"That's them," Johnny said, when he saw a large van pull up and the fire academy trainees started to pile out. They were easily recognizable by the academy t-shirts they all wore.
Johnny watched for Ashley to get out, but when she didn't he turned to Mike. "Didn't you say she was riding over with the other trainees?"
"That's what she said."
Johnny and Mike walked over to the group of young men. "Hey, where's Ashley?" Johnny asked.
"Some guy was waiting for her when we walked out and she stayed behind with him," one of the guys answered, looking at Johnny.
"What guy?" He and Mike asked in unison.
The guy shrugged, "Beats me, but she obviously knew him."
"I think she called him Jack," another guy answered.
Johnny and Mike exchanged looks. "What's she doing with Jack?" Johnny wondered out loud.
"I'm wondering what he's doing down here. He's from Arcata; that's like a 10-hour drive," Mike said.
"So is she just not gonna show up? She knows I'm planning on seeing her here. Did I just get stood up?"
Mike just shrugged and walked back toward the group.
"What's going on?" Tina asked.
"Jack showed up at the academy and Ashley stayed behind with him," Mike explained to the group.
"Uh-oh," Roy said. "Johnny's not gonna take that well."
"He shouldn't," Joanne said, feeling herself getting angry at Ashley. "How could she do that to Johnny. She supposed to be with him today. How can she just stand him up?"
E
Chet picked up a baseball bat in each hand and swung them back and forth. He put down the bat in his right hand and shifted the bat in his left hand to give it a swing, as if he was hitting a ball. As he twisted his body with the movement, his eyes landed on Lizzie, as she bent over to pick up a cup and napkin off the ground and carried them over to a trash can.
He couldn't help but feel bad for her. The other kids her age were walking around the park, playing Frisbee or clustered in small groups eating at one of the many tables. Chet felt like since it was Lizzie's first time at the Annual Fireman's Picnic, she should have been allowed to just relax and get to know the other kids.
Chet looked around and found Mary sitting with Joanne, Beth, Tina and Marisol. She didn't seem bothered by the fact their daughter was working like a slave. Chet frowned and looked back at Lizzie. Maybe they could tell her she was free for the rest of the day.
"She's gotta learn that her consequences have actions," Roy said, following his gaze.
"How'd you know what I was thinking?"
"I recognize the look all too well," Roy said, slapping him on the back. "But, letting her out of this punishment has consequences for you both in the future. She has to learn that you mean what you say."
"But, it's her first time at the picnic; she should get to know the other kids. She's new to the area, and some of these kids go to the same school she does."
"And they all know she's doing this because she's being punished. It sets an example for them; and they may help encourage her to make smarter choices in the future."
"You really think that?" Chet asked, skeptical that the kids would actually encourage her to behave. His experience was you got teased for being good and rewarded for misbehaving; at least when it came to other kids.
"Cap's girls are over there. They'd encourage her to be better behaved."
"But, they're not even talking to her," Chet could hear himself whining; and coughed to try to cover it up.
Roy smiled. "They will. See how they're watching her. Mark my words, one of them'll say something soon."
"C'mon, Chet. You're up, stop day dreaming over there," Johnny yelled from the bench.
Chet gave him a dirty look and walked over to the plate. He wasn't the best baseball player, but he wasn't the worst. Of course, that was when his mind was on the game and not following the movements of a red-headed teenager.
Johnson from Station 10 struck him out with 3 pitches.
Johnny would have shouted something at him, but he'd seen him getting distracted watching Lizzie. He knew if he gave him grief about being concerned for his daughter he'd hear about it from all the ladies.
Johnny was suddenly pulled from his thoughts, when he saw Ashley get out of a car and look around. She was immediately joined by a very tall guy.
"Is that Jack?" Roy asked, coming up next to Johnny.
"He's got to be at least 6'4"," Marco said, taking in the size of the guy, now moving toward them with Ashley.
"And 250 lbs, easy," Mike added.
"You better hope you don't have to fight him for Ashley," Chet said.
Johnny gave Chet a look of annoyance and then looked back at Ashley and Jack walking toward them. "You guys would help me, right?" Johnny asked, Jack was a big guy.
"Not a chance," Chet said, moving back to sit on the bench.
"You're on your own," Mike said.
"Good luck," Marco moved away as well.
Johnny looked over at Roy. "Sorry, junior, no way."
"Gage, let's go!" Johnson yelled at him. Johnny realized it was his turn to bat and he'd been standing there staring at Ashley and Jack.
Ashley caught his eye just for a second before he turned and walked away to take his turn to bat. Ashley changed directions and walked Jack over to the group of women sitting on the picnic table, watching their guys play baseball.
Johnny walked up to the plate and assumed his stance. He was determined not to strike out like Chet had. Johnny watched the ball whizzing toward him and felt the impact of the bat and ball before he even heard the familiar whack, as they made contact. He dropped the bat and headed for first base, when he realized the ball had gone far out into left field he continued his sprint toward second base. He rounded second base and pushed toward third, even though Jacobs from 61 now had the ball and was already preparing to send it sailing to his teammate.
"Slide, slide," Johnny could hear his teammates screaming at him as he neared third base.
He dove for the base, feeling the dirt and gravel scraping against his arms as he stretched out his hands to touch the base.
"Safe!"
Johnny jumped to his feet and dusted off his pants, he turned to see Ashley cheering with the other ladies, Jack still standing at her side. Roy brought him home as he scored a double run himself. Johnny and the rest of the guys moved toward the picnic table just a few minutes later, when the next batter scored a home run, winning the game for his team.
Johnny walked toward Ashley and Jack, a smile plastered on his face; but Ashley knew he was angry by his stride and his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked, feeling her tense and move back slightly.
Ashley forced herself to give Jack a smile. "Sure," she said, looking back at Johnny, who was now almost to them.
"Hi," she said, her voice a bit timid, as she looked at Johnny.
Johnny just looked at her and then looked at Jack.
"John Gage, Jack Wagner," Ashley said, as way of introduction.
Johnny stretched out his hand and it was engulfed by the much bigger man's hand, but Johnny looked him directly in the eye.
"Jack, this is Marco and Marisol, Mike and Tina, Captain Stanley and his wife, Beth, Roy and his wife, Joanne, Chet," Ashley paused.
"This is Mary, and her daughter Lizzie," Chet finished for her.
"Nice to meet all of you," Jack said, his eyes surveying the group, but going back to Johnny.
"It looks like you scratched up your arm on that slide," Ashley said, noticing some blood on Johnny's arm.
"It's nothing."
"Mike, do you still have that first aid kit in your truck?"
"Yeah."
Ashley reached over and took Johnny's hand. "I'll be right back," she said to Jack, hoping he'd get the message to stay put. She tugged Johnny toward Mike's truck.
He sat down on the tailgate of the truck, while Ashley went in the cab to get the first aid kit. She walked over and stood in front of him, taking in the dark expression on his face.
"I'm sorry," she said, opening the kit and taking out the hydrogen peroxide to start cleaning his arm. "I had no idea he was going to show up today."
"How'd he even know you were gonna be free today?"
"I mentioned the picnic last week."
"You saw him last week?"
Ashley shook her head, "No, I mentioned it on the phone."
"You can find time to call him, but you don't call me," Johnny was even more irritated now.
"I didn't call him, he called me."
"You told me not to call you. But, you're okay with him calling you?"
"I didn't ask him to call me," Ashley said, she held out Johnny's arm and poured the peroxide on it. She watched as it bubbled up.
"How would you like it, if I'd shown up here with another girl?"
Ashley looked over to where Jack was sitting on the picnic table with the other members of Station 51 and then back at Johnny. She maneuvered so she was standing between his legs. She brushed a piece of hair off his forehead and leaned in to gently kiss his lips. "I wouldn't have liked it," she said, answering his question. "I didn't plan on him being here, Johnny. Jack is my friend and I care a lot about him."
"I think Jack wants to be more than your friend," Johnny said, looking over toward the group as well.
"What do you want me to do?" Ashley asked, feeling frustrated.
"You need to tell him that it's not gonna happen," Johnny said, irritated by her tone.
"I've told him how I feel about you."
"Apparently not clear enough."
"Johnny, he's the closest thing I have to family. My parents are dead, my sister is dead, I don't have any aunts or uncles. Yes, Mike and I are close, but we literally knew each other four months before Maddie died and I got shipped to a different foster home and I didn't see him again until I showed up here seven months ago. I've known Jack, almost a decade. For six years, I saw him almost every single day. He was my best friend, my protector," Ashley looked at Johnny, needing him to understand how important Jack was to her.
"That's not his place anymore," Johnny said, bugged by the fact that Ashley was putting Jack into the role he should be filling in her life. "Either you make him understand that, or I will." Johnny got up and walked back over toward the group.
Ashley watched him walk away for a few seconds before she started cleaning up the first aid supplies and storing the box back in Mike's truck. She understood why it bothered Johnny, their relationship still felt like it was on shaky ground, but she needed him to see this through her eyes. She didn't want to lose Jack; he was such a big part of her past and he understood what her life had been like.
Luckily, by the time she got back to the group, the guys were getting ready to go start a game of football. "Can a police officer play, or is it fire department only?" Jack asked.
"Are you kidding, you are definitely on our team," Chet said. "You're the only one who looks like a linebacker."
Jack followed after the guys.
E
"Told you," Roy said, coming over to stand next to Chet.
The picnic was starting to break up, most of the guys with young kids had already left.
"Told me what?"
"That the other kids would eventually seek Lizzie out. And, Mary hasn't stopped her from chatting with them. So, Lizzie spent most of her day having to clean and serve her punishment; and now is getting a chance to see what she could've been doing all day, if she hadn't gotten in trouble."
"How do you do it, Roy? Be a parent, and a husband and a paramedic? I'm a fireman and a father and I'm drowning."
"Well, first of all, I didn't start out with a teenager on day one. I've had time to build up to this. Secondly, I have Joanne to help me; we've had years learning how to work together. You and Mary are just getting to know each other again."
Chet just shook his head. Today had been really hard. He felt bad for Lizzie and had been angry at Mary when she refused to budge even a little bit on her punishment. She'd been irritated at him for trying to go back on their agreed punishment.
"By the way, since Lizzie got in trouble for pulling pranks in school, are we going to be seeing less of the phantom, so he sets a good example for her?" Roy asked hopefully.
"Actually, I was thinking maybe Lizzie could practice on the guys at the station and that way she wouldn't get in trouble at school," Chet laughed.
"Just so you know, you get paid back for every prank she pulls," Roy said, slapping Chet on the back.
E
Beth, Tina, Marisol, and Mary were cleaning up all the stuff Station 51 had brought. Johnny, Mike, Marco and Hank were carrying items back to the various vehicles. Ashley was standing off to the side with Jack, checking his nose. The last game, which had turned into a particularly vicious game of dodgeball, had ended when Johnny hit Jack smack in the face with a hard throw from just a couple feet away. In Johnny's defense, Jack had originally had his back to him; he just turned at the worst possible moment. But, the ball had obviously been meant to hit him really hard in the back of the head. Of course, it could've been retaliation for the earlier basketball game when Jack had knocked Johnny to the ground, trying to stop him from making a shot. It had seemed rather deliberate, at least to Johnny, who had vented later to Roy.
"I don't think it's broken," Ashley said. She'd had him holding his nose at the bridge for several minutes, to stop the bleeding.
"Your boyfriend has a bit of a violent streak," Jack said, looking at her closely. "Is that why you were afraid of him earlier?"
"I wasn't afraid of him," Ashley said.
"When he was walking over to you after the baseball game. You tensed up and took a step back," Jack said, watching her reaction.
"I knew he was going to be upset."
"And you were afraid."
"Of the confrontation, not of Johnny. He'd never hurt me."
"He already did, by not telling you about the diary."
"You know what I mean," Ashley said, taking a step back from Jack.
"Why should he be upset? You're not allowed to have guy friends? I've known you a lot longer than he has."
"Oh c'mon, Jack. You show up without any notice. Johnny had thought of this as a date, we haven't seen each other in weeks, and out of the blue I show up with another guy. You honestly think you wouldn't have been irritated, if you were Johnny?"
"I think I'd understand how important having a long term friend in your life is," Jack said.
"He does," Ashley argued, although she wasn't entirely sure that was true, she felt the need to defend Johnny.
"Really, Ashley? Are you sure about that? Because what I saw today, he doesn't like me and he was taking it out on you."
"I'm sure and he wasn't. You're not being fair to him. He was caught off guard, our relationship is still new and we rarely get to see each other with me at the academy. I talk to you more than I talk to him."
"And why do you think that is," Jack said, trying to hint that they were better for each other.
"Because Johnny honors my request not to call me, so I can focus on training," Ashley said, her anger getting the best of her.
"I only call you once a week, and you don't seem to mind those phone calls. In fact, you've always said you feel better after we talk. Can you say that about your conversations with him?"
"Don't do this Jack."
"Ashley," Jack reached over and grasped her hand. "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. But, Johnny is never gonna understand you the way I do. Life for us could be so easy. Everything you've told me and everything I've seen, that is not the case with you and Johnny. I don't want you to rule out the idea of you and I together, as more than friends."
Ashley turned her head and saw Johnny staring at them, Jack was still holding her hand. Ashley felt her face flush and she pulled her hand back. "Great."
"Ashley," Jack called out, as she walked away.
"Not now, Jack," Ashley said, heading toward Johnny.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow, I gotta go," Johnny said, as he walked passed his friends, headed toward his Rover.
"Johnny, wait!" Ashley called out, hurrying after him.
Johnny just kept walking.
"Johnny," Ashley caught up to him and grasped his arm.
Johnny turned around to look at her. "What?"
"Don't leave."
"Why? So I can watch when the two of you kiss?"
Ashley flinched at his tone. "It wasn't like that."
"It certainly looked like a pretty intimate conversation from where I stood, with the two of you holding hands."
"I'm sorry," Ashley said.
"For what, Ashley? Leading me on, or leading him on?"
"That's not fair. That's not what I'm doing. He's a friend, and I've told him that I want to be with you."
"Doesn't look like he's getting the message."
"I know," Ashley said quietly.
"Then maybe I should talk to him," Johnny said, starting to move toward Jack.
"No," Ashley said, grabbing his arm.
"Why not?"
"Don't you think you've done enough today?"
"Given the fact he was holding your hand and making a play for you and you're supposed to be my girl, no, I don't."
"Johnny, please, try to understand how important Jack's friendship is to me," Ashley pleaded.
"Who's more important to you, Ashley? Him or me?"
"Don't ask me to choose between you and my friend, Johnny, please."
"And if he won't accept he's just a friend; what happens then?"
Ashley closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. She was getting such a bad headache.
"Jack isn't just your friend and it isn't fair to ask me to stand by and watch as he tries to make a play for you."
Ashley opened her eyes and looked at him. "I know. I'm sorry. I just, I don't know how to handle this. I've never been in a situation like this before. You're the one I want to be with Johnny, I swear. But, I don't want to lose my only long-term friend. Please, give me just a bit more time to work this out."
Johnny reached out and pulled Ashley into his arms. He dropped his head and rested his cheek on the top of her head. He turned to look at Jack, who was watching them. Johnny knew he was going to have to take control of this situation, sooner or later, but he didn't want Ashley stuck in the middle. He understood Jack was important to her, but the guy was making her a rope in a tug-of-war, and Johnny wasn't going to let it happen.
Ashley stepped back and looked up at him. "Just give me a little more time. I'll keep working on helping Jack understand that we are just going to be friends. I really don't want to lose him as a friend, Johnny."
"I don't think a little time is going to change anything," Johnny warned her.
"Let me try."
"I guess that means you're going to let him drive you back to the academy," Johnny said, stepping away from her.
Ashley reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him in closer. "Not before making it abundantly clear that our relationship is the romantic one," Ashley said, as she slipped her arms around Johnny's neck and wound her fingers into this thick hair.
Johnny wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his lips to hers. Ashley opened her mouth as their tongues entwined in an intimate dance. Johnny's arms tightened as she pressed her body against his. He held the kiss for just another second and then reluctantly pulled back.
"Don't stop," Ashley whispered. Her arms still around his neck, her eyes closed.
"I have to, or this is gonna get real embarrassing in a public park," Johnny said, as he adjusted his stance.
Ashley blushed as she caught the meaning of his words. "I wish we were somewhere more private."
"Me too," Johnny said, as he gave her one more brief kiss.
"Tim, can you guys wait a minute for me. I'll be right there," Ashley called out to one of the academy trainees.
Johnny arched an eyebrow.
"I'll ride back to the academy with the others. I'd have you take me back, but I don't think I'd make curfew," Ashley gave Johnny a suggestive smile.
"No, no you wouldn't," he agreed, pulling her against him again briefly, while he bent down to kiss her neck.
"I've got to go and say good-bye to Jack," Ashley said.
Johnny sighed, but let her go.
"You're not gonna let me drive you back to the academy?" Jack said, stunned. "I drove all the way from Arcata to spend the day with you."
"I didn't ask you too," Ashley said.
"Ashley."
"No, Jack. You're my friend, and I care so much about you. I don't even want to think of what my life would be like without you. But, I'm dating Johnny and I don't want to hurt him either."
"So you're not letting either one of us drive you back? Is that the sign of a good relationship?"
"Don't Jack," Ashley warned. "I'll call you in a couple of weeks." Ashley hurried toward the van that already held the other trainees. Jack watched her go and then turned to look at Johnny. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Jack turned and headed toward his car. Johnny waited until he got in the car and then he got into his Rover.
E
"Thank you for coming," Chet said to Mary and Lizzie as he dropped them back at their house.
"Thanks for inviting us. I really like your friends," Mary said.
"I had fun too. Even having to clean up. Everyone was really nice," Lizzie said.
"Maybe you can come by the station some time," Chet offered.
"I'd like that," Lizzie said. "I better get inside. I've got homework." Lizzie opened the door and headed toward the house.
Mary allowed herself to linger. "I'm glad you agreed with me and didn't let her off her punishment."
"I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time about it. You've had more practice than me, but I'm working on it."
"You did good," Mary smiled at him.
Chet got out of the car, walked around and opened Mary's door for her. She got out of the car and he walked her up to the porch.
"Thanks again for inviting us," Mary said again, delaying going inside.
"Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?" Chet asked.
"Just the two of us?" Mary said, caught off guard by the question.
"Yeah."
Mary hesitated.
"I'm not asking you to rob a bank, Mary. Just eat some food," Chet joked nervously, when she'd stayed quiet for almost a full minute.
"Sorry," Mary laughed. "Yes, yes, I'd like to have dinner with you tomorrow night."
Chet leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then forced himself to walk calmly back to his car. She'd said yes.
