A/N: Just a quick update this time since the next chapter will be quite lengthy. Thank you for reading and I really appreciate the reviews.

Chapter 9

"If I'm interested?" Johnny quickly splayed his open palm across his t-shirt clad chest, wide toothy grin covering the lower half of his face. "If I'm interested?" He repeated himself looking back and forth between the two men sitting at the table with him. "Are you kiddin' me?" He slammed his open palms down hard on the table then leaned back smugly. "Yea, I'm interested…and I'm sure the guys will be too. When do we tell 'em?"

Hank had been watching Johnny's reaction with his coffee cup suspended just beneath his lips. He chuckled to himself, returning the cup to the table as a safety precaution. "You sure are eager, John." He leaned forward lifting his eyes in Mike's direction.

"Ahem," Mike began clearing his throat feeling slightly less self-conscious now that the topic of conversation had shifted away from him and his personal insecurities. "Cap, why don't I fix some scrambled eggs and toast for the guys while you make another pot of coffee?" He nodded his head slightly in Johnny's direction with his next comment. "Then Johnny can fill the fellas in on it while they eat."

Johnny leaned back rubbing his hands together briskly, smile still plastered on his face as the other two men rose from their seats taking their plates to the sink. Suddenly, his mouth gaped open, closed, then opened again as he spun around in his seat, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Uh…hey, um…what is it I'm s'posed to tell 'em exactly?"

Mike couldn't stop the belly heaving laughter that rumbled up from somewhere deep in his gut. His face broke out in a huge grin just as Hank slapped the young paramedic on the back. Mike reached for his cup of coffee, needing a warmer for the task of preparing eggs and toast for the three men who as of yet had not woken up. "I think maybe Cap should fill all of you in at the same time, huh?"

"Yea, John. It's kind of complicated and I'd rather explain it just once. Besides, maybe you men have some ideas we haven't thought of yet," he said gesturing between himself and his rosy cheeked snickering engineer.

"Sounds good, Cap." Johnny reached for his cup of coffee just as Mike finished topping it off. He cupped his hands around the warm ceramic cup, bringing it to his mouth to blow a cooling breath across the black liquid; the wisp of steam floated swiftly away from his puckered lips. Behind him, the familiar sounds of cracking eggs and a squeaking refrigerator door permeated the room while outside, the county of Los Angeles was beginning to greet the dawn.

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Hank studied the eyes of the men sitting around the table. "Any questions?"

Johnny sat staring at his empty plate, thumb absently stroking the condensation on his mostly empty glass of milk. Hank shifted his gaze to Mike who gave him a slight shrug.

"You think it'll work, Cap?"

Hank followed Marco's voice as the lineman rose from his seat to retrieve the second pot of coffee of the morning. He waited for Marco to pour another cup and then warm up his own. "Yea…yea, I do. It's already proven to work so all we've got to do is present it well."

"I just can't believe they have it…and we don't," Chet mumbled around his last bite of toast.

"Well believe it," Roy said slapping the Irishman on the back and leaning back in his seat. "I read about it a while ago."

Hank looked to his engineer who was standing near the sink leaning against the cabinet. He could see worry lines etching across the younger man's face as he stared unseeing at the tile floor and Hank wondered if he was reliving his nightmare from earlier? Hank wasn't sure but one thing he was certain of; Mike needed to get some rest and he probably needed to distance himself from the research too, at least for a time.

"Well, I don't know about anybody else, but I'm in!"

Marco smiled at Johnny's enthusiasm. "Me too," he offered lifting up his coffee cup as if toasting their captain.

"Absolutely," Roy agreed; a smile lighting up his round face.

Hank watched as Roy, Johnny and Marco all turned to face the lone holdout of the group. Chet looked up into the questioning eyes of his shift mates as a smile that could only be described as devious seeped slowly out from beneath his bushy mustache. His blue eyes sparkled as he cast them in the direction of the other men in the room.

Johnny's countenance immediately fell. This was a look he recognized well. "What?"

The sound of Johnny's sinking voice brought Mike out of his reverie. Hank noticed Mike's stance change as he shifted standing taller and clearing his throat. He could tell that Mike was struggling to paint on a mask that would hide his true feelings. When their eyes briefly met, both men quickly shifted their gazes away from each other.

"Gage," Chet's grin broadened. "I can't believe you haven't thought of this?"

"Thought o' what?"

"Ahem," Chet began making sure the attention of the entire room was focused on him. "Ok, Cap…if we give this our best effort…all in…AND," he hesitated for effect raising an index finger. "When this gets the approval of the brass…will you finally tell us why you burned McConnike's hat?"

Snickers made their way around the table while Hank scrubbed an open hand down the side of his weary face with a groan. "Oouugh," he sounded with a loud exhalation, rapping his fingers on the kitchen table. He quickly contemplated the pros and cons of the situation before he continued. "Yea…ok, sure. If this makes it…with your help, mind you… then you bet I'll tell you. My personal shame in exchange for countless lives?" He made eye contact with each man before he finished his thought. "Yep," he leaned back in his chair pushing away from the table, "it's worth it."

"Aww-right," Johnny jumped up from his chair. "That's the spirit, Cap. I'll volunteer to do the last leg of the research. I'll just need a little help." He looked down at his partner with a questioning look.

"Uh, sorry but I can't, Junior…I promised Joanne to help her paint Jennifer's room."

"Mike?"

Mike looked startled at the sound of Johnny calling his name. "Uh, ah…sorry…can't." He didn't offer an explanation. How could he explain that he didn't want to face Ryleigh again. Not after she'd asked him to call her then when he did, an angry man answered the phone. No, he wouldn't be going back to that branch of the library, not voluntarily anyway. He lowered his gaze away from Johnny's inquiring eyes.

Johnny turned quickly but before he could even ask the question, Marco thwarted his efforts with an upraised hand. "Sorry…promised to visit my Momma today and help her around the house. And you do NOT want me to disappoint her."

Johnny shook his head negatively as he thought about all the wonderful meals Mrs. Lopez had provided to her 'boys' as she so fondly referred to Marco and his crew mates. His mouth watered with all the memories of enchaladas, fiesta tacos, fresh salsa and Mexican chili. No, there was no way he wanted to be the reason Marco cancelled his time with his Momma.

"Damn, I hate being the kid who always gets picked last," Chet grumbled loudly sauntering up beside the taller John Gage.

"I was gettin' to ya," Johnny's animated face defended with obvious irritation in his loud voice.

"Yep…you have a way of gettin' to everybody, Gage." Chet grinned at his own joke, turning to walk away just as the others seemed to get it as well. Delayed muffled chuckles echoed around the room.

"Real. Funny," Johnny said using his most sarcastic voice.

"Pick me up at 2:00 this afternoon," Chet tossed over his shoulder walking past the gawking face of the paramedic on his way to the latrine to brush his teeth, another mischievous smirk blooming on his face. The McConnike Mission…oh, this is gonna be so much fun…

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