The Gage Surprise-2
"Alyssa? Hi, it's Joanne."
"Oh, hello, Joanne. Uh, is something wrong? The guys ok?" Alyssa was unaccustomed to receiving phone calls. The only person who ever called her was John when he was on shift.
"Oh, sure. They're fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause you to worry. Listen, I was wondering….Roy and Johnny are planning a work day on Friday to get ready for the cookout here on Memorial Day weekend and I was wondering….um, would you mind coming over to give me a hand that day too? The kids want to meet you and I could really use the 'girl talk' you know?" Jo was secretly holding her fingers crossed in the hopes that John's young cousin would accept her invitation.
"I promise I won't put you to work or anything. I'd just really like to get to know you a little better; let the kids meet you." Come on, Alyssa just say yes please!
"Um, you really want me to come over?" Alyssa asked with a somewhat shaky voice.
"Of course, honey. You're family! And I promise the kids won't bite you or anything." Joanne offered a chuckle hoping to relieve some of the tension she was hearing in Alyssa's voice.
Family. There was that word again; the word that Alyssa still didn't quite know the meaning of - not these days anyway. Her heart was touched by Joanne's offer but she was also a little intimidated. Joanne seemed to be a wonderful, wife, mother, friend, cook – there wasn't anything the woman didn't do well. Johnny obviously loved her like a sister. Was there a place for Alyssa in this tight knit family unit?
She blinked her eyes rapidly pulling herself away from her darkening thoughts. She realized she was being rude by making Joanne wait for her answer. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Jo's feelings.
"Um, yea….sure….sounds like fun; as long as you guys don't mind my being there."
"Mind you being here? Alyssa, it wouldn't be the same without you."
Alyssa felt a flush rising from her chest towards her face.
"I'm so glad you're coming. I'll see you Friday ok?" Jo said trying to mask her relief at Alyssa's acceptance of her invitation.
"Yea, sure. Thanks, Joanne…..I, uh, I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to it."
Alyssa returned the receiver to the cradle on the wall of the kitchen. She allowed her fingers to linger there for a moment thinking about what had just happened. The wife of John's best friend had just reached out to her. Does she really want to get to know me better; accept me as a part of their family?
E!
The smell of soup permeated the station as Mike added the finishing touches to the pot. The cold cuts and cheese were already prepared on a platter in the center of the table with a loaf of bread on either side.
"Is it soup yet?"
"Almost, Marco." Mike said with a grin as he slowly stirred the contents.
"I'll go let the guys know." Marco said as he opened the kitchen door and headed toward the apparatus bay.
"Gage, DeSoto, Kelly – lunch is almost ready."
"Ok, thanks, man." Johnny said as he followed Roy into the dorm to call Joanne.
Roy sat down and dialed his home number while Johnny sat on the desk beside the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Baby. Did you get in touch with Alyssa?" He asked glancing up at his partner.
"Yes…and she said yes."
Roy could hear the smile in Jo's voice. "Oh, Jo…thanks. You are the greatest!"
Johnny's smile lit up his face. He could tell from Roy's side of the conversation that Alyssa had accepted the invitation. He waited for Roy to hang up the phone and then leaped off the desk.
"Ok, Junior. She's still at your house and she agreed to join us for our work day."
"Well, a'right!"
"Then…..the two of you need to talk, mister." Roy leveled his gaze at his junior partner. His demeanor was jovial but his message was quite serious.
"Yea, yea. I know. And I promise we will, Roy. Oh, Marco said lunch was ready." He slapped his partner on the back and the two headed towards the kitchen.
E!
The afternoon was proving to be a quiet one. Marco and Mike were involved in a very serious game of dominoes while Hank spent the afternoon at his desk going over paper work he'd received recently from headquarters. Roy and John were washing and drying the dishes from lunch while Chet was engaged in a heated conversation with Henry…and it appeared that the station mascot was winning.
"I don't get it?"
Johnny took the bait. "What don't you get, Chet?"
"How can he just lie there like a block of wood when I'm talking to him?"
"Well, Chet…..I guess you're boring even to a lazy dog." Johnny quipped.
"Oh, real funny Gage." Chet looked up and noticed Mike and Marco snickering at the casual banter between the Phantom and his pigeon. Seeing that neither man was going to come to his rescue from Johnny, he turned his attention to Roy.
"Hey, Roy. Do you mind if I borrow your hedge trimmers on Friday? My landlady wants me to do a little yard work for her….and she gives me a discount on my rent when I help her out like that." He asked Roy with pleading blue eyes.
"Of course not, Chet. Just come get 'em whenever you want. I'll be there. John and I are gonna be working on my deck getting ready for Memorial Day. You are still coming aren't you?"
"Aww, Roy. I wouldn't miss it. Inviting any hot babes this year?"
Johnny had been absent-mindedly drying dishes and paying little attention to the conversation between his partner and Chet…until the phrase 'hot babes' was uttered by the young linemen. Uh-oh…..he wouldn't dare…..would he?
"Well, Chet….you know Alyssa will be there this year and…." He began before he was quickly interrupted by his now red faced partner.
"And she's off limits to you!" Johnny said tossing the slightly damp dish rag onto his left shoulder and pointing a dripping wet soup ladle in Chet's general direction.
"Hey…whoa..whoa, Gage…down boy!" Chet said with palms raised to the sides of his head. "I've met your cousin, remember? I ain't goin' nowhere near that chick…not after what she did to Stoker."
A round of laughter ensued even though Mike felt a slight twinge in his lower belly as thoughts of Alyssa's elbow connecting with his groin were thrust to the forefront of his memory. He knew she'd been hallucinating after a severe reaction to diazepam and so he certainly held no grudge against John's young cousin. Even still…..he would be a little cautious around her at the cookout next weekend.
"Johnny, you're supposed to be drying not dripping!"
"Huh? Oh…" John winced as he noted the water dripping from the kitchen utensil. "Uh…sorry, Roy." He said sheepishly turning back to the sink.
E!
Present day….
Johnny was brought back to the present as he turned into his drive-way. He parked in his usual spot between his house and barn. He reached into his backseat and removed his crisp fresh uniform then headed into his house.
"Hey, girl." He said as Patches, his canine companion, greeted him at the door. "Alyssa's gone, huh?"
Patches offered her master a pitiful whining noise as she followed him down the hallway to his bedroom. She sat on her haunches as he hung up his uniform in his closet and then sat down on his bed. He reached out to Patches and she gratefully nuzzled up to him placing her wet nose on the underside of his hand. He rewarded her with a few gentle pats on her head and a long episode of scratching behind her ears.
"You know, Patches….it's gonna take us a while to adjust isn't it?" He grinned down at his tricolored mixed breed rescue who had been his constant companion ever since he purchased his ranch. He looked into her dark brown eyes and was immediately carried back in time to another set of brown eyes; eyes that looked at him seeing his soul and melting his heart.
E!
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. They keep me going and are so much appreciated.