I Am What I Am Chapter 1, an emergency fanfic

THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE
ON ANY PREEXISTING COPYRIGHTS. THIS STORY IS FICTIONAL, A WORK OF
THE WRITER'S IMAGINATION. THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS USED IN THIS
STORY ARE PURELY FICTIONAL AND ARE NOT BASED ON ANY PERSONS ACTUAL
EXPERIENCES.

Author's Notes

Okay, from the beginning now.

This story is AU! You all know what that means, alternate universe. That means I am not following Canon, never have, never will! Don't like that fact, leave! There, that's out of the way, now for the real big announcement that seems to have people talking about this story. Roy DeSoto is being written OUT OF CHARACTER! Plainly put, I have taken the Roy you all seem to love and adore and turned him into a total JERK! That not your thing, well, you know where the back button is. No sense in complaining because of this little Pre-Story write up here letting you know all about the happenings in this story. Oh, and I'll add some new info at the story summary part too.

So, just to recap, I am writing an AU story that has a main character being written OOC. So, consider yourselves forewarned and forearmed.

Thank you and we now begin our story.

I Am What I Am

Part One

A House in the Hills
0630
Los Angeles County, California

John Gage was sitting at his breakfast table wondering what he was going to say to his fellow firefighters. Today was the day he was going to either quit being a firefighter/paramedic or continue living his dream while living his life out in the open. He looked up when he heard footsteps approaching. He smiled at the handsome doctor entering the room.

'You all set?' Doctor Kelly Brackett asked as he poured a cup of coffee.

'Yeah,' Johnny sighed, 'At least I hope so.'

'You'll do fine.' Kel sat at the table and pulled Johnny in for a kiss. 'You'll see. Nothing will change.'

'What if it does though?'

'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.' Kel stated matter-of-factly. 'Just know that I'm only a phone call away. So is Dix. We're both on your side and we both love you a lot. So hang in there, you've only got to be yourself.'

'That's just it.' Johnny stood to take his bowl and glass to the sink. 'I've pretty much forgotten who myself is!'

'Once you tell the guys, your true self will jump out and surprise the hell out of them and you!' Kel laughed. 'You better head to the station, it won't do you any good to be late.'

John looked at the clock. 'You're right, it won't be good to be late.' He kissed Kel goodbye then grabbed his keys as he headed out the door. 'See you later.'

Kel watched the younger man as he jumped into his Land Rover and roared out of the driveway. 'Hang in there lover, I know you can do it.' He said as he closed the door and turned to head back into the kitchen.

- E! -

Station 51
0745
Carson, California

Roy DeSoto was sitting on the bench in front of his locker tying his boots. He had just returned from a long overdue vacation and was quite ready for the return to work. His wife and two children had driven him nuts over the past two weeks with a road trip up and down the California coast with stops in Santa Barbara and San Francisco among others. To say he was ready for an escape from the rug monkeys and his wife was an understatement. He was also looking forward to seeing his partner. He hadn't talked to the younger man in the whole time he had been on the road. He knew Johnny had worked the time he had been on his road trip. He just hoped his partner hadn't over-worked as he was want to do when he was left to his own devices.

He looked up as the door to the locker room opened. Smiling, he gave a small wave. 'Hey Johnny, how are you doing today?'

'Fine Roy.' Johnny opened his locker, deftly dodging a water bomb before sitting down to pull out his boots as he unbuttoned his shirt.

'Never seen ya do that before,' said Roy with a hint of awe in his voice.

'Well, a few shifts ago, I guess you could say I grew a third eye, or a sixth sense.' Johnny pulled off his jeans and pulled on his uniform pants. Standing he turned to face Roy as he zipped up. 'Anyway, I was opening my locker and I just kinda knew that there was a water bomb in my locker just waiting to soak me so I stepped to the side and let the bomb go off.' Johnny chuckled. 'Man, I wish you'd been here. The darn thing went off and hit Marco right in the face!'

Roy started laughing as Chet and Marco walked into the room. 'What's so funny?' Chet asked. 'The Pigeon telling you about the shaving cream I put in his helmet last shift?'

Roy stopped laughing. 'That's neither funny, nor safe Chet.'

Chet opened his locker as he frowned. 'What's not safe about it, Roy?'

'Well, for one, if Johnny had gotten that stuff in his eyes, it could have hindered his vision; especially if he was on a run.' Roy stood and buttoned his shirt, then tucked it in. 'Second, the mess it would have made could have caused any number of people to have an accident by slipping on any of the stuff that falls on the floor.'

'Oh,' Chet looked at the floor as he zipped his trousers. 'I hadn't thought of that.'

Johnny turned to Chet. 'Well, as you can tell by the water, or what I can assume is water, Roy is right. Anything wet or slippery on the floor is dangerous. It's one of the reasons I have learned to avoid your booby traps and water bombs.'

Roy smiled. '…'bout time you learned Junior.'

'Not now, Roy.' Johnny finished pinning his badge and name plate on his shirt and headed out the door. 'I'll be in the day room.'

Roy, Chet, and Marco looked at each other after Johnny left the room.

'What was that all about?' Chet asked.

'Beats the hell outta me.' Roy said as he headed for the door. 'I'll find out before the end of the day though.'

'Hey, welcome back.' Marco called as Roy left the room.

TBC...