A/N

This is just a little funny thing that popped into my head while I was watching 6.3 "The Unlikely Heirs". Anyone who knows me/has read my work knows that I am a HUGE Dixie/Kel fan, and I tend to always work a romance into my stories. This is a complete one-shot, though I have extended it some I don't think I'm going to post any more of it. As I said, this was inspired by "The Unlikely Heirs". It's in a skipped scene(s) format.

As always, the characters and Emergency! itself belong to Jack Webb, RA Cinader, and Universal Studios. I'm just playing with them. 3

Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated, hate is not. If you don't like my work, I would love tips on how I can do better! Anonymous comments will not be kept.

January, 1977

Kel Brackett paid for his sandwich and coffee, then carried his plate over to the corner table where Dixie McCall was already sitting. She looks up from her own coffee as he approaches.

"Care to join me?" she smiles.

"Don't mind if I do," he returns the smile and sits down across from his favorite nurse. While never officially defined, the doctor and nurse have a mutual adoration for each other and have attended events and dates together for years.

Setting her coffee down, she looks over the table at the tall doctor. "Busy morning?"

"Oh, not too bad. I'm here, aren't I?" he grins. "Joe told me that you had an interesting morning, though."

She rolls her eyes, a smirk crossing her face. "He did, did he?"

Kel chuckles. "Something to do with a bouquet, perhaps?"

Dixie laughs, shaking her head. "The wedding was my idea. Catching the bouquet, not so much, but what choice did I have?"

"Well, you know what they say…" he trails off, a funny smile playing in his eyes.

"That sounds like a loaded statement, Dr Brackett." She eyes him, not fully sure of what to say.

He chuckles awkwardly, catching the curious look in her bright blue eyes. "Only if you want it to be, Miss McCall."

Her eyes narrow as she picks up the coffee cup and pushes the chair back. "I better get back to work."

Kel realizes he's said something wrong, though he's not sure what it was. "I'll come with you," he starts to collect his plate.

"No," she smiles softly. "Finish your lunch, Kel. I'm not off until 7, you'll see me plenty." She turns and sets the coffee cup in a dish bin before leaving the cafeteria.

He sits at the table and finishes his sandwich, wondering if she's really as put off as she seemed. He'd wanted to make things official for a while now, they weren't "boyfriend and girlfriend" really but they were certainly a couple. They worked together, went out together, had a good time with one another. They made a great team in the hospital and Dix was an amazing companion outside of the job. He loved her, and he wanted nothing more than to make her his wife.

Dixie didn't really know what to think. Sure, the old superstition had crossed her mind when the flowers landed in her hands. But she wasn't on that path, was she? She and Kel had some great times, some fun times, they made a great pair and she certainly loved him. But they weren't a couple, not really… just a couple of people that spent a lot of time together. It's not that she didn't want it. She adores him, he is one of the only people around which she'll truly let her guard down. They're colleagues, they have worked together for so long and, well, she figured if there was more there then it would have happened by now.

"Miss McCall," the young, dark-haired student nurse didn't want to startle her boss. "Miss McCall?"

She looks up, slightly startled. "Yes, Dorothy? I'm sorry, I was a bit distracted."

The girl gives her a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you. But Squad 51 is coming in with a heart attack victim and Dr Early is asking for you."

Dixie smiles at her. "Don't apologize, I shouldn't have let my thoughts run like that. Which room?"

"Four," she replies. Dix nods and heads for the treatment room, finding not only Joe Early but Kel in there as well.

"What have we got?" she looks at each man in turn, and quickly checks over the crash cart.

"Heart attack," Joe tells her. "Age 64. Johnny is riding in with him. He was in sinus tach last we saw, they should be here any second now."

She goes to push open the door, slipping by Kel as she does so. His arm under her hand is electric, more so than she's used to.

The rest of the twelve-hour shift goes by in a busy blur, for both of them. When 7 o'clock finally rolls around, Kel finds himself walking to Dixie's car instead of his own. Knowing she'll take a few minutes to change out of her uniform, he decides to stick around and ask her to dinner.

As she walks towards him, looking a little confused, he remembers the thing in the glove box, the thing he wanted to do at the Firemen's Picnic the year before but she had gotten so sick, he'd left it in his car just waiting for another opportunity.

"Kel?" she greets him with a playful smile. "Your car is over there."

He chuckles, glad for the joke to get him out of his head. "I know, I know. I was thinking, though, it's not too late and we could go get something to eat if you wanted to?"

"Sure," the grin on her face fills him with joy. "Let me go home first, and change into something a little nicer, though? Pick me up in half an hour?"

"Perfect," he says, stealing a kiss on her cheek before walking off towards his own car. She shakes her head, smiling, as she gets into her car and drives home.

45 minutes later, she's in the passenger seat of Kel's two door. He kept on his work clothes, though he'd left the tie at home. She had abandoned the jeans and blouse she'd put on at work in favor of a simple navy dress, one of his favorites.

"I was thinking Italian… good food, good wine. We're both off tomorrow, does that sound alright?" he turns to look at her as he pulls up to a stoplight.

She looks over at him. "Sounds fine to me," she replies with a smile. He smiles back, and unconsciously brushes his pocket before putting his hands back on the wheel.

He turns in to the parking lot of a small Italian restaurant just down the street from the hospital, and finds a spot in the far corner.

"It looks a little busy," he says, finding himself getting a bit nervous.

She glances at him, "I don't mind waiting, Kel, but we can go somewhere else if you'd like to."

"No, no," he takes her hand as they walk to the door. "This is just fine."

Despite the full parking lot and equally full restaurant, they're seated almost immediately at a table for two in the back. Their meals are brought quickly, accompanied by red wine and lots of laughter. They chat lightheartedly over the entrées, and once they finish Kel signals the waiter.

"Tiramisu, please," he says, "just one."

Dixie chuckles as the waiter nods and leaves. "You certainly know me well, Kelly Brackett."

He smiles. "I like to think I do." He's so happy here, with her, but his heart is pounding.

She looks at him, her blue eyes staring straight through him. "You alright, Kel?"

He nods. "I'm with you, aren't I?"

She narrows her eyes a bit, but lets the subject drop as their dessert is delivered. They split the pastry, reaching the end in a matter of minutes. Kel realizes, then, that it's now or never.

"Dix," he says softly. She looks up at him, her face happy but entirely unsuspecting. He tries again.

"Dix, I wanted to do this last summer, at the Firemen's Picnic. It's always so much fun, you enjoy it and so do I. Then you got sick, and we missed the picnic, and I completely lost my nerve. Today, though, I think I've found it again."

The realization begins to dawn in her eyes, and she starts to open her mouth. He holds up his hand, first to stop her from speaking then to take her hand in his.

"I know I may be way out of line here, but I love you. I love being with you, in and out of work. I love taking you out, talking and laughing and dancing. I love seeing you smile, even at my expense. Dix, I love you. I truly love you. This may feel like we're skipping a step or two, but we never were much for convention now were we?"

She smiles and shakes her head, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks.

He pulls the navy velvet box out of his suit pocket and opens it, revealing a narrow silver band with four inset diamonds. "I have been carrying this around in my car since the week of the picnic, just waiting until I could find the courage again. Dixie McCall, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

She's truly crying now, but her eyes are shining with joy. "Of course I'll marry you, Kelly Brackett. Maybe it is skipping a step, or two, or ten, but to hell with convention." The grin on her face is matched only by the one on her fiancé's. He slides the engagement band onto her finger, then pulls her over the table for a real kiss.

Alternate Ending/Skipped Scene for episode 6.3 "The Unlikely Heirs"

Post-hospital wedding and bouquet toss

Dix/Kel

Tag: pilot episode

"How does an old maid know when a confirmed bachelor is telling her the truth?"

"Easy. I didn't ask you to do my laundry first."

"I wasn't asking you the question, hotshot."

"Don't know why not. I'm a good catch."

"I'm not a good catcher."

"Maybe not. But I bet you've been asked, Dix. More than once."

"More than twice."

"Where did they go wrong?"

"Oh, wanted me to quit nursing when I was first starting out. Another time around, I refused to rule out children. Then there was a gentleman caller who wanted me to share his name and his mother."

"Come on, let me take you away from all this."

"How did you collaborate on your loneliness?"

"Hid behind my work. Never had time, is what I said. Never took time, is what I did."