A/N: Well here it is, the final chapter of my first Emergency! fanfic. I hope you all enjoy reading this and reading the previous chapters. My thanks goes to all who reviewed my last chapter, the faves and so on. I've gotten so many wonderful reviews I plan to write more. Thank You all, and enjoy!
Epilogue
4 years later...
The sun shone brightly on a warm March day as Johnny Gage stepped out his Buick Opel in the driveway of the DeSoto residence. A woman with strawberry blond hair and hazel eyes stepped out of the passenger side and stood next to him as he linked his arm around her waist, holding a prettily dressed present in the other.
"Ready, sweetheart?" She asked, squeezing his hand as they went to the front door.
Joanne DeSoto answered the door, her hair shoulder length now, a grin crossing her face.
"Johnn, Stephanie, come in! Roy and the other guests are in the backyard." she exclaimed, ushering them in.
The back lawn was filled with the crew that they had been part of at Station 51. The Stanley's and the Lopez's were chatting with Roy, who stood listening and nursing a cup of fruit punch. Mike Stoker and Chet Kelley were also present, playing tag football with a now nine year old Chris DeSoto.
"Hey, Captain DeSoto!" Johnny called out as he sauntered over to his best friend. Roy Desoto looked the same as he had when they had attended the Captains' graduation. The blond haired man turned and smiled.
"Hey Captain Gage, nice to see you. And you too, Stephanie." Roy greeted them just as warmly.
"Where's the birthday girl?" Johnny asked, indicating the present in his hand.
"She's upstairs getting her party dress on. Joanne'll bring her down in a moment."
"Uncle Johnny!" A little feminine voice called out behind him. Jennifer Desoto, who now was seven, ran to him and threw her arms around his legs.
"Hey there, my little ladybug, how're ya?" He picked her up and planted a kiss on her cheek, which made the girl squeal with laughter.
"I'm good, uncle Johnny, how are you?" she asked politely.
"Doin' awright sweetie." he responded, putting her down.
"Uncle Johnny, I have a dance recital tomorrow, can you and Ms. Stephanie come and see it?"
" 'Course we can, honey," The dark haired paramedic exclaimed, and then looked at Roy, "If it's okay with your daddy and mommy."
"If Uncle Johnny wants to come it's okay with me and your mommy, Jen." The fair-haired paramedic added. "Now go and play okay?"
"Yay!" Jen exclaimed, before hugging her father, and then John, "Thank you daddy! Thank you uncle Johnny!" Before she ran off to her playhouse in a corner of the yard.
"I can't believe how much that girl has grown, Roy." Johnny said.
"Yeah..." Roy muttered, his gaze far off and distance.
"Can't believe it's been four years since we've become captains." John elaborated.
To this, the fair haired paramedic smiled, "You've been sayin' that every year for the past four years."
John looked a little sheepish, but both men chuckled. Hank Stanley was still a captain at 51, while Mike Stoker had begun paramedic training just the year before. Chet Kelley was still a "tillerman" at the station, and still single. Though Roy and Johnny weren't working together any more, they still had dinners together, attended parties, and went to the kids' various activities.
"Here's the birthday girl!" Joanne DeSoto announced, holding the hand of their 5 year old daughter and walking out onto the patio.
When Amy caught sight of her godfather, she ran to him. "Unckle Johnny!" she yelled. Johnny bent down and extended his arms to catch her, then picking her up, swung her in the air as he had done with Jen when she was that age, and kissed her on the forehead before setting her on the ground again. Amy Rozenne DeSoto had lived up to her namesake. She had deep doe-eyes that sucked one into doing whatever she wanted, an slightly wavy short raven hair. She wore a floral long sleeve shirt and a solid red apron styled dress, with a red ribbon in her hair.
"Today's my birfday, unckle Johnny!" the little girl exclaimed.
"Yep, I know," Johnny replied cheerfully, "We're all here to celebrate it with ya."
"Amy, Jen's in the playhouse. Why don't you go and play while me and Uncle Johnny talk, okay?" Roy instructed her in his best fatherly voice. As she ran off, he called, "And don't get your dress dirty!"
"She's growing up beautifully Roy," Johnny commented, watching as the two DeSoto sisters played together. You're the family she needed. "
"I'm glad that we could give it to her. I know you'll make a great father one day, Johnny." Roy affirmed.
Johnny blushed then looked over to Stephanie, who was now talking to Joanne. "Uh, about that, can I talk to ya in the kitchen?"
Both men went into the unoccupied kitchen that was laden with all sorts of finger foods and snacks.
"So," Roy inquired, "What is it that you want to talk to me about?"
Johnny's cheeks crimsoned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box.
"Is that-?" Roy began, but needn't finish as John nodded.
"Yeah, I plan on askin' Steph to marry me." Johnny finished, opening the box so that his best friend could see the ring.
Roy whistled at the diamond placed in the middle, then handed the box back over to Johnny. Since becoming captains, both men could afford more luxuries that might not have been available to them when they were just fireman/paramedics. Johnny was still 'frugal' to a point, but this purchase had been a statement of commitment to the woman he so loved.
"I-I hope she says 'yes' " Johnny confided somewhat apprehensively.
Roy smiled, "I know she will, Junior."
John grinned bashfully, but then slapped his best friend on the back. "C'mon, Pally, we got a little birthday girl to spoil."
And together, they joined the rest of the party-goers in singing 'Happy Birthday' to Amy.
Yes, things were certainly had changed, but all for the better.
~*THE END*~
