Jumping Hose
by RosalindB
July 2011
Chapter 1
No copyright infringement is intended. Emergency! Is owned by Universal/Mark VII . I don't own these characters(except Cynthia and any other originals), just taking them out to play. No profit from this work, only personal enjoyment.
It started with a question. An innocent one, asked by a curious 8 year old girl. It was the annual Fire Department fair/picnic. The children enjoyed face-painting, free lunch, three-legged and other assorted races. The adults let loose with the carnival games. The men in particular enjoyed the "dunk tank", since several chiefs and captains volunteered to be the target.
"Oh man, when are we ever going to have this again?" Johnny Gage wound up to pitch. The infamous Captain Hookraider sat in the dunk seat, arms folded, confident he would stay dry.
Johnny pitched.
He missed.
"Next!" the handler yelled.
Marco stepped up. His muscular arms flexed and tightened as he readied his pitch.
Marco missed.
"You're nothing but two-bit tossers," Hookraider teased. "Just wait till I have a shift with you wimps."
Mike strode to the tank, and paid for his pitch.
"Come on Mikey!"
"Get'im Mike!"
Mike pitched. He almost hit the target.
Hookraider was shocked for a moment, then laughed.
"I'm getting a great tan, wussies."
Chet refused to take part.
"I have to work with him at the training center next week, so this is a hell no can do."
Suddenly, a female voice parted the crowd.
"Excuse me! It's my turn."
Laughter rang from the group as Mrs. Hookraider made her way to the pitcher's spot. She paid for not one but three pitches.
"Laura? You can't throw right either," he teased.
"This one's for being late last week," she threw-and barely missed the target.
"This one's for sniping at my mother when she came to visit," she hissed.
She was closer than the first throw. The target in the tank began to worry.
"Honey, why don't you let one of the kids have that last -"he started to say.
"Oh no, no freaking way. Not after driving me crazy for the past month Stephen Hookraider!"
The angry wife wound up for the pitch.
She threw.
She missed, but that didn't stop her. Mrs. Hookraider marched over to the tank and punched the target. "This is for coming home with someone else's lipstick!"
With a satisfying thud, the lever released, and Hookraider was no longer dry.
The men looked at each other in silence.
Finally, Hank Stanley said:
"These picnics get better every year."
Cynthia Jenkins snapped photos of the hapless captain's experience. Her fiance stepped to her side.
"Are you going to submit that to the department newsletter?"
CJ shook her head and laughed.
"Oh no, no way. These are going into the personal album. The newsletter stuff is pure innocence. The kid's races are always great to shoot, as well as the softball game." She adjusted her camera, then gave Chet a quick kiss. "Gotta catch the face painting. I'll meet you in a few."
Chet shook his head and watched CJ stroll to the arts & crafts area.
What a great body, he thought. Am I a lucky guy or what?
"You're drooling,"Dixie McCall broke Chet's reverie with a laugh.
"Oh hey there! Glad you could make it," he blushed. "How about we get something to drink? We can sit with the DeSotos." He offered the nurse his arm and made their way to Roy and his family's spot in the picnic area.
That's when the question was asked.
"Uncle Chet?" Jenny DeSoto tapped him on the arm.
"Yes darlin'," Chet ran his hand through the little girl's hair.
"When can we call Miss CJ Aunt CJ?"
Joanne DeSoto attempted to help Chet.
"Honey, Uncle Chet and Miss CJ are engaged. I'm sure it's okay to call her Aunt CJ now."
"Yes Mom," Jenny answered. "But when Uncle Charlie was engaged we couldn't call Aunt Rosa 'aunt' until they got married. You said we had to make sure it happened."
Joanne's cheeks burned with embarrassment. Her younger brother's engagement and subsequent marriage to a wild-child was not a fond memory. Roy returned with food and noticed his wife's face, and Chet's wide eyes.
"What happened?"
"The kids want to call CJ 'Aunt CJ', and asked when it was okay to do that. Joanne gave them permission, but the kids need-um-clarification based on someone else's um-experience," Chet responded. He barely stifled a grin at Joanne.
"Charlie," she looked up at Roy. He nodded back.
"Oh yeah, Charlie." He looked at his children.
"If CJ is okay with you calling her 'aunt' then it's fine with us. Case closed," Roy's answer clarifying that no other questions were to be asked.
Chris DeSoto turned to his sister, "It should be okay anyway. Uncle Johnny calls her his twin, so if she's like a sister to him, and he's our uncle, then she'd be our aunt anyhow."
"Okay," Jenny acknowledged then let the matter go. "Can I get my face painted?"
Joanne and Roy nodded. The two children headed off to arts and crafts.
Roy looked at his table-mates.
"He sounded just like Johnny. That scares me."
"And she understood, just like you do," Joanne answered. "That might be more scary."
Dixie turned to Chet.
"So did you set a date yet?"
Chet shook his head.
"Nope, we're trying to decide. Her aunts want to come in from North Carolina and help. Elmira's chomping at the bit to have it at the country club. The McConnike's said whatever we do is fine as long as they're with us. My family-" Chet stopped short. He looked down at the table and took a breath.
"My siblings are coming into town also," he didn't elaborate. Dixie didn't push. She could see a deep hurt in Chet's face.
"I'm sorry Chet, I didn't mean to bring up something-"
"No no, it's okay. I don't have a strong relationship with my older brother and sister. It's going to be awkward for me."
Just then, CJ and the DeSoto children returned to the table. All three had face paint.
"Dad, I'm a lion. How do I look?" asked Chris.
Roy mussed his son's hair. "Like a lion."
"I'm a mouse!" Jenny explained "Squeek!" Joanne kissed the top of her daughter's head.
"Very cute dear."
Chet turned to CJ
"And what are you missy?"
"I'm a rabbit, of course. We like to snuggle." She winked.
"Good thing I have carrots at home," he laughed.
Their shift-mates arrived, finding spots at the picnic table.
"Guess what Marco did?" Mike spoke up.
"Aw Mike, it's no big deal," Marco protested.
CJ leaned on Chet's shoulder. "What did you do Marco?"
Marco fidgeted, not wanting to discuss.
"Well, he won a bunch of toys at the arcade area. He turned around and gave them to the Widows & Orphans Fund table so the kids who didn't win could have a souvenir," Mike said.
"Yeah, that was awesome Marco," Johnny chimed in.
"Well, what was I going to do with them? And besides, you slipped the arcade guy a bribe so that little girl could win her toy."
It was now Johnny's turn to blush.
"That was awesome too," Mike smiled.
"Seems like a good day all around," Roy hugged his son and smiled at his friends.
Johnny studied Chet and CJ. Chet noticed the stare.
"What's with you Gage?"
"You two just seem more and more cozy as time goes on. You look like you've been married forever. Any date set yet? We have a bachelor party to plan ya know."
Chet shuddered. CJ eased an arm around him. Johnny caught the change in demeanor and apologized.
"It's okay. Like I told Dixie, my sibling and I don't have a strong relationship. But they want to come to the wedding. CJ's family wants in on it too." He looked at her. "It's making me anxious doll, I'm sorry."
CJ shook her head. "Hey, I'm game to elope. Just as long as Uncle Mickey and Aunt Mary are there."
"Elope?" Jenny had a sad face.
"Well, it's just a thought," CJ answered. "Why do you ask?"
"I was kinda hoping to be a flower girl."
CJ rose from her spot and motioned for Jenny to come to her. She hugged the girl.
"Sweetheart, tell you what-if we do elope, we'll have a big party, and you'll have a flower girl dress and announce us. You'll skip into the room and yell, 'they're here! the bride and groom are here!' and get the party started. How's that?"
"That would be so cool- Aunt CJ."