Aubrey
This is a story I've been wanting to write for a long time. If you are a fan of the group Bread, you will find a lot of their lyrics in this one. I hope you enjoy it.
Roy sat down in the booth across from Johnny – again. Johnny had insisted on coming back to this not-so-great restaurant the past few shifts. He didn't understand it. He also preferred the small open burger joints since the food usually arrived faster and they were less likely to miss a meal before the next run. Besides, it was a beautiful California day outside.
But Roy also knew it was easier to just go along with his young headstrong partner most of the time so he let out a sigh and picked up the small laminated menu. He figured he couldn't go wrong with a burger and stated that to Johnny. There was no reply.
"Johnny?" Roy prodded when he didn't get an answer but the younger man was scanning the patrons in the diner and didn't even hear him. Roy gave out another sigh – this one louder – and plunked the menu back in its slot behind the condiments.
The waitress stopped by and took their orders – two burgers and fries and two root beers. Roy noticed Johnny had given up looking at the other people in the diner and was now squinting out the windows.
"So, Johnny," Roy began, pleased to see his partner acknowledge he was speaking this time, "why do you like coming here so much?" Roy grimaced at the canned music coming over the loud speaker. It was something by Bread, although he wasn't sure what song it was. Joanne loved that group but he found it way to sappy for his tastes. Roy preferred the classics of Tony Bennett and Andy Williams any day.
Johnny gave a slight smile to the waitress as she delivered their drink orders. "I don't know, Roy. I just like it here, is all," he said as he dropped a straw into his root beer and took a gulp. His eyes now slowly scanned both the diner and the street outside.
Roy was relieved when their meals arrived and the handy talkie had still not gone off calling them on a run. As he picked up his burger, he noticed Johnny suddenly sit taller in the seat across from him and yet had not attacked his food in customary Johnny style. Johnny's eyes followed something or someone from the entrance behind Roy. Roy chewed on a French fry and carefully watched his partner. Johnny still had not looked down at his plate although his right hand did root around in front of him as if it needed sustenance and had a mind of its own. Roy relaxed a bit knowing that even though Johnny seemed distracted, he did still seek out food and that meant there wasn't much wrong.
Roy took a sip of his soda and slowly followed Johnny's gaze. He then saw the reason for the paramedic's apparent edginess. What else would it be but a girl? Well, woman was more the correct term. The young woman sat at a booth alone and had just given her order to the waitress after exchanging pleasantries. She was dressed professionally and her chestnut colored hair was pulled back in a bun, a look that Roy usually disliked but the woman still was very pretty. She opened a book and buried her head into her reading as she sipped on a glass of ice water absent-mindedly. Roy looked back at Johnny.
"Pretty, huh?" he said.
Johnny glanced briefly at Roy and then back at the woman. "Pretty? Pretty? She's beautiful, Roy." Johnny blushed slightly at having been found out.
"Have you seen her before?" Roy asked.
"Yeah, I have. I came in here at this time for lunch on a day off and saw her."
"Ah, ha." Roy said, placing his burger down with a smile. It didn't go unnoticed.
"What?"
"Oh nothing," Roy answered, "it just figures this was all about a girl." He grinned.
Johnny was abashed. "It's not like that, Roy. She's…different."
"Uh huh." Roy said as he picked up the ketchup bottle and gave it a pat on the bottom over his plate.
"No, really, Roy. Look at her." Johnny said gazing at the woman with a look that Roy had to admit he hadn't seen before.
"Well, I admit, she isn't your usual type, Johnny." Johnny nodded never taking his eyes off the woman for more than a moment. "Have you talked to her?" Roy asked innocently.
"Talked to her? Talked to her?" Johnny said amazed. "No, I haven't talked to her."
"And why not? Go talk to her right now." Roy reached across the table and gave Johnny's arm a slight backhanded swat.
Johnny shook his head. "Nooo, I can't do that."
"Again, why not?" Roy said, his brows raised. "Go ahead before we get a call – now's your chance."
Johnny took a bite of his meal and wriggled uncomfortably in his seat as if he literally had ants crawling in his pants. "Oh she doesn't want me to bother her. She's reading her book." Just then the waitress stopped by the woman's table to deliver her salad. The woman looked up and Roy could now see she really was a very pretty girl.
Roy swatted at Johnny's arm again, "Now's your chance – she stopped reading." Johnny looked apprehensive so Roy gave him another quiet "Go" and went back to his fries.
Johnny hesitated a moment and then slid out of his seat. He walked across the diner like he was trying to avoid stepping on hot coals. Roy grinned and hoped that the handy talkie would remain silent long enough for Johnny to get a chance to talk to his dream girl.
After about 15 minutes, he saw Johnny rise from the booth and walk the woman to the door of the diner. Roy had long finished his lunch and was enjoying the break with a cup of coffee. He had to admit this place did make good coffee. The encounter obviously went well and Roy waited for the usually triumphant and jubilant Johnny to return to the booth. Instead, he saw his partner walk slowly over to his seat and sit down quietly. He grabbed a now cold French fry and chewed on it absently. Roy started to assume the meeting had not gone as well as he first thought since his partner was so quiet but he saw the faint smile and faraway look on Johnny's face. It was a look he hadn't remembered seeing before.
"So?" he asked.
"Her name is Aubrey." Johnny said without offering any more information.
"Aubrey." Roy stated. Johnny simply nodded. "And?"
Johnny took in a deep breath and let it out, saying wistfully, "Aubrey."
Roy glanced up and smiled at the waitress as she picked up the money from their table. He then leaned over the table to pry some more information out of the man across from him when the handy talkie alerted. The questions would have to wait, he thought to himself as they both hurried to the squad.
~ E ~
The call had gone smoothly and Johnny and Roy climbed back into the cab of the squad at Rampart and headed back to Station 51. Johnny was uncharacteristically quiet as Roy pulled onto West Carson Street.
"So, Johnny, did you get any more out of her than her name?" he prodded.
Johnny glanced over at Roy and then back at the road. "Well, yeah, of course."
Roy waited for the typical glowing wordy descriptive that usually followed one of Johnny's new-girl meetings but there was silence.
"So, it didn't go well?" Roy pushed, although by the look on his partner's face, he knew that wasn't true.
Johnny paused as he processed what Roy had said, "No, no, not at all. She's great." He turned his head and studied Roy. "Why would you assume it didn't go well?" he asked accusingly.
Roy's patience was wearing thin. "Well, geez, Johnny." He sputtered, "Usually I don't even have to ask you about a new girl. You always are very liberal with the information so this time…I assumed it didn't go well. You are just acting, well, different."
The duo continued in silence for a few minutes.
"Roy."
"Yeah."
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
Luckily Roy had just stopped at a red light because he may have gone off the road when hearing this question. He drew in a breath and thought before answering, realizing that Johnny was being dead serious.
"Well, I don't know really. I know a lot of people do." He didn't know what else to say and continued the short distance to the station in silence.
The remainder of the shift was uneventful and Johnny did not broach the subject again. He did, however, remain fairly quiet. Roy watched him and wondered what was next in the drama that was John Gage.
~ E ~
Roy was standing at his locker buttoning his shirt when Johnny walked into the room. Instantly Roy wondered what was up since Johnny never walked. He bounced, breezed, sauntered and sometimes dragged himself into a room – all depending on the kind of days off he had. But he never just walked in.
"Hi." Johnny said simply as he opened his locker and pulled off his shirt.
"Hi?" Roy asked but the question mark was lost on his partner. He continued, "So how were your days off?"
"Fine," came the irritatingly short reply.
"I love when our days off hit the weekend, don't you?" Roy hoped to get Johnny to open up more. "After church yesterday, Joanne and I took the kids to the park and had a great day. What did you end up doing? I never heard from you the whole time off."
Johnny turned to Roy and began to speak but Chet and Marco came in from the dorm talking loudly about their own weekend escapades and distracted Johnny from his answer. 'Damn, I'm never going to get an answer out of him,' Roy thought and decided to get a cup of coffee for now. If he knew Gage as well as he thought, he'd eventually hear about his weekend.
The engine and her crew got called to a trash fire leaving Roy and Johnny alone at the station. He found Johnny on the couch in the day room reading the paper, Henry the firehouse mascot sprawled across his lap enjoying the belly rub Johnny gave with a free hand.
Roy sat down in a chair close to the couch. "So, tell me about your weekend, Johnny."
Johnny glanced at his partner over the top of the paper and then folded the item carefully before setting it aside. "It was fantastic, Roy."
Roy sat up straighter in his chair, happy to have Johnny finally opening up. "Oh, yeah? Did you see Aubrey?"
John smiled, not his normal toothy lopsided grin but a thoughtful warm smile. "I sure did. I took her to dinner Saturday night and yesterday we went sailing followed by a picnic on the beach. It was…well, fantastic." Johnny picked the paper back up but Roy wasn't going to let it go at that.
"So…you are seeing her again, then? Tell me about her."
Johnny dropped the paper down and leaned towards Roy dislodging Henry from his lap somewhat. The dog grumbled and readjusted himself onto the couch.
"I sure as heck am going to see her again," Johnny spouted. "She's amazing, Roy. She is a secretary at a hoity toity law firm near that diner. She's a smart woman. And her sense of humor is wicked." Johnny laughed obviously remembering something funny from the past few days. "We just hit it off from the start. Saturday night we sat outside her apartment and talked for hours. Hours, Roy!"
Roy beamed. Although he considered Johnny his kid brother, he also felt a fatherly affection for the younger man. He had never seen Johnny react like this to a woman. He rose from his seat and slapped a hand down on Johnny's shoulder. "I'm so happy for you, that's great! That's really great."
Johnny leaned back onto the couch with a far off smile on his face. Henry took the opportunity to shuffle back onto his lap again and rolled to offer his belly for some more of those great rubs. Johnny happily obliged.
~ E ~
The first day off shift, Joanne invited Johnny and Aubrey for dinner. Roy had told her about Johnny's new lady friend and how he had acted so different and Joanne, the protective "sister-in-law," had to meet this new young woman in her little brother's life.
The two couples enjoyed a delicious dinner, laughing with the children. Joanne disappeared to get Chris and Jenny into bed while Roy cleaned up the dishes and poured four glasses of wine. He carried a tray with the glasses and some cheese and fruit into the living room. Joanne came into the room from the bedroom hall at the same time. Joanne glanced at Johnny and Aubrey and then smiled at her husband. Johnny sat at one end of the couch. Aubrey was beside him leaning into his chest, Johnny's right arm around her shoulder. Aubrey had slipped out of her shoes and drawn her knees up, her feet tucked to the side away from Johnny. The two were talking softly and Aubrey giggled.
Aubrey realized her manners when Roy placed the tray on the coffee table. "Oh I'm sorry, that was rude." She placed her feet back on the floor.
"No, no, don't be silly, Aubrey." Roy said. "Make yourself at home." He sat down on the big armchair across from them. Joanne joined them and sat on the armrest next to Roy.
"Thank you, Roy. And thank you for that wonderful meal, Joanne." Aubrey smiled warmly as she again tucked her feet up and snuggled even closer under Johnny's arm. "Johnny has told me so much about all of you, I feel like I already know you."
"Well, tell us more about yourself, Aubrey." Joanne prodded. "Are you from LA originally?"
"No, I'm actually from Boston. I moved out here on a lark and started a new life about 3 years ago. I wasn't really sure why I did that…until now." She looked up into Johnny's face. He drew her to him and kissed her forehead sweetly. Roy placed his right hand on Joanne's knee and gave a pat. He saw the almost imperceptible nod his wife gave as a signal that she understood.
The rest of the evening was spent laughing and getting to know each other. Aubrey looked at the watch on Johnny's wrist and said, "Oh my gosh, is it that late? I have to get up early in the morning. You too, Joanne. I'm sorry we stayed so late." Aubrey rose from the couch and picked up her and Johnny's wine glasses.
"You just leave that," Joanne said as she took the glasses from her and placed them back on the tray. "Run along, now. It was so nice to meet you!" she gave Aubrey a warm hug then reached up to place a kiss on Johnny's cheek. Johnny saw the sparkle in Joanne's eyes as she drew back and blushed slightly.
Roy leaned over and gave Aubrey a kiss on her cheek then reached around to give a friendly punch in Johnny's free arm. "Bring her back soon. We had a great time."
"I will," Johnny beamed, happy to know his adopted family seemed to like Aubrey as much as he did.
~ E ~
The next few weeks were spent either hanging out with Johnny and Aubrey or hearing all about their time together. In a way, Roy missed the 'old' John Gage who would spend a lot of his free time playing with Chris and Jenny and helping Roy with chores even when he wasn't needed, but this 'grown up' Gage was nice too. Roy's heart swelled and he laughed to himself. 'He's your friend, not your son, Desoto.'
Johnny came into the station kitchen and caught the grin on his partner's face. "Whatya so happy about, Pal?" he asked smiling back.
"Oh nothing. Hey, we had a so much fun Saturday at the ball game. Thank Aubrey again for the tickets. That was amazing!"
"Oh I know! It's great that she occasionally gets perks from working at that law firm. Her boss took her out to dinner to celebrate Secretary's day last week and invited me along." Johnny made a sharp whistling sound. "What a swanky place he took us to. I was a little nervous on which fork to use, you know what I mean? Aubrey helped me out and the boss never even noticed." Johnny looked wistfully toward the ceiling. "Man, she's so great."
Roy rose to pour another cup of coffee for himself and grabbed a mug for Johnny from the shelf. "She sure is. You've got yourself a real catch there, Johnny." He handed Johnny the hot cup of coffee and raised his own in a toast. Johnny grinned and tapped his mug against Roy's.
Johnny sat down with a more serious look on his face. Roy sat down watching Johnny closely. He hoped there wasn't a cloud on Johnny's bright horizon.
"Roy…"
"Yeah?" Roy said, very encouragingly.
"How did…how did you know…when…" he trailed off
Roy relaxed a bit. "How did I know when I was in love?"
Johnny's eyes widened as he looked up at his best friend. He smiled, "You do know me, don't you?"
Roy nodded and continued, "I don't know if it is the same for everyone, you know what I mean?" Johnny nodded his understanding. "For me, it was when I realized I couldn't face a day without her." He took a sip of his coffee fondly remembering those first few months with the woman that was now his wife.
Johnny nodded again. "I can't stand to be apart from her." He looked down into his mug. "If I could be two places at one time, I'd be with her."
"Sounds like love to me, partner." Roy said, smiling widely. Johnny looked up and after a moment, mirrored the grin. He tilted the chair back a bit, his left hand behind his head. He laughed softly after a moment and then blushed. Roy laughed.
The tones sounded just then. "Station 51, structure fire…" The mugs were placed in the sink as the paramedics headed for the squad.
~ E ~
The old office building billowed smoke and there were obvious flames on the west side of the structure. Captain Stanley took the handy talkie from his belt. "This is Station 51; we need a second alarm at our location." A middle aged woman heard him and came out of the crowd of office workers watching from across the parking lot.
"Excuse me, sir?" she said.
Captain Stanley looked down at her, "Yes, ma'am?"
"I…I don't see a couple of my coworkers," she said timidly.
"Roy, John!" Cap said waving them over. "It looks like we may have people still inside." Johnny glanced past Roy at the fire in the windows. Roy wasn't sure what he saw in his partner's eyes just then.
"Ma'am, tell these two men where you think your coworkers may be," he then left to give orders to the remaining crew. "Chet, I want an inch and a half from this side. We have reinforcements coming in and I'll direct them to the north side."
Roy took the lead with the frightened woman. "Can you tell me where you think they are, ma'am?"
Her hands briefly went to her lips before glancing at her watch. "It was their break time, I think. They would have been in the break room. She pointed toward the building. If you go in the main door and up the stairs, that room is straight down, on the right." She stifled a sob at the thought of her friends still being in there.
"We'll find them, don't worry." Roy said as he pulled his tank on. Johnny did the same. They crossed the parking lot and as they neared the front door, Roy and Johnny pulled off their helmets and put their air masks on. They replaced their helmets.
As Roy walked up to the doors, he glanced to his right at Johnny…but, he wasn't there. Roy spun to see Johnny standing at the bottom of the short flight of stairs. He just stood there, his right hand resting on the banister. Roy couldn't quite make out the expression on his partner's face through the mask. He stepped back down a few stairs.
"Johnny!" he said loudly through his own mask. "Is there something wrong with your gear?"
Johnny seemed to come out of whatever thoughts were clouding his actions. "No. No! Let's go." He said as he took the steps determinedly.
Roy headed in the building and wondered if what he saw was real. It was something he had never seen his partner display: hesitation.
Roy pushed open the heavy glass door and entered the building with Johnny not far behind. He headed up the open staircase that lead up to the second floor. Smoke seeped into view coming from the left. He headed straight up the hall and began to check the rooms on the right side. He skipped the first door knowing his partner would check that room. Johnny placed his hand on the door and feeling no heat, opened it and looked in. It was an office so he moved on. The rooms on the left side of the hall had smoke curling from underneath. Further down the hall there was visible fire.
Johnny felt the third door hoping this would be the break room. The door was not hot so he opened it slowly. Roy looked in behind Johnny and saw the tables and vending machines. Johnny entered the room calling out as he bent to look under the tables. He heard a cough and looked around the corner of the L-shaped room. He found the women on the floor huddled together under a countertop. They looked up with relief at the firefighters.
"Are you hurt?" Johnny asked as he removed his mask and offered it to one of the two women. Roy did the same for the other.
Coughing, both women shook their heads. "Just get us out of here," the older of the two said.
Johnny and Roy both helped the women up and holding their masks over their faces, lead them out of the room and down the hall. There was an explosion from the west side of the building, causing them all to briefly lose their balance. Assuring the women they were okay, they headed down the stairs and out of the building.
After giving the women oxygen, it was decided that no IV was needed and Roy and Johnny were not required to ride in to Rampart. They joined back with Captain Stanley and the crew to assist in clean-up and break down of the affected areas of the building. The fire was now under control.
Roy handed Johnny a Halligan from the engine and they headed back into the building. Johnny noticed Roy studying his face. Johnny's jaw tightened and he looked away. They entered the building in silence.
~ E ~
Roy came out of the shower that afternoon. Johnny was washing the soot off his face at the sink. He noticed Roy watching him. He dried his face then placed his hands on either side of the sink and hung his head.
"Johnny, what happened back there?"
"I know, I'm sorry, Roy. It's just that…" Johnny faded off.
"It's just what, partner?" Roy punctuated the last word and Johnny winced. Roy didn't want to make too much of the situation, after all nothing bad had happened but he also knew they needed to face it up front before it got out of control. Johnny continued to hang his head and Roy's mood softened a bit. "What did I see back there? You hung back. I looked over and you weren't there."
Johnny stood up from the sink but turned away from Roy. He couldn't face him. "I was scared."
"Scared?" Johnny nodded. "Of course you were scared, Johnny, we are all afraid of what we face every day."
"No." Johnny interrupted. Roy couldn't see his partner's face but knew that the word had been said through clenched teeth. "This was…different." Marco came into the room to take a shower. Nothing had been overheard by the linesman but he could see the tension between the two paramedics.
Roy put his hand on Johnny's shoulder and guided him into the dorm. They sat down on their respective bunks.
"Different how?" Roy prodded.
Johnny's elbows rested on his thighs and his hands dangled in the air between his knees. His head was again lowered making it difficult for Roy to read him.
"Johnny, look at me." Johnny slowly raised his head to face his partner. Roy saw a mix of shame and fear in the young man's eyes. "Talk to me." He said simply.
"It was a fire like any other but…when I knew I was going to go in there…for the first time…" he trailed off again and Roy waited patiently. "I just thought of Aubrey and I suddenly…didn't want to go in. I was afraid that something would happen and I would lose…everything I, everything we…"
Roy saw the tears just behind his friend's eyes and rose from his seat to sit next to Johnny on his bunk.
"I understand, I do." He put his left hand on Johnny's right shoulder. "I have a wife – and two kids, Johnny. Everyday I'm scared to death that I'm not going to be there for her, for them. But it's my job and it's what I choose to do. We all chose this."
Johnny dug the heels of his hands into his eyes.
"Johnny," Roy began, afraid of asking the question. "Is this still what you want to do?"
Johnny picked his head up "Yes! Yes, I've never wanted to be anything but a firefighter and now a paramedic. I'm sorry…"
"Sorry for what?" Roy let his hand on Johnny's shoulder slide to his back.
Johnny took in a deep breath and let it out. "This is all just so new. So…overwhelming."
"So you won't give up the job?" Johnny shook his head vehemently. "Well, would you give up on Aubrey?" Johnny's head spun to look at Roy, his mouth agape.
"No. Never!" he sputtered.
"Well then, partner, welcome to being a grown up." Roy grinned.
Johnny then leaned back resting the back of his shoulders against the low brick wall that was beside the bed. He chuckled softly. "Thanks a lot," he said as he smiled back.
Roy slapped the top of Johnny's leg as he got up saying, "Come on, let's see what we can find in the kitchen, I'm starving."
"Roy," Johnny said quietly. Roy turned to face him. "It won't happen again, I promise."
"Come on, partner." Roy pulled Johnny to his feet and led the way across the bay into the kitchen.
~ E ~
The next two days they had off were during the week so Johnny came by the house to help Roy dig up some shrubs in the yard and replant them on the other side near the driveway. Roy was beginning to like the weekdays off just as much as the weekends because Aubrey was working and that meant he could have Johnny to himself at least once in a while. Roy worked quickly because he knew as soon as the kids came home from school, he wasn't going to get any more help from 'Uncle Johnny.' But that was fine with him because he loved to watch his best friend playing with his kids. It was one of the great joys in his life.
Later that afternoon they sat in the kitchen sharing a beer. Joanne started rooting through the refrigerator to begin that night's supper. "Johnny, are you staying for dinner tonight, sweetie?"
"No, I don't think so, Joanne, thanks. Hey, do you mind if I use your phone?"
"You know you don't need to ask, Johnny." Joanne said sweetly as she pulled out her cutting board and placed it next to the sink.
Johnny dialed the phone and leaned against the wall. "Hi, it's me," he said, his face lighting up. "I'm at the DeSoto's. Okay." Johnny took the phone away from his mouth and said to Roy and Joanne, "Aubrey says hi."
Joanne and Roy both called back, "Hi, Aubrey!"
Johnny put the receiver back to his mouth, "Well, I'd really love to see you tonight." He listened then beamed. "Yeah, great. I just need to stop at my place and take a quick shower. Roy's been working me like a dog over here." He winked at Roy.
Johnny said goodbye and hung up the phone. He finished the last of the beer bottle he had been nursing since they came into the kitchen. "Roy, Joanne, gotta run." He said backing out of the room. He didn't quite judge the space well enough and bumped into the door frame. The back of his head making a resounding 'clunk' as he did so. He rubbed his head and laughed. He once again began backing up blindly. "Oh and tell the kids I said goodbye." His heel caught on the strip on the floor between the kitchen tile and the living room rug. He arms flew up to recapture his balance knocking a family portrait loose. Joanne gasped just as Johnny caught the photo and re-hung it. Roy just sat calmly sipping his beer. This was just a typical day with John Gage, after all.
After Johnny had successfully left the house without another incident, Joanne relaxed and leaned back against the counter. She shook her head at her husband smiling.
"He is a trip, isn't he?" Roy asked, "Pardon the pun." They both laughed happily.
"He really is head over heels for that girl" Joanne giggled at her own pun. "I do think he is in love!"
Roy nodded, "Our little boy is all grown up," he said putting his hand over his heart and making a mock sad face.
Joanne, snapped the kitchen towel at his arm and laughed. She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed the top of his head. "I love you." She whispered into his ear. Roy took her hands from under his chin and kissed them. He leaned his head back so she could see his face and he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Oh stop that," she laughed. I'm going to start dinner, mister."
~ E ~
The next weekend off, Cap invited the whole crew, including C shift to his house for a barbeque. The Stanleys had a modest home but a large yard and this type of party happened at least a few times a year.
Joanne and Roy sat with all but one of the A-shift crew. Johnny was the only one not sitting relaxing. He was out in an open area of the yard playing with Jenny and Chris and some of the other younger children. They seemed to have made up their own game. Johnny stood in the center of the circle of children with his eyes shut and his arms out straight from his sides. The kids would look at each other not saying a word. One would be chosen and then that child, stifling a giggle, would sneak up to Johnny and poke him quickly and dart away. This time it was Jenny's turn and she poked Johnny in the back of his thigh. Johnny growled loudly and spun around, reaching out for the perpetrator. All the kids would squeal in delight whether he caught the child or not. Joanne watched Aubrey who stood just outside of the circle with her camera. She was capturing the fun on film. Joanne couldn't wait to see those pictures. She reached over to grab Roy's hand and gave it a squeeze. Roy followed his wife's gaze over to the pretty young woman and smiled back. He knew what Joanne was feeling and he was feeling it too: pure delight that their little brother had found love.
Johnny made a "T" with his two hands as he opened his eyes. "Okay, okay, this monster needs a break." There was a shared "Awww" from the group. Johnny turned and saw Aubrey snapping pictures.
"Hey, Bree, whattya doing?" he grinned a crooked toothy smile.
"Capturing you on film, what do you think?" She cooed, lowering the camera. The couple kissed. Chet groaned and covered his own eyes as if to save himself from the horror of the sight. Mike smirked and Marco gave Chet a light smack on the shoulder.
~ E ~
Later that day after finishing dinner, everyone who remained was gathered around the fire pit. Johnny was readying a stick for Chris to use to roast marshmallows. Joanne was on a lounge chair with Jenny sprawled across her, fast asleep.
"You want me to take her, Joanne?" Roy asked.
She shook her head and tucked her angel's head under her chin. "No, not yet, Roy. I know she won't fit on my lap for much longer." She kissed the golden head and closed her eyes, smiling softly.
Roy took a deep breath, enjoying the moment. Johnny had finished getting Chris situated with his marshmallow at the fire. He pulled the lounge chair Roy had saved for him closer behind the child to better watch over him. Roy relaxed knowing that Uncle Johnny would be on the lookout. He trusted his children implicitly with Johnny.
Aubrey laid a shawl on the ground next to Johnny and settled herself on it. He began to rise to offer his seat to her. She waved the offer away and leaned her head on Johnny's thigh watching the fire.
"Hey there, guitar man." She said without looking up.
"Who treats you right?" Johnny smiled and his eyes closed as he ran his hand down Aubrey's long brown hair.
"Baby, it's the guitar man," Aubrey replied.
Roy looked over at Joanne. Her face mirrored his own expression. The exchange had been sweet between his partner and the girl. A little inside joke? Roy again felt the now-familiar pang of both joy mixed with a little bit of melancholy. Joanne squeezed his hand again as if she understood what her husband felt. Roy wondered if Joanne felt the same way sometimes. After all, she had been a big sister/mother figure to Johnny for years now. Just like Jenny someday being too big for her lap, Johnny had ventured from her 'nest' and Roy was sure that there was an adjustment Joanne had to make similar to his own.
Joanne whispered, "Everyone needs a someone."
~ E ~
About an hour later, Roy guided the sleepy Chris towards the station wagon parked along the street. He then took the still sleeping Jenny from Joanne and situated her in the back of the vehicle.
Johnny was making the rounds to say goodnight to the rest of the crew. Roy watched as Aubrey trailed along behind him, her fingers lightly laced into the fingers of Johnny's left hand. She smiled sweetly, hugging and kissing everyone as she went. Everyone seemed to approve of her place in Johnny's life.
"Johnny, we are leaving, see you the day after tomorrow." Roy called out. Johnny's head turned quickly, his brown mop of hair swaying as he did. He trotted over towards the station wagon.
"Hey goodnight, Roy, Joanne." Johnny said leaning in to give Joanne a kiss on the cheek. He turned towards Aubrey. "Ready to go, sweetheart?"
Aubrey, laced her fingers more tightly in his and wrapped her free hand around his upper arm. She looked up into Johnny's eyes intently. "Mm hmm." she said quietly.
Roy felt a blush rise on his cheeks and quickly got behind the wheel. He waved at the couple but it went unnoticed as they turned towards Johnny's Land Rover never breaking the look they shared.
Roy started the engine and the radio came on. A song he vaguely knew was playing.
And if you're wondering
What this song is leading to
I want to make it with you
Roy reached over and hastily snapped the radio off as Joanne giggled softly in the seat beside him. "Don't want it to wake the kids," he mumbled lamely as he pulled away from the curb.
~ E ~
Two days later, they were back at the station. Roy still marveled at Johnny's transformation. He knew it the rest of the crew saw it too. It was as if the man had come into his own. He was confident and calm yet the goofy and fun side of John Gage was still there and mischief danced behind the man's eyes on a regular basis. Roy chuckled to himself remembering Johnny getting revenge on 'the phantom' during last shift. The story had been shared at the barbeque at Cap's house the other night and everyone had a good laugh. Aubrey had eaten up every word, wanting to know everything there was to know about the love of her life. She had even gotten in a few lighthearted jabs at Chet that night and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, most of all Chet himself. Johnny had beamed watching his love become part of his extended family.
Roy leaned against the kitchen counter sipping coffee as Johnny came into the room. "Hey there, Pal, did you have fun the other night?" Johnny asked, pouring himself a coffee and resting his hand on the countertop.
"I did, yes, the kids had a blast too. I really appreciate everything you do with them, Johnny. It gives Joanne a break."
Johnny smirked and waved in the air as if swatting the statement away. "Oh stop, you know I love those kids." He took a sip and then chuckled. "You think I'm playing with them to help you two out?" he scoffed. "Heck, it's all about me, Pally." Johnny's eyes danced with merriment.
Captain Stanley entered the room just then and both paramedics thanked him for a great time. "It was a great day, wasn't it," Cap stated more than asked. "Oh and John, that girl of yours, she is wonderful!"
Johnny beamed, coming over closer to his captain. "Isn't she, Cap? I think even Chet liked her!"
"Liked who?" Chet asked. As always, entering a room just as his name was mentioned.
"Aubrey," Roy explained.
Chet lit up. "Oh yeah, John, she's a keeper, man." Johnny grinned, showing even more teeth.
Just then the tones went off.
~ E ~
Aubrey arrived at her office early as planned. The partners were having an important meeting at 9 AM and she wanted to be sure every last item on her to-do list was checked and double checked. She entered the large well-appointed conference room and began to place the needed materials in front of each seat. A screech of brakes from the street below caught her attention. The follow on of an extremely loud crash drew her to the window. From her vantage point above, Aubrey saw a bus diagonally across the intersection. A small silver car could be seen up on the sidewalk. Aubrey squinted. It looked to her that the front of the car was embedded in the store front.
"Oh my gosh, that's horrible," she said out loud to the empty room.
She turned and surveyed the table, confident she had everything completed. It was then that she heard the sirens coming from somewhere down the street. She checked her watch and decided to run down and see what was going on. Her heart skipped a beat in both fear and anticipation as she wondered if that was Johnny's station arriving down below. She rushed out the door to the elevator.
~ E ~
"Station 51, vehicle accident and subsequent structure fire, 1200 South Hope Street, cross street Eleven, 1200 South Hope Street, time out 0810."
Captain Stanley picked up the mic and replied, "Station 51, KMG-365," as he jotted the information on a slip of paper. He handed it through the window of the squad. Roy took it and handed it to Johnny.
Johnny studied it carefully. "This is not far from Aubrey's office," he said. His brow furrowed as he wondered if she had gotten to work early as she had planned. She'd be off the roads by now and safe in her office.
As Roy pulled onto the roadway he saw the turmoil on his friend's face. "She's fine, Johnny, don't worry."
"Yeah, I know." Johnny replied and the rest of the trip the pair remained silent.
As they neared the scene, Johnny's eyes scanned the vehicles involved and let out a sigh of relief. Aubrey's blue Camaro was nowhere in sight.
Captain Stanley surveyed the building that had been hit by the small silver car. The engine was embedded in a restaurant's front door. Flames could be seen snaking out from under the hood.
"Chet, get an inch and a half!" he shouted as Roy came around to the driver's side window. It was obvious the driver did not survive but Roy checked for a pulse anyway. He shook his head grimly at his superior. Roy already had a blanket in his hand and unwrapped it quickly to drape over the body and Captain Stanley called the Code F into headquarters.
The driver of the bus was talking excitedly to an officer and appeared to be unhurt. The bus was confirmed to be off service and not carrying passengers. The officer asked him to move the bus out of the intersection. Other policemen were pushing the crowd back away from the building.
Aubrey came up the sidewalk. The bus began to move and it was then that she spotted Johnny. He appeared to be taking orders from Captain Stanley and they were both looking into the damaged restaurant. Her heart leapt into her throat as she watched Johnny don his gloves, air tank and mask. Her eyes darted into the restaurant and she realized with horror that Chet and Marco had not had much success knocking down the flames and they had spread into the restaurant. She covered her mouth with her hands wanting to call out to him but also knowing that this was his job and she had to face it. She thought there must be people trapped in the building. She understood enough now to know that Roy and Johnny were the men that rescued people in these dire situations. She reached out to steady herself on a nearby mailbox and watched.
Mike had used an axe to break out the front door window and Johnny waited to see how the rush of fresh air affected the fire. It rose up, lapping at the inner walls of the restaurant but Chet expertly knocked it back down through the new opening. Johnny stepped into the building followed closely by Roy. Aubrey squinted but could no longer see them. She thought that her heart would leap out of her chest as she waited.
~ E ~
Johnny ducked beneath the stream of water and entered the restaurant. He was thankful for the wall of windows to his right as it helped light his way through the thickening smoke. Thankfully, the small lunch diner had not been open this morning but there was a possibility of someone being in the back and they had to check. He led the way into the back rooms. He checked the kitchen while Roy checked the restrooms. Everything seemed clear. He made a mental note to report the owner, however, as the secondary exit was completely blocked by shelves and boxes.
"Johnny, we need to get out of here." Roy said eyeing the fire that continued to crawl along behind the counter, obviously fed by grease on the floor. For such a nice area, this restaurant was surprisingly substandard. Since he had not heard a reply, he shouted again, "Johnny?"
"Yeah," Johnny yelled back. "I'm coming." He had spotted a door off the kitchen and took a moment to make sure there was no one trapped. The small storage room was piled precariously with boxes and equipment but was otherwise empty. He headed back into the main part of the restaurant and saw Roy leave through the opening in the front door.
Johnny got about half way to the door when something behind the counter exploded. Johnny was knocked off his feet and thrown violently to his left, slamming him into the large window he had recently been thankful for. Glass, smoke and flames spewed out that side of the building. Johnny was catapulted into the street. He thought he heard a woman's scream – or was it the fire – just before he landed with a sickening thud.
"Johnny!" Roy yelled as he pulled off his air mask and rushed to his downed friend. Johnny had hit the car so hard that there was a dent in the passenger side door that matched the size and shape of an air tank. "Cap! I need my supplies, c-collar and a backboard!"
Captain Stanley turned to be sure Mike was already on the gear request when he spotted Aubrey racing across the street, tears streaming down her face. He reached out and caught her.
"Whoa, whoa, little lady. You can't be here, get back onto the sidewalk." Hank felt terrible asking her to do that but he could not have a civilian in the middle of a dangerous situation.
"Please, please, Captain Stanley. I have to go to him! Please!" Hank looked behind him to see that Mike and Roy had moved Johnny to the other side of the street and Chet and Marco were finally getting the upper hand in knocking down the fire. He knew he could get in trouble for his next move, but he relented.
"Okay, okay, Aubrey," he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. "Listen to me," he said waiting until her she tore her eyes away from Johnny and looked at him. "I will let you go if you promise to stay back and not get in their way."
She nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, thank you." She darted to Johnny as soon as Hank let her go.
Johnny was fully conscious; his neck already in the c-collar but his mouth was gaping open as he tried to draw in a breath with no luck. Aubrey wanted to scoop him into her arms but resisted the urge. Her eyes flitted between Johnny's tortured face and Roy's skilled hands as he checked Johnny's pupillary reaction. "Equal and reactive," He said to Mike with a sigh of relief. He had noticed Aubrey approach but ignored her, focusing completely on his friend and partner.
"Johnny," Roy said, leaning down and placing an oxygen mask over his face after listening to his chest, "You seem to be having a diaphragm spasm. Relax, buddy."
Johnny looked up at Roy and nodded his understanding as Roy continued to check him over.
Roy methodically felt the sternum and ribs when Johnny suddenly winced at his touch. Roy saw Aubrey's hand fly to her mouth and she sniffled pitifully.
"Sorry, Junior," he said. "You may have cracked a rib when you hit that car." Johnny nodded again and Roy was relieved to see the man finally draw in a few short, ragged breaths. "Now don't try to talk just yet, just focus on your breathing." He continued to run his hands down Johnny's torso and then legs. "Nothing broken down here. Can you move them okay?" He looked up at Johnny who simply gave a thumps up and moved his legs to prove it.
Roy took the biophone from Mike after he had established contact with Rampart and gave them Johnny's vitals.
"Is the patient breathing more easily now, Squad 51?" Morton's voice came over the receiver.
"That's affirmative, Rampart." Roy replied.
"Is he in any pain?" Morton asked.
Roy glanced at Johnny who eked out, "No drugs," from behind the oxygen mask.
"Rampart, patient does not seem to be in too much pain." Roy wanted to add, 'which is amazing considering he was just blown through a plate glass window.' Roy often hated wearing his turnouts but this was a perfect example of why they were needed. Johnny had no more than a few small scratches on the back of his neck from the broken glass.
"Then go ahead and transport, 51." Morton said as Dixie gave out an audible sigh of relief behind him.
The ambulance attendants pulled the gurney beside Johnny and lifted the backboard up and over onto it. It was only then that Roy turned his attention toward Aubrey.
"He's going to be fine. Don't worry." He reached out to help her off her knees. Aubrey wobbled as she stood and Roy braced himself to catch her. She moved over to the gurney as Roy motioned to the attendants to hold off moving the patient for a moment.
Aubrey moved into Johnny's line of sight and his eyes grew wide as he saw her face.
"Bree, what are…?" he managed to croak.
"Shhh, don't talk," She said as she held in a sob. "I'm going to meet you at the hospital. I'll see you in a few minutes."
The gurney began to move when Johnny reached up to remove the oxygen mask and said, "But what about your meeting?"
Aubrey and Roy exchanged a smile. "It's all over by now and I'm sure it was a great success."
"Oh," Johnny croaked, "okay…good." And he grinned, placing the mask back on his face.
Roy climbed into the ambulance behind his partner but not before motioning toward Cap who came to lead Aubrey out of the way and back onto the sidewalk.
"Are you okay, honey?" Captain Stanley asked her. She smiled warmly up at the fatherly figure.
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I think so. And I will be even better once I know he's okay." She looked forlornly at the departing ambulance.
"Marco, take the squad in, will you?"
"Right, Cap." Marco answered as he climbed into the cab. "See you there, Aubrey."
Aubrey again smiled, so thankful that Johnny had so many wonderful friends in his life.
"I have to get back to work," Hank said to Aubrey. "Will you be okay to drive?"
"Yes, thank you so much, Captain."
"It's Hank."
"Thank you…Hank." She stepped up onto the sidewalk and leaned in to plant a kiss on the tall man's cheek. She then hurried off to see Johnny at the hospital.
Hank's face turned the same shade of red as the engine. He turned to find Chet and Mike standing just behind him grinning from ear to ear.
"A kiss on the job, Cap? That's a first!"
"Oh shaddup, you twit," Hank said shooting a glaring look at the two men.
~ E ~
Aubrey reached the hospital and entered the emergency room. She looked frantically around for Roy but didn't see him. She walked up to a pretty nurse. "Excuse me, ma'am."
The nurse looked up. "Yes, may I help you?"
"I hope so. I'm here for my boyfriend, he was hurt in a fire…" she trailed off again looking up and down the hall.
"Aubrey?" the nurse said reaching for her hand.
"Why yes, I'm Aubrey," she said, somewhat confused. She then realized who she was speaking to. "Dixie?" she asked somewhat timidly.
"Yes, hello. Johnny is here and Roy is with him." Dixie saw the worry in the woman's eyes and patted her hand. "Now calm down, I think Johnny is going to be just fine."
Aubrey wasn't convinced. "But he was in the explosion, thrown through a window and…" It was too much; she let the emotions come bubbling up along with a lot of tears.
"Listen to me," Dixie put her hand under Aubrey's chin and lifted it. "Johnny was alert and breathing fine when he arrived. The doctors are reading his x-rays right now but he really is going to be okay, you'll see." She handed the young woman a tissue.
Just then Roy came out of the treatment room and headed towards the nurses desk.
"Here's Roy, honey, go speak to him."
Aubrey spun around and hurried over to Roy.
"He's fine, Aubrey, he's fine." He said quickly before she could even ask. "I don't know how he managed to get blown through a plate glass window, slammed into a parked car so hard he dented it and still got away with a only a mild case of whiplash."
"What…?" Aubrey asked, her eyes widening. "What about his back? His ribs? He couldn't breathe…" she trailed off.
"His ribs are just bruised and he'll be sore for a while but they aren't even going to keep him overnight this time." Roy looked over Aubrey's head at Dixie and they both shook their head in amazement.
"Leave it to John Gage to walk away from that." Dixie said.
Aubrey was so relieved she started to shake. Roy reached out to steady her. "I think you need to sit down." He said and tried to lead her to the waiting area.
"Can I see him?"
Dixie took over from Roy and lead Aubrey to a chair. "Of course you can see him. I'll get you a glass of water while Roy goes back in and finds out what's up in there. Do we have a deal?"
Aubrey could only nod. She already had a growing affection for Dixie. She knew she was another special person in Johnny's life and he spoke highly of her often.
She took the water that Dixie brought her and took a sip. "Thank you, Dixie," she said as the two women shared a smile.
Meanwhile, Roy poked his head into Johnny's treatment room. Morton and a nurse were raising the head of the bed so that Johnny was no longer laying flat.
"Ow, easy, ow, ow." Johnny complained. He still wore the c-collar.
"Hey, partner, they kicking you out already?"
Dr. Morton turned to Roy. "I've given him a couple of prescriptions for muscle relaxants and pain pills. But considering everything, he's a damn lucky man."
"No kidding, Doc," Roy replied, "You should have seen him go flying." Johnny grimaced at the memory.
"Hey, Johnny, Aubrey's here. Doc, can I bring her in?"
"Of course, go ahead. Johnny, you sit here for a minute before getting up. Make sure you are steady first."
"Okay, Doc, thanks."
Roy opened the treatment room door and motioned to Dixie to bring Aubrey in.
Roy held the door as the women entered.
"Johnny!" Aubrey exclaimed and ran to his side. She again resisted the urge to scoop him into her arms but instead stood on her toes to reach his cheek with her lips. "How do you feel?"
"I hurt like heck but am really happy I'll be going home tonight."
"No, you'll go home with me tonight." Roy and Aubrey said simultaneously.
Johnny looked back and forth from his girlfriend to his partner.
Roy heard a soft "Oh oh," coming from Dixie behind him.
Roy came around to Johnny's other side and looked over at Aubrey. "It's just that Johnny always comes home with us when he's been…hurt." Roy trailed off, sad to think that there would not be a need to take care of Johnny any longer. Joanne would be devastated.
"Well I appreciate that, Roy, I do," Aubrey began, "But I can take care of him now. You have your kids to worry about and my apartment has plenty of room…" It was Aubrey's turn to trail off now. There was an uncomfortable silence.
Johnny's eyes shot back and forth between Aubrey and Roy and then realizing he was a grown man, spoke up. "Now look, I'm not hurt that bad. I want to go home…to my own place…tonight."
"You do?" was uttered simultaneously, again, by Aubrey and Roy.
Dixie snickered softly and left the room giving Johnny a little wave as she went.
"Aw, now I've hurt both your feelings." He took in a deep breath but then winced as his ribs and diaphragm rebelled against it.
"Well, Johnny, I guess if you don't need me anymore." Roy said looking down at something on his hand. "I'll be getting back to work."
"Roy…Aubrey…" Johnny began and then lit up as he thought of a solution to the problem.
"Look…not that I plan on getting hurt again…but if I do…"
"Yes?" Aubrey and Roy both said. Johnny was starting to get a little creeped out by them talking in unison.
"Well, Aubrey works during the week, right? But she has the weekends off, right?" The two people nodded, listening intently.
"So, if I need help and it's a weekend, I would go to Aubrey's place…"
Roy's dejected demeanor left him as he realized what Johnny was saying, "And if it is during the week, then you come home with me, right?"
"Yeah," Johnny forgot about the whiplash and the collar ,turning his head from Roy to Aubrey. He winced again. "Ow. Good, then it's settled?"
"Yes," Aubrey/Roy stated simply.
Johnny blew out his pent up breath causing the hair on his forehead to shoot up. Aubrey smiled and kissed his cheek again.
"Okay then, call me later tonight." Roy said as he opened the door to leave. "I'll go let the guys know that you are going to be fine."
"Thanks, Roy. I mean it." Johnny said giving a knowing grin towards Roy.
"Yeah, you're welcome, Johnny." Roy said and left the room.
They were now alone in the room. Aubrey put her head down on Johnny's chest and just listened to his heart beating. She sent a prayer of thanks up to God and started to cry softly. Johnny shut his eyes tight but a tear still escaped.
"Aubrey, I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"For what?" Aubrey raised her head and saw the tear. She wiped it away with her finger as he did the same for her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. Why did you come down there?"
"I heard the sirens, Johnny, I thought about you…" she paused and shut her eyes against the vision of Johnny crashing through the window. "I thought…I thought I'd lost you." She put her head back down on his chest.
"I know. This is my job. I'd understand… cause your happiness is all I want." Another tear escaped as Johnny choked on the words.
Aubrey looked at him again. "What are you talking about, Johnny?"
"I don't know how I would feel…if the tables were turned, if you were the one with the dangerous job. Hell, when I heard the address of that fire, I instantly worried about you."
Aubrey put her finger to his lips. "You stop that right now. I can handle this. I will learn. Joanne deals with it every day." She took her hand from his lips and slid it through his chestnut hair. "I'm not going anywhere." She felt Johnny let out a pent up breath. She leaned over and rested her forehead against his cheek. "You're the only one I care enough to hurt about."
"Then take me home, okay?"
Aubrey leaned back to look at him. "Oh no, you are coming home with me and that's final."
"Oh, I am, am I?" Aubrey nodded obstinately. "And I'd be a fool to try to escape you?"
"Yes you would, so surrender."
She lifted Johnny's legs and helped him turn on the bed. He winced but never stopped smiling. Johnny slid off the side of the bed until his feet were on the floor. He stood for a moment, letting the head rush fade.
As they left the room arm in arm Johnny murmured, "Oh what a sweet surrender."
~ E ~
Aubrey took the next day off from work despite Johnny's protests. That important meeting had gone well and her boss was happy to let her have the time off. She spent the day lavishing attention on Johnny and even made him a nice warm bubble bath to soak away his aches. She made him a wonderful dinner and then loaded him into the car to bring him to the DeSoto's home.
After stopping at Johnny's apartment for a few of his things, she arrived at the house and Roy rushed out the door to help her lift Johnny from the passenger seat.
"I'm okay, I can do it," Johnny complained.
Joanne and the kids waited at the door. "Hi Uncle Johnny," Chris called out as Johnny shuffled up the walkway to the door. "You sure are walking funny. What did you do now?" The group laughed as they entered the house.
Joanne settled Johnny into his room while Aubrey and Roy chatted about medications and the like out in the living room. She kissed Johnny's forehead. Her little bird was back in the nest – for the moment.
After getting Johnny a glass of ginger ale and a few things to read, she returned to the living room. She nodded to Jenny and Chris who began to run towards their Uncle Johnny's room. Joanne simply had to make a "tut tut" sound and they instantly slowed down and walked carefully down the hall.
"Don't worry," Roy said to Aubrey, "they know how to behave around Johnny when he's laid up."
Aubrey smiled, "From what I hear, they have had a lot of practice." Her brow furrowed and she turned towards Joanne. "Do you mind if I talk to you in the kitchen for a moment, Joanne?"
"Of course, would you like a glass of ginger ale?" Joanne asked as she led Aubrey away.
Roy suddenly found himself alone and didn't quite know what to do with himself. Eventually, he settled onto the couch and found something on television to watch.
About 45 minutes later, Aubrey came out of the kitchen. She was feeling better. Joanne helped her to figure out how to handle being with a firefighter and they had plans to meet for lunch soon to continue their discussion. She found Roy and the kids sitting on the couch together. The television was off and Roy was reading them a story from a large book. Roy saw her but she motioned for him to stay put.
"I'm just going to say goodnight to him and then I'll go."
Roy smiled and continued reading. Aubrey giggled quietly to herself at Roy's attempt at the big bad wolf's voice. He was a wonderful father and they seemed like the perfect little family.
Aubrey tapped at the door of Johnny's room lightly. When she didn't get an answer she opened the door slowly. Johnny sat up in bed, a magazine open on his lap. His head rested back on the pillows, his mouth open slightly.
She came into the room and slipped the magazine out from under his hands. Johnny stirred slightly.
"Johnny, let me help you get more comfortable, sweetie." She said as she encouraged him to slide down off of the pillows. She made sure he was comfortable and tucked the blankets up to his chin. She turned to go and placed her hand on the light switch.
"I love you," she heard from behind her. She froze. Was he dreaming? Was he thinking of Jenny or Chris…even Roy?
She turned back expecting to see a sleeping Johnny but instead she saw his eyes sparkle in the dim light.
She knelt down on the floor and placed her face close to his.
"When I visited my parents back home and told them I was going to move to Los Angeles, my father told me something that I've never forgotten. He said, 'As you go find yourself, don't look too hard or you may pass yourself by. As you go to please your heart, take your time; someone's waiting for you.'"
Aubrey brushed Johnny's soft hair off his forehead.
"I was waiting for you, Aubrey." Johnny said in almost a whisper.
"I know you were. I found you." Her voice hitched very slightly. She stood up, kissed his cheek one more time and whispered, "And I love you."
She brushed another stray hair off Johnny's forehead as his eyes drooped. She left the room and quietly shut the door.
The End