Roy DeSoto stared at his blue eyes reflected back at him in the bathroom mirror. For the past seven years, he'd been working as a Paramedic for Los Angeles County, out of Station 51, with his partner John Gage. Today, that would all change.

"Good Morning, Captain," Joanne wrapped her arms around her husband's waist; kissing him on the back of his shoulder.

"I'm not a Captain, yet."

"You will be in just a couple of hours. I wish I could be there," Joanne said.

Roy turned to face her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "It's really a small thing, Joanne. No pomp and circumstance."

"Well, when you get home, we're gonna have a big, family celebration," Joanne said, wiping at a spot of shaving cream still near his ear.

Roy let his eyes dart to the side, just briefly. Joanne smiled. "We'll have Johnny over next week, so we can celebrate with him too; but tonight I just want it to be the four of us."

"I know. I'm sure Johnny has made plans to celebrate with one of the Rampart nurses," Roy smiled.

"What's he gonna do now that he won't be going to the hospital all the time to meet the new nurses?"

Roy shook his head, "I have no idea. But, I'm not worried about Johnny's ability to meet women."

"You'd better get dressed, Captain DeSoto, or I may make you late," Joanne tugged at Roy's towel.

"Tonight, after the kids are in bed," Roy smiled, wishing he could follow up on her flirty look.

He moved into the bedroom to start putting on his dress uniform.

E

Johnny ran his hand across his jawline, making sure he hadn't missed any spots with his razor. He used his towel to wipe the remaining shaving cream off his face. He listened as the ignitor caught on the water heater, starting to heat the water that had refilled the unit after his shower. He could hear the clock in his living room ticking by the seconds. Johnny pulled the towel off his waist and draped it over the shower bar. He meandered into his bedroom and started to dress. He paused as he buttoned his shirt, looking at his reflection in the mirror over his dresser. His role as a paramedic was over. Next week, he would take his place as the Captain over at Station 36. Instead of being the rescue man entering into a building being devoured by smoke and flames; he would be the man sending in those rescue men. Men that, as he had done with Captain Stanley, would be counting on his knowledge and experience to keep them safe. He knew that when it fully hit him, that responsibility would weigh heavy on his shoulders.

Johnny moved through his apartment and grabbed his wallet and keys out of the bowl on the table near the door as he exited. He made his way down to the Rover and started up the vehicle.

E

Johnny walked into the large classroom and looked around from the doorway. He spotted Roy sitting to the left of the podium in the front row. He walked up the hallway, waving at Craig Brice and Bob Bellingham. He slid into the seat next to Roy.

"Are you ready for this?" Johnny whispered quietly.

Roy smiled, but didn't reply as the Chief entered the room; moving to stand behind the wooden podium with the Seal of Los Angeles County on it and Fire Department written below.

"Good Morning, this is an important day in your lives and department career. It's also an important day for the department and the service we provide. I'm not gonna give you a pep talk this morning, but I would like to express my feelings and expectations. I believe that the Captain assigned is a company officer in a key position in the department. The manner in which you preform, the leadership you provide, the image you project and the example you set are all parts of being a good Captain. You're both a team leader and a part of that team. Your success is the success of the department. Whether it be in the handling of an emergency incident or fire prevention and public education activities. You each bring with you, to this position, a variety of experience; use it and build on it as a base for your expanded responsibilities. It is now my pleasure to present to you, your badges of office. Will you please step forward as I call your name?"

"Robert Bellingham – Congratulations, Bob." Bob steps up the podium and accepts his badge. "Thank you."

"Craig Brice – Congratulations, Craig." "Thank you"

"Roy DeSoto," The Chief called Roy's name. Roy looked over at Johnny before getting up from his seat. "Congratulations, Roy. Good luck." "Thanks, Chief"

"John Gage." A look of pleasure crossed Johnny's face as he rose from his seat. "Finally cracked one, huh, John. Congratulations." Johnny smiled as he accepted his Captain's badge.

"Joe Harmon. Joe, Congratulations."

"Lee Martinez. Congratulations, Lee."

"John Hopper. Congratulation, John."

"Mike Moore. Congratulations, Mike."

"Charles Peterson. Congratulations, Charles."

The Chief stepped back behind the podium. "You've already been notified of your new assignments. Again, I wish you well, congratulate you and good luck."

Roy and Johnny moved to the back of the room. "That was okay. The Chief really made me feel like I accomplished somethin'," Roy said.

"Well you did, we both did. That was a long haul. I think we both earned our promotion."

"Yeah, I guess." Roy said. Johnny blows out a breath. "Wanna get some coffee?" Roy asked, not really wanting these few minutes with Johnny to end.

"Let's go get some coffee," Johnny reached for the door knob.

They both walked over to two large stainless steel coffee pots. Johnny filled up the Styrofoam cup and handed it to Roy. Grabbing a second cup for himself

"Well," Roy said.

"Well, what?"

"How do you feel?" Roy asks.

"I don't know. No different, I guess. Huh, it just really hasn't hit me yet. How do you feel?"

Roy shrugs. "I don't feel anything special. Not yet, anyway."

The men walked outside to the rooftop patio, leaning against a cement wall.

"Uh, hey, Roy, um listen, I know this may sound silly, but suppose you could call me Cap. I mean, I just wanna hear how is sounds."

"Okay, Cap," Roy says with a smirk. Johnny gives a soft chuckle. "You got any orders for me, Cap? What's happenin', Cap?"

Johnny let a big smile spread across his face. "That is great. Captain Gage. Captain John Gage, Los Angeles County Fire Department." Johnny's smile fades. "Well, it's beginning to hit me now." He adjusts his hat and put his hand in his pocket.

"Yeah, well you did always have slow reflexes." Roy kids. This leads the men down memory lane as they reminisce about some of the rescues they've been on together. Remembering some of the people they saved and some close calls they've had themselves. All of the stories, highlighting one simple truth, together, they made a great team. Only today, that partnership has come to an end. No longer are they the best paramedic team in the County, or probably the State, as Dr. Brackett has frequently declared. As of this moment, they are now Captains, with their individual station assignments, acting independently and responsible for the lives of the crew that has now been placed in their hands.

Johnny remembers the first time he and Roy had faced the possible end to their partnership, when Roy had passed the Engineer's exam and was looking at eminent promotion to Engineer. He had ultimately decided that he didn't want to stop being a paramedic. At the time, Johnny had told him that maybe the next year, he would take the promotion. "Well, it wasn't the next year, or the year after that for that matter. But, you finally made it, Captain." Johnny touches Roy's new badge.

"We both did."

"Yeah, that we did," Johnny says. His thumbs against his lips, he looks down at the table.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going home. Joanne, and the kids, you know." Roy said.

"Yeah, well I gotta go too. So," they stood up from the picnic table, moving toward the staircase leading down to the parking lot. "Listen, now, um, we are gonna be staying in touch with one another, right?" Johnny asks, feeling a bit uncertain about the future now.

"Right. I mean just because we're not working together," Roy says.

Johnny mumbles something that sounds like yeah, yeah. "That's exactly what I mean. I just that uh…, well you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I mean it's not like we're movin' out of town or anything. We're still here, we're still in the same department. We're still friends," Roy tries to reassure him, but his voice carries a bit of the doubt he feels. The sudden change has thrown them both, and neither is really sure how the future will play out. They know how they want it to look, but is it realistic?

Johnny is looking down at his hat. He looks over at Roy and gives a smile. "Yeah." He stands up and faces Roy. "Still…"

"Yeah…"

"Roy, uh,"

"Yeah?"

Johnny shakes his head, his eyes glistening with sudden moisture; unable to put his fears into words, he ducks his head. He puts his hat on his head. "C'mon, I'll tell ya what, I'll walk you out to your car."

"Alright"

The men move in unison down the staircase. Johnny walks Roy over to his Porsche. They both stand there for just a minute facing each other; neither one wanting to leave, but knowing that the time has come.

"Tell Joanne and the kids, I said Hi. Give them all a kiss for me," Johnny said, take a step away from the car.

"Yeah, I will," Roy watches as Johnny takes a few steps toward the opposite side of the parking lot, where the Rover sits by itself. "Hey, Johnny. Let's get together next week. You can come over for dinner, okay?"

Johnny turns around, as a crooked smile spreads across his face, lightening his features. "Yeah, that sounds great. Just give me a call with the details."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Roy says, as he moves to get into his car.

Johnny turns and heads toward the Rover, his steps a bit lighter.

E

"Honey, I'm home!" Roy called, as he let himself in the back door.

"Congratulations!" Joanne and the kids came running into the living room as Roy walked in from the back. The kids blew the noise makers Joanne had picked up, they all wore party hats. The kids grabbed Roy's hands and drug him toward the living room that was filled with balloons. Roy stepped carefully trying not to step on any of them, fearing a loud pop would scare Jennifer. Joanne moved back into the kitchen and came back carrying a beer for Roy.

"The kids are going to entertain you with a little play they made up, while I finish dinner," Joanne handed him the beer and dropped a quick kiss on his lips.

Roy smiled as his children took their places in the living room. Chris had snagged Roy's hat and placed it on his head. "Now fireman, go into the house and put out the fire," Chris directed, in a deep voice.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer gave a quick salute and pretended to spray water on the imaginary fire.

"Fireman, wash those fire trucks," Chris ordered next.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer pretended to be washing the fire truck.

"Fireman, sit down while I teach you how to put out fires prop…proparily…right," Chris said, struggling with the word properly.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer sat down and pretended to write, as Chris pretended to teach her.

"Paramedics, go save that child's life," Chris ordered.

"Yes, Captain," Jennifer jumped up and pretended to run over and save her doll.

Roy felt a burning in his nose and felt a stinging in his eyes. He blinked quickly and forced a smile on his face. He would no longer be the person running to save someone's life. He would be directing the paramedics under him.

"This is your NEW life!" Chris exclaimed as he and Jennifer took bows.

Roy swallowed over the lump in his throat and clapped loudly for his children. "That's great, guys. Thank you, come give daddy a big hug."

Roy hugged both the kids and stood up. "Dad's gonna run to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Roy walked up the stairs and entered his bathroom. He closed the door and again stared at his blue eyes reflecting in the mirror. This time, a faint edge of red rimmed those eyes. Roy turned on the water and splashed some cold water onto his face.

He sat down on the edge of the bathtub. He had thought through all of this before he had even taken the Captain's exam. After backing out of the Engineer's promotion, he had taken the test only after he had been certain that he would take the promotion, if offered. He knew paramedic work was taxing on his body, the climbing, repelling, carrying people out of burning buildings. This was a young man's position in the department. But, he was going to miss his role as a paramedic. He was proud of the work he and Johnny had done over the last seven years. They had saved a lot of people.

The other thing that had bothered him about the kid's production, was that as Chris portrayed him, he was alone, issuing orders to others. He and Johnny had worked so well together, neither of them directed the other. The worked in conjunction, barely needing to utter a word. He wouldn't have a partner anymore, no one working with him, automatically backing him up. While Johnny had never had to catch any mistakes, Roy was too good for that, knowing he had his back had always been a comfort to him. He just hadn't realized how much until just now.

E

Johnny took the stairs two at a time to his apartment and quickly unlocked the door. He dropped his wallet and keys back into the bowl on the table at the door and made his way toward his bedroom. He quickly removed his dress uniform and hung it back up. He slipped into his well-worn jeans and slipped on a checked shirt. He buttoned the shirt and rolled the sleeves. He tucked the shirt into the jeans and grabbed a belt out of the closet; walking back toward the living room, as he threaded it through the loops on the jeans.

He stood at the end of the hallway looking at the combined living room, dining area, kitchen, his hands on his hips. The ticking of the clock, the gently hum of the refrigerator, and muffled music from his neighbor's stereo reached his ears. He strained to see if he could hear any people, but did not pick up anything.

He had tried to arrange for a date for the evening, but of the women he had called, they'd all been busy. There were other women he could've called, but celebrating such a huge life event with them, would have led them to believe he was more serious about them than he actually was. In the end, he had decided not to call them. Only now, he was alone.

Johnny stood a few minutes longer and then moved back toward the door. He slipped his feet into his hiking boots, quickly tying them. He moved back into his bedroom and grabbed his backpack. He dropped a couple cans of beer into the backpack and a sandwich left over from yesterday. He grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way back out to his car. A quick drive and he could take a nice hike through the hills. That seemed a good way to spend the day.

E

Katrina sat in the cool sand and watched as the waves broke over the rocks along the shores. Resting her hands behind her, she pushed up, taking the weight off her tailbone. She leaned forward, stretching her back and hamstrings and she continued to lean forward bringing her chest to her thighs. Her muscles pulled, but she kept leaning forward until the movement reached the end of discomfort and edged toward pain. She held the stretch, slowly counting to thirty. Sitting back up, she drew in a few breaths and repeated the stretch.

Katrina rolled her shoulders and stretched them back, concentrating on pinching her shoulder blades together. She tilted her head to the side, concentrating on raising her right ear toward the sky, reaching out as far as she could with her right hand, feeling the stretch in her neck and shoulder, a spot where she notoriously held her tension. She held the stretch and repeated several times. Switching to the other side, she envisioned her left ear reaching into the sky, her eyes closed and her breathing deep.

She lay back on her towel, reaching her hands up above her head and elongating her body. Closing her eyes, she focused on matching her breathing with the sound of crashing waves. Breathing in slowly through her nose, she could smell the ocean air, a faint spray reaching some of her skin. The breeze blowing across her hot skin as the sun beat down on her. She felt herself starting to relax at the deep level she knew she needed. The last few months had been grueling; she needed today to de-stress and remember why she was putting herself through this physical and emotional battle.

Katrina flinched as she felt something hit her face. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to ignore the brief intrusion, chalking it up to a minor shifting of the dirt on the cliff above. When more dirt hit her face, she rolled to the side, brushing at her face before opening her eyes. An odd shadow in the sand, had her shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sun and looking up at the side of the mountain. A man was repelling down the side of the mountain toward her. She wasn't sure how she had missed the sound of the rope hitting the ground about fifty feet from her, but she had not heard it.

She frowned. This had been her private little get away for several months. She had never seen anyone here before and liked to think that no one else even knew the private beach cove existed. Katrina scrambled to her feet, not sure if this was just two people each seeking a place of solitude, or if she should feel threatened. She moved over to her bag and slipped her knife out of the side pocket and slid it under the towel. She sat back down, watching as the man reached the ground.

She took a minute to take in his features before making herself known. He was tall, she guessed about six feet, with dark brown, maybe black hair, it was a little hard to tell with the sun. From the way he repelled down the mountain, he was obviously strong, but definitely on the thin side; maybe 170 lbs. She couldn't help notice, he was a very handsome man.

She cleared her throat and the man turned around, a shocked look on his face. "Thanks for dropping in," Katrina quipped. "But, I usually prefer when people call first."

Johnny turned, surprised at the sudden voice. "I didn't know anyone was down here. I couldn't see you topside," Johnny said, taking in the young woman sitting in front of him. He guessed her to be in her early twenties, blonde hair, he couldn't see her eyes, she had her hand shielding them from the sun as she looked up at him. He let his eyes drift over her body, clad in a black bikini. Nice body, he thought, letting a faint smile cross his lips. "I didn't see a rope," Johnny looked around, wondering how she'd gotten down there.

"I didn't repel in," she answered, but didn't elaborate.

She lowered her hand as Johnny moved close enough that he blocked the sun. Katrina rose, feeling uncomfortable having this stranger towering over her. As she rose, she grabbed her towel, pulling it up with her, the knife wrapped in the towel and gripped firmly in her hand. She met his dark brown eyes, and felt herself relax slightly, he had kind eyes.

"I'm John Gage, everyone calls me Johnny," Johnny reached out his hand.

Katrina hesitated, just briefly. "Katrina Conrad," she reached out and shook his hand.

Johnny was surprised at her grip, it was strong and firm. He let his eyes wander over her body again. She was thin, but had great muscle tone, and several pretty bad bruises. Johnny's eyes narrowed.

Katrina pulled her hand from his grasp, as she noticed his gaze wandering over her body. She was used to guys looking at her, but had never been comfortable with it. Johnny brought his gaze back up to her face and met her eyes, searching them for that "deer in the headlights look", he had often seen on abused women. The eyes looking back at him did not look fearful, in fact, they looked a bit irritated.

"I wasn't aware anyone else knew about this place," she said, crossing her arms over her waist.

"I found it a couple of months ago. I've only gotten a chance to come back a couple of times," Johnny explained.

"Hmm," Katrina nodded her head, but wasn't sure what else to say.

"I can leave," Johnny suggested. "You were here first."

Katrina relented, realizing she was being slightly hostile. "This is public property. I don't have any special claim to it."

"But, I understand the need to be alone," Johnny said, searching her face again.

Katrina felt her wall going back up. She moved to stand behind a rock, placing the towel on top, the knife still underneath, but she released her tight grip. "I was just enjoying some quiet time. The space is big enough for us to both be here and not get in each other's way."

Johnny took a step back, getting the message. "Yeah, sure."

Johnny moved a few feet away, pulling a towel out from his bag and laying it out onto the sand. He unlaced his boots, kicking them off and pulling off his socks, dropping them inside of the boots. He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it over the boots. He sat down on the towel, facing the water. He knew she was still standing in the same spot.

Katrina watched him settle into the sand and felt the tension returning to her shoulders. Why was she being so rude, she wondered? Because the last several months had been spent dealing with obnoxious, chauvinistic, rude and sometimes ruthless men, she thought to herself. This man did not deserve to have her frustrations taken out on him, she wasn't being fair to him.

"Sorry," she said, sliding the knife out from under the towel and tossing it into her bag.

Johnny watched the knife sail through the air and land in the bag. "I guess I should just be glad you didn't pull that on me."

"I'd been planning a day to myself, trying to unwind. I guess I don't handle having my plans changed well," She said, walking over to a rock near him and pulling herself up to sit on it.

Johnny let his eyes wander down her legs, but it was the bruises he was examining. She had a large one on her left thigh, that he would be willing to bet was made by a steel-tipped boot. He had experienced enough of them on the job to recognize the pattern. But, the only reason he could think for her to have one was due to someone abusing her. There were several other bruises that were turning yellow, indicating they were probably several weeks old, but some looked fresh, like she had gotten them in just the last day or two.

Katrina felt her ire starting to rise, as he ran his eyes over her legs.

"Do you mind actually looking at my face when you talk to me?" She snipped.

"I was just noticing your bruises, you have a lot of them," Johnny said, letting his voice soften over the last few words.

Katrina felt herself blush over her assumption that he was checking her out. "It's not what you think. Some are from work, some are from my karate class and some are because, well, I'm uh, a bit of klutz," Katrina admitted.

Johnny smiled at her deepening color; but wasn't entirely certain he believed her story.

"I'm sorry I was rude before. It's been a rough few months and I just needed a day to center myself."

"Is that what you're doin' today, centering yourself," Johnny said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice when he said, "centering yourself".

"I don't mean that in any new agey sense," Katrina rolled her eyes at his tone. "I just meant, it helped me get passed all my emotions and get my head on straight."

Johnny thought about her words for a minute. "I can understand that. I guess in a way, that's what I was lookin' for too. Today was supposed to be a big day, I got promoted. But…," Johnny let his words trail off, his thoughts jumbling together with concerns of not being a paramedic anymore, the responsibility he was taking on, concerns on how this would affect not only his friendship with Roy, but all the guys at the station.

Katrina watched the eyes of the handsome stranger darken. She wondered if he knew how easy it was to see the shift in his moods. Something was obviously deeply troubling him. "But, the same way bad things have a silver lining if you look close enough, good things have dark shadows, that are sometimes pretty easy to see," Katrina said softly, finishing where she thought his train of thought had been going.

Johnny looked up and met her eyes, which he could see now were a soft blue. He smiled at her accurate summary of his promotion. "Is that your situation, something good with a dark shadow?"

Katrina looked down and then to the side to look out at the ocean. She thought over her current situation, yes, something good with dark shadows probably was a very good description. She blew out a small breath, "Yeah, yeah, actually it does."

"Well, I've got an idea. What do you say, the two of us spend the day together; relaxing and having a good time, without any negative thoughts. We won't talk about work, family, politics, money, anything that could be difficult, contradictory, negative, or have even a shade of a bad feeling," Johnny suggested, a smile spreading across his face.

Katrina smiled, "So basically, we just won't talk?"

Johnny laughed. "We can talk about the beautiful day, the joy of finding a place like this, we can have a beer," Johnny suggested reaching into his backpack and pulling out a can.

Katrina wrinkled her nose, "I don't like the smell. You can have a beer, I brought iced tea."

Johnny popped the top on the can, taking her comment as acceptance of his offer to spend the day together. She walked over and grabbed her backpack and towel. She walked back over near Johnny, spreading her towel out next to his. She pulled out a thermos and opened it, pouring the cool brown liquid into the cap. She took a deep breath, letting the tension flow out of her again. She rolled her head in a circle, stretching the neck muscles.

"Stiff?" Johnny asked, recognizing the movements as one he often made after tough shifts, or a really productive work out.

"That's gets into one of those forbidden areas," Katrina smiled at him.

"We could talk about that great smile of yours," Johnny suggested, a crooked, flirtatious smile on his face.

Katrina let her eyes meet his briefly and then roam down his face to his full lips and then slowly down his smooth chest to his chiseled torso and still further down, until she felt the heat in her cheeks. "I think that would probably cause me very dark shadows tomorrow morning," Katrina said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Johnny knew looking at her, if he pushed, she would give in. He let his eyes roam over her body slowly, she was a very beautiful woman. His dark brown eyes locked with her light blue eyes, he saw desire, but he also saw fear; Johnny looked back down at the large bruise on her thigh. "How did you get here, if you didn't repel?" Johnny asked, changing the topic.

"There's a public beach about ¾ miles north of here. I parked there and got here on my board," Katrina pointed to a surf board resting behind some rocks and barely visible to Johnny. She breathed a sigh of relief, when Johnny broke their gaze and looked over at the water.

"3/4 of a mile? With the rocks in this area, isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"No more dangerous than dropping off a cliff and hoping a piece of rope will keep you from plummeting to your death," Katrina said with a chuckle.

"I'm very good at repelling and climbing," Johnny smiled.

"I grew up in Florida; lots of water, not many cliffs," Katrina said.

"I love the mountains. Hiking, camping, fishing, all great ways to spend free time," Johnny said.

"I love water, surfing, water skiing, kayaking, and fishing. Although, I'm a bit of a sissy about baiting my hook and taking the fish off the hook."

"How do you fish if you can't bait a hook, or take a fish off the line?"

"You have to pick the right fishing companion; I never go alone," Katrina joked.

"I've never seen any surfers in this area," Johnny commented.

"Because of the rocks you mentioned. This is a pretty dangerous area to surf, not challenging, but dangerous. There are too many great surfing locations in this area for anyone to bother with this section of the beach. I don't really surf in this area, but I can paddle and keep my pack dry. It's supposed to be water proof, but, well, yeah, you know how well that actually works."

"Soggy food and damp towel," Johnny said with a nod.

"Speaking of food, I've got some. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I brought a sandwich, but only one," Johnny hesitated.

"I actually packed quite a bit of food," Katrina slid her backpack over. She pulled out several containers. "I've got homemade chicken salad, fruit, vegetables and crackers. Plus, cookies for dessert."

"Is there enough for both of us?"

"If you eat your sandwich too," Katrina laughed. "There may be enough for both of us, but I'm willing to bet you've got a pretty good appetite."

Johnny pulled the sandwich out of his backpack and proceeded to eat it; while Katrina opened up the other containers. "This is really good, Katrina," Johnny said, with his mouth full of chicken salad.

"Has everyone ever told you it's rude to talk with your mouth full?" Katrina asked, but with humor in her voice.

"My mom probably yelled at me a time or two, plus some of the guys I work with, worked with," Johnny said, his eyes clouding again.

"Oops, breaking the rules. No talk that makes your eyes do that," Katrina said.

"Do what?"

Katrina smiled at him, but instead of saying anything, handed him a cookie. "Homemade, these will put a smile on your face, guaranteed."

Johnny bit into the chocolate chip cookie and let his face show the pure pleasure of the taste. "Katrina, these are amazing! Oatmeal chocolate chip. These are my favorite. I can never find them in California."

"Most people actually call me Kat," Katrina said, relaxing into her conversation with Johnny. "I haven't been able to find them either, but they were a staple in Florida. My mom used to make these at least once a month. They're my favorite too."

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, swimming and just laying in the sun. As the sun began to set, they leaned against a rock, sitting side by side. Johnny slid his arm around her waist. She let her head rest against his shoulder, her silky hair lightly tickling his skin as the breeze blew it slightly.

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, as the sun dipped below the horizon. "It's pretty dark on the water, maybe you should climb up with me?"

"How would you get my board up?"

"I've gotten cargo more precious than that up a cliff, more than once," Johnny said, with a smile.

Katrina looked up the cliff. "I'll take my chances with the waves."

Johnny put a hand on her waist, stopping her when she would have moved over to her surf board. Their eyes locked, his hand tightened around her waist as he pulled her slightly closer to him. He hesitated, to see if she pulled away. Instead, she ran her hands up his arms, across his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her fingers run into his dark hair. He dropped his head, slowly kissing her upper lip and then lower lip. He pulled her body against his, and deepened their kiss, starting their tongues in a slow, sensual dance.

He let his hand slide from her waist to cup her behind, pressing her against him. Katrina slid her hands from his neck and flattened her palms against his chest, breaking their kiss.

"I had a very nice afternoon, and even better evening, Johnny. But, I'd better get moving."

"Be careful, Kat," Johnny said quietly.

Katrina looked up the cliff again. "You too."

Katrina carried the surf board several feet into the water, and then set it down. The water felt cool against her skin. She placed the pack on the front of the board and climbed up; she used the paddle to turn the board and watched as Johnny moved toward his rope. She couldn't see his finer movements, but noticed him quickly ascending the rope. She slowly paddled her board north to the public beach area, thinking about their kiss.

Johnny quickly made his way up the rope and moved over to the Rover, throwing the rope and backpack into the back. He quickly jumped into the driver's seat. He turned left onto the road and drove just under a mile to the parking lot for the public beach. He turned off the car, and waited.

She didn't notice the man in the Rover watching her as she loaded the surf board into her car. Johnny didn't let himself think too much about why he needed to make sure she got back to her car safely, but he chocked it up to the fireman in him. It was his job to protect people, make sure they were safe. He briefly thought about following her, to see where she lived, but decided that was way too creepy. They hadn't exchanged phone numbers; this may be the only time he'd ever see her. But, somehow, he knew he'd see Katrina Conrad again. Johnny turned the Rover around and headed home, a whistle escaping his lips as he drove.

Author's note: The writing in Bold is taken directly from the Emergency "Greatest Rescues of Emergency". I do not own any of these characters or have any claim to that scene.