Six weeks later
Julianna, with the help of her husband, sat on the picnic table. She'd be glad when this baby was born because she was exhausted all the time and couldn't maneuver that well.
She noticed the small band setting up near the refreshment table. She was impressed the firefighters went all out for this event.
She sat in the chair, holding her lemonade and ignoring the pain in her back.
Despite everything Ellen had tried to do, ruin Johnny's reputation, Julianna's reputation and attempted murder, Julianna found herself feeling sorry for her.
She looked for her husband and thought she saw him by the band stage. Just as she was about to ask a question of her friend, Joanne, Joanne noticed Roy was standing on the stage.
"What's he doing up there," Joanne wondered aloud.
Just then the beginning of the song "My Girl" came through the speakers.
Just then the make-shift curtain parted and it revealed the six men of Station 51's A-shift, was on the stage in black pants, red ties and black jackets. Before anyone could react at the oddly natural scene, Johnny stepped to the middle and started to sing.
Julianna was in tears by the time he got through the first verse. Johnny was singing "My Girl" and the guys were providing backup.
Joanne looked at her friend. "That man is crazy," she said, smiling as her eyes misted up.
Julianna, tears pouring down her cheeks at Johnny's gesture, could only smile and nod.
Estella Lopez wrapped her arms around her friend. "THIS is what Marco's been up to lately," Estella said.
"And this is what Hank's been doing," Kathy Stanley said.
"I can't believe Johnny got Roy and all the guys to sing. Julianna, that's something special," Joanne said.
"Don't I know it," Julianna said.
The guys came off stage and Julianna, despite being pregnant, jumped up and wrapped her arms around her husband. She pulled back and gave him a kiss that had Johnny blushing.
"Easy, baby," he whispered in her ear.
"That was the most romantic and sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said to him.
"I needed to do a grand gesture to make sure you know how much I love you," he said.
"Well, I love you, too. I can't believe you made a total fool out of yourself in front of most of your colleagues. And that your co-workers went along with it," Julianna said.
"They like you. And they know I'll do anything for you. Besides, when you were missing and I was trying to get Ellen to tell me where you were, I promised I'd do something grand to show you how I felt about you," Johnny said.
"As if I could ever forget that," she said, looking up at her husband. She still got butterflies every time he walked into the room. She still got weak in the knees when he smiled. She was breathless every time they shared a kiss and she thought every time they made love was even more incredible than the last time. Being pregnant with his child made her love for him grow. She felt just like she did the night he'd stayed in her room after her first operation. She'd known him a few hours and he'd already staked a claim on her heart that she wasn't expecting.
He leaned down to give his wife another kiss when she jumped.
"Leelee, what's wrong," Johnny asked, concerned at the look on her face.
"I think my water just broke," Julianna said.
"What," he asked, not fully getting her meaning.
"Johnny, I'm in labor," she said.
"Have you been having contractions," he asked.
"Yeah, but I thought it was just false labor. But now..." she started to say before sucking in her breath.
Joanne and Roy rushed to her and Johnny.
"What's wrong," Joanne asked.
"Juli said her water broke," Johnny said.
"Are you having contractions," Roy asked.
Julianna nodded. "Yeah. They've been around all..." she stopped and took a deep breath, grimacing.
"Yep, definitely labor," Joanne said, helping ease her down in a chair.
"We've got to get her to the hospital," Johnny said.
"Put her in the back of your Rover. I'll take care of driving," Roy said.
Mike, Chet, Johnny and Marco helped Julianna into the Rover. Johnny sat next to her in the back, holding her hand.
They arrived at Rampart and took her right up to maternity ward. The nurses left Johnny in the waiting room while they prepared Julianna for delivery.
Johnny paced the waiting room, hoping he'd get back to see Julianna.
"She's fine, Junior. Women do this all the time," Roy said.
"I know that. But do you realize I'm about to become a father. I'm about to be responsible for another life," Johnny said, his brown eyes wide.
"Nothing to it, Junior. You're going to do fine," he said.
Before Johnny could speak, the nurse came out tell him to come into the room.
Johnny stayed with Julianna for several hours, before the epidural kicked in and she fell into a light sleep. He took that moment to update his friends.
"She's sleeping. Man, I didn't know this was so hard on them. She's been given pain medicine, but she's exhausted already," Johnny said.
"Labor isn't fun. That's why it's called 'labor,'" Capt. Stanley said.
He shook his head and headed back into the room.
Nearly 26 hours after she was admitted, Julianna began pushing. Two hours later, they were rewarded with the cries of not just one, but two babies.
Present
Julianna looked at her husband. Everything they had fought for was right in front of them. They had two healthy babies.
"What are we going to name these two little ones," Julianna said, looking at her sleeping son in her arms.
She turned her eyes onto her husband who was staring at their daughter in wonderment and love.
"We never did figure that out, did we," he said, meeting his wife's gaze.
"Nope. We kept fighting about what we were having," she said, smiling at the memory.
"You were convinced it was a boy and I thought it was a girl," Johnny said.
"Well, we were both right," Julianna said.
"I really like the name, Hannah Michaela," Johnny said.
"Really? You'd let me name your daughter after my brother," Julianna asked.
"Of course," Johnny said, kissing his wife.
"Well, our son is going to be John Roderick Jr., and I won't hear an argument against it," she said.
"OK. OK. I know when I've been beaten. What will we call little John Jr.," he asked, looking at his son, sleeping in his mother's arms.
"Jack or JJ," she said.
"Well, Jack it is. What do you think, Hannah? You have a twin brother named Jack," Johnny said. He was met with the smallest movement from the slumbering baby.
"Works for me," he said, kissing the baby on the head.
There was a knock on the door. Johnny handed the baby to his wife and opened the door. He found his entire shift standing there waiting to catch a glimpse of the newest Gage. Roy and Mike were equally eager to get inside and see their new niece or nephew.
"Come on in, guys and meet our newest members," Johnny said, a smile on his face.
"Well, Junior, do we have a boy or a girl," Roy asked.
Johnny moved out of the way and everyone saw Julianna holding both babies.
"Twins," Mike said and Johnny nodded.
Everyone came into the room and peered at the babies in Julianna's arms.
"We have Hannah Michaela and John Roderick Jr.," Johnny said.
At hearing Hannah's name, Mike looked at his sister and, with tears in his eyes, said, "After me? Really."
Julianna smiled. "Yeah. Tracy told me once she was going to name your first child after you regardless of the sex. Thought it would be my way of honoring the both of you," Julianna said.
Mike kissed his sister and she suggested he hold his niece. Johnny sat on the bed next to his wife while Mike sat in the chair next to the bed.
"Why doesn't Uncle Roy take Jack here," Johnny said.
Roy took the baby from Julianna. Holding Johnny's son reminded him of the happiness he felt when Chris and Jennifer were born.
"They're perfect, Johnny," Roy said.
"Yep. They are, aren't they," he agreed.
A few minutes later, Julianna had both babies back in her arms and Johnny led everyone to the door.
As Roy stepped out, he said to Johnny, "Perfect family, Johnny."
"Yeah, I know it," he said, looking back at his wife and children. "That," he said, gesturing with his head, "Is what it's all about." Roy slapped him on the back and left the room.
Johnny rejoined his family and Julianna looked at him. "We did it," she said.
"We sure did. This is what it's all about. We've got everything and it's downright perfect," Johnny said.
~I will have an Epilogue to the story in a while. I'm working on a new one that won't leave my head and I want to write it, so if you guys are interested in reading more of Julianna and Johnny, let me know. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this series.~Kaiti