Hey all, I'm back with Part 2 of What if? Again, this is a previously published work that I'm republishing with some added work to help make the story a bit more complete. This is a new chapter to start this story. Hope you all enjoy it.

What if Part 2

Prologue

Gen watched out the side mirror as Roy backed the squad into the bay. "You've been awfully quite this shift," Roy observed as he put the truck in park and shut off the engine.

"Have I?" she asked as she thought about Johnny. Damn if she didn't miss him something awful.

Roy grinned. "Yeah, you have. So what has you so preoccupied?"

"Nothing," she replied as she turned to hang her helmet and nearly put it on the middle hook again. She grimaced at the obvious mistake and moved her helmet to the hook normally reserved for Johnny.

"Oh I get it," Roy observed. "It's not a what, but a who."

Gen rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Mr. Nosey pants."

His grin widened. "You're thinking about Johnny again."

"I am not," she snapped.

"It's okay if you are, you know."

She paused and looked at her partner. Roy had to be one of the most understanding, patient people she'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. The man could keep a secret like a champ and as far as she was concerned was a true friend. "Okay, so what if I am?" she shot back. "I'm not used to him not being around and well, we've got such a great routine that when he's not here it throws me off."

"Wrong," Roy replied.

"Wrong?" she frowned. "What do you mean wrong?"

"You work fine without him so why don't you just admit that you miss him?"

Her frown deepened. "You're just a little too observant for your own good, you know."

"What I know is that I've never seen two people more attracted to each other, yet work so hard to avoid admitting their true feelings."

"I-" she started to speak, then closed her mouth. How could she deny his statement when it was so true? "I'll admit that he has become my best friend and I love him dearly, but attraction does not play a factor in my feelings."

Roy's smile faltered just a little and he turned on his hip. "Right."

She shook her head. "No really, Roy. I'm here to do a job, and the tangles a romance might cause could put that job in jeopardy. My personal feelings don't matter."

"So you do admit that you have romantic notions toward him?"

"I admit nothing," she shot back, then quickly slid from the truck.

She rounded the back corner to find Roy waiting for her, a smug look on his face. Damn him! "Not a word," she warned as she walked past him into the day room, then stopped abruptly as she spotted her father sitting at the table with Captain Stanley. "Dad?"

Tony looked up and she noted how his eyes lit with joy, "There's my baby girl."

She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around him in a backwards hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to congratulate you on your second anniversary here at 51."

Slowly, Gen released him as she caught the warning look in his girlfriend, Nancy's eyes. Something more was definitely amiss. "Dad, my two year anniversary is next week." She slid into the seat next to him and eyed him with caution,

"Well, I know, but I was in Los Angeles today, so I thought I'd take the opportunity."

"And just why are you in Los Angeles today, dad?"

A moment of silence fell between them and Gen's skin began to prickle with fear. "Dad?"

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to get all twisted out of sorts."

"You know I can't make that promise." she replied.

"What I know is that you have a tendency to overreact and I what I'm about to tell you is really no big deal."

"I'll decide if I think it's a big deal or not. Now spit it out already, because you're starting to scare me."

"I came to LA to see a cardiologist."

Gen's own heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong with your heart?"

"Now it's nothing big."

"Really? It's nothing big, but your doctor who is in San Diego sent you to see a cardiologist in Los Angeles? I'd say that's big," Gen argued. "Now tell me."

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Lately, I've been having some odd chest pains and shortness of breath. I went to the doctor and after running some tests they found a malfunctioning heart valve. My doctor thought it would be best to see a specialist deals with a certain type of heart condition, which is why I'm in LA."

She leaned back in the chair, cast a quick glance at Nancy and gauged by the look on Nancy's face that he was still leaving something out. "What kind of heart condition?"

"He said I have what is known as Dock's murmur."

On his statement Gen's fear ratcheted up several notches. "Let me get this straight…he said you have a left anterior descending artery stenosis? Is that right?"

Tony nodded.

"And you're sitting here instead of being admitted to the hospital? What the hell kind of specialist is he?"

Tony pointed a finger at her. "Now, what did I say about not getting all twisted?"

"I am twisted," Gen replied as she studied him a bit closer. He was a little on the pale side and a there was a hint of blue in his fingernails. "What you have is a serious condition that should have immediate treatment. Now why aren't you in the hospital?"

"Because a heart condition, any heart condition, will put me out of the fire department permanently," he replied. "I only have six months until I can take early retirement. Once that happens, then I can have the condition corrected and all will be well."

"Dad!" She popped out of the chair like a cork from a bottle. "You are NOT going to work with this condition for six months."

"That's not your decision to make, young lady." He shook his finger at her as the anger in his eyes flared.

"Like hell it's not," Gen argued. "I should get some say, especially when you're acting like a fool."

"Watch your mouth young lady," Tony warned. "You're not too old for me to put over my knee."

Ignoring him she continued. "Can't you see that you're playing Russian roulette with your life?"

He sighed. "Baby girl, would you please just sit and listen to me for a minute?"

Reluctantly, she eased into the chair. "Fine, I'm listening."

"Okay, now I want you to understand something. Being a battalion chief brings with it some privileges. One being that I no longer have to haul hose, climb ladders or run into burning buildings. As long as I take the medicine prescribed and stay in touch with my doctor everything will be fine."

Fear clawed at Gen's throat as she listened to him talk. How could he be so blasé about his condition? "Dad, maybe you could talk to Uncle Andy. I'm sure he could get you reassigned to some desk duty for the next six months."

"Desk duty?" Tony looked at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted an extra head. "Genevieve, I'm a fireman, not a secretary."

"But?" Why was he being so difficult about this?

Tony shook his head. "But nothing. You'll see, everything will be fine. Now enough of this talk about me. We came here to see you, not to talk about me."

Two hours later Gen sat on her bunk, her chin resting on her knees as she replayed the bombshell her father tossed on her. Had the doctor not informed him as to how serious his condition really was? He couldn't have possibly been playing it down for her benefit. Surely he had to know she'd understand exactly what he was facing. And how in the hell could he show up during her shift and drop something like that on her shoulders? He of all people knew just how distractions could lead to accidents. So why…

She closed her eyes as a thought occurred to her. Maybe he did know exactly what he was facing and maybe…just maybe he'd come to her because he was afraid.

But why would he postpone the surgery if he was scared? God she wished Johnny was there. As odd as it was, he always had a way of calming her nerves and easing her fears when she was upset and right now she was scared out of her mind.

"Gen?"

She looked up to find Roy standing at the curtain.

"You okay?"

Gen shifted on her bed and gave him a nod. "I guess."

"Mind if I sit?"

Gen motioned to the empty spot on her bed.

He eased down next to her. "I know you're upset, but-"

"But nothing," she cut him off. "He's being completely unreasonable about this. He's got a ticking time bomb in his chest and all he can think about is his pension."

"I understand your concern, but you need to consider he's also under a lot of pressure. If he gives up his retirement to fix his heart, then what is he going to live on when he's too old to work?"

"Uncle Andy is upper brass in the SDFD. I know he'd fix it for Dad."

"Yeah, but your father is a proud man, Gen."

She smirked. "Don't I know it? That pride is going to end up killing him."

Roy leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Not necessarily. I mean, he's under the care of a specialist, Gen. Do you think if the doctor was really worried he would have allowed Tony to postpone the surgery?"

Gen shifted on her hip and tucked her legs beneath her. "You don't know my dad. Antonio Conti is one stubborn SOB. He's not going to do anything that he doesn't want to do. No matter what the consequences."

"Okay, so we've established that your dad is proud and stubborn. Just like you. So what can I do to help?"

Gen leaned her head back against the brick half wall and stared at him. "Get Johnny to come back from vacation early."

Roy's brow knit as he stared at her. "Why?"

Gen crossed her arms over her chest. "I need one of his hugs."