she wrapped her legs around his. Her fingers ran roughly through his auburn hair forgetting about the scar on the left side of his head as their lips met yet again.
Their tongues flitted about the dark caverns of the other as their bodies fell into a familiar cadence. Her moist lips and tongue danced their way down his throat and across his collar bone where she hesitated. Her breathing became ragged and Roy could feel the beginnings of her climax.
"Come for me, Jo…please...I'm so…so close." He rasped out between gasps. "Let it go, Baby. Let me feel it."
Joanne felt the hot quaking begin and then arched her back into her lover. Her fingernails dug into his flesh as her teeth bit down on his collar bone. She sucked his skin into her mouth hard as her entire body trembled with pleasure. Her moans and motions sent Roy over the edge as his own pleasure peak began.
"Auuugggh." He groaned into her hair and pillow as his body convulsed emptying his manhood into her recesses. The room seemed to spin as he experienced the earth shattering climax he'd been denied for so long because of his injuries. When he was finally able to draw a breath, he managed to call her name. "Uh…Joanne….Oh god, I ….I love you."
Joanne smiled breathlessly as she ran her fingers up along his lower back feeling his chiseled muscles all the way up and across his shoulders. She then slowly walked her fingers along his collar bone and up his throat brushing his lips with her thumbs. The sensations nearly caused Roy to collapse as his skin was still tingling from their lovemaking. "Roy…." She huffed as out of breath as her husband. "Roy, that was…oh my …..goodness."
They each basked in the afterglow of their union. Roy lovingly wiped away the moisture that was beginning to pool along her forehead and upper lip. Then he realized that not all the moisture on her face was perspiration. "Jo…Baby, what's wrong? Did I…did I hurt you or something?"
She shook her head negatively. "No Sweetie…..I," she sniffed before continuing. "…was just thinking about how close we came to never enjoying ….."
"Ssshhh," he crooned as he held her close. "Don't think about that now, Baby. I'm here and I'm healed….and everything's gonna be fine." He allowed her a few minutes to release her emotions feeling the wetness pool on his chest as he stroked her hair and caressed her bare shoulders. "Jo, I love you today more than I did yesterday and I loved you more yesterday than I did the day I married you. And I'll love you tomorrow more than today." He commented as he continued to reassure her of his love and their future together. He felt her nod affirmatively even though she couldn't find her voice amid her sobs.
He felt her running her fingers through the hair on his chest as he continued to hold her close. They didn't share anything else audibly but allowed their touches to speak for them. Finally, he felt her body begin to relax completely as her breathing evened out into a slow deep pattern and her fingers ceased their ministrations. He inhaled deeply as he silently chastised himself for his selfishness. He'd never once thought about how his close call had impacted her. He'd never, until tonight, allowed her to release the emotions she'd buried down so deeply following his accident. In the stillness of the night with the love of his life held safely within his arms, he silently vowed to never ever let that happen again. He'd pay more attention to her emotional needs as well as her physical ones. "Love you, Jo." He whispered to the sleeping woman at his side as he kissed her gently on the top of her head before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a deep and restful sleep.
When they awoke the following morning they both felt energized and well rested.
"Mmmmm, morning, Roy." She said as she ran her small hands over his still naked body.
"Morning, Jo…my love." He crooned wrapping his strong arms around her again and relishing the feel of her soft skin against his own. "Thank you for the most wonderful night…"
She placed her fingers on his lips to stop him from continuing his thought. "Ssshhhh, there's plenty more where that came from, Sweetheart."
"Oh, well…..in that case…" he rolled over on top of her before he finished his sentence. In no time they were once again lost in passionate bliss; panting in each other's arms .
"Shower with me?" He asked when they'd regained their composure.
"Uh-huh." She grinned as they walked hand in hand into their bathroom.
Roy reached up and once more wiped the mirror that had fogged up again in the steamy bathroom. Joanne had already showered and put on her robe to prepare breakfast for him and the kids; leaving Roy alone with his memories of the previous night and his morning send off to the station. With a smile on his face he continued getting dressed before heading downstairs.
E!
"Bye, Dad." Chris called out as he pulled his backpack onto his shoulders and headed out the door. He'd heard the sound of the school bus coming down their street and was walking to the end of the sidewalk ahead of his younger sister.
"Love you, Daddy." Jenny offered giving Roy a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door.
Roy smiled as he stared at the retreating forms of his children on a routine morning; a routine that had almost been lost forever a few weeks earlier. His gaze shifted to see his wife, bedhead hair sticking up in tufts surrounding her pretty face, as she leaned back against the sink nursing her morning coffee. She gave him a flirtatious wink from behind the rim of her cup, holding it to her smiling lips. Roy winked back at her and they both laughed loudly at their own childish behavior. Laughter felt good to them both and Roy wanted one more hug and kiss before he left for his twenty-four hour shift.
"Come here, Baby." He said standing and carrying his plate and coffee cup over to the sink. He reached around her waist to place the dishes into the sink and then took her cup from her fingers and set in down on the counter.
"Don't want to miss work because of coffee burns on my first day back." He snickered pulling her into a warm embrace and kissing her passionately. He briefly sucked her bottom lip before adding a quick peck to her swollen lips as he turned to leave. "Love you, Baby." He said over his shoulder as he grabbed his duffle bag and headed out the door to his car.
"Love you too, Roy….please, be careful, Sweetheart." She whispered to herself in the stillness of the empty house and wiped an errant tear from her cheek before beginning her morning chores.
E!
Chet wheeled into the parking lot of the station just ahead of Johnny; each trying desperately not to be the last man to arrive.
"Ha, beat ya, Gage!" Chet shouted over his shoulder as he headed through the open bay door towards the locker room just as Johnny stepped out of his rover.
"Mornin', Roy…welcome back." Chet offered entering the locker room untucking his shirt.
"Morning, Chet." Roy said sitting down and leaning over to tie his black boots just as his partner rushed through the locker room door with somewhat of a scowl on his face.
Johnny's grim look immediately improved as he saw his partner dressed and ready for their first shift together in nearly three months. "Mornin', mornin', mornin', welcome back, partner."
"Thanks, Junior." Roy said with a smile as he stood up and straightened his pants legs down over his boots. "Think I'll get some coffee and speak to the rest of the guys."
"A'right….catch up with ya in a minute." Gage responded as he quickly disrobed and began pulling on his blue uniform as he cut a quick glare at the curly haired lineman sneering in front of his own locker.
"Might as well just stay in here, Gage. You've got latrines today." Chet chuckled as he waltzed out of the locker room.
"Yea, yea…fuck you!" Johnny's voice echoed in the empty locker room as he quickly finished dressing and joined the rest of his crew.
E!
Roy pushed open the kitchen door and noticed that three sets of eyes were trained on him. "Morning, fellas."
"Good morning, Roy." Marco said as Mike echoed with his own and as usual brief greeting.
"Mornin'…..coffee?"
"DeSoto, welcome back, Pal." Hank said walking over and slapping his senior paramedic on the shoulder. "It sure is nice to have you back with us."
"Thanks, fellas. I'm really happy to be back." He said accepting the coffee cup Mike offered him.
Hank stood up and headed towards the kitchen door. "Roll call in…" he hesitated looking at his watch. "seven minutes."
Roy looked around at his crew mates just as Kelly and Gage came into the kitchen. "So, what did I miss?" He asked taking a tentative sip of coffee.
He had no idea that although he hadn't missed anything of significance around the station during his time on sick leave, it wouldn't be long before his life would be turned upside down…and the field of paramedicine would be forever changed.