How in the world had he gotten so lucky? Johnny lay propped on his side watching Genevieve as she slept next to him. After they'd damn near devoured each other, they'd managed talk a little then do it all over again. Now, in the wee hours of the morning he couldn't sleep, but he didn't want to wake her. She looked so peaceful as she slept, as if all the worries she carried with her somehow disappeared with her dreams. Absently, he wondered if she still suffered from nightmares? So far she hadn't experienced any tonight. He'd take that as a good sign.
This, he realized, was how he wanted to wake up every morning, with her in his bed. He took a moment to observe the room, then considered the rest of her apartment. Tiny, run down, and not in the best of neighborhoods by his standards. She could do so much better. Somehow he needed to convince her to move out and move in with him. Only he was sure her stubborn streak would rear its ugly head and get in the way.
He smiled a little as he turned his attention back her. While he loved how tenacious she could be, at times he found himself wanting to turn her over his knee and give her the spanking she so richly deserved. His smile widened at that thought. Wouldn't that be a sight and a great battle? Fiery to the core her personality matched her hair and tempted him in ways he'd not thought possible. Add to that her sensitive, emotional side and he swore she had to be the most beautiful creature on the face of the earth.
From the first day she walked through the door at 51's he knew he was hooked. In those early days it had been the thrill of the chase that kept him coming back for more. Then, he'd grown to know her and his attitude changed. At some point she went from being just another conquest to a true friend.
His mind wandered back to that weekend she'd gone with him to the reservation. Her absolute awe and envy at his ability to be able to know and identify with his heritage intrigued him. Instead of making fun of his heritage and everything he cared about, she'd been genuinely interested and appreciated the history behind his tribe. He'd learned so much about her that weekend and that knowledge only intrigued him more.
Then the Barlow incident happened and he found himself in a strange position. In those unknown moments, first at the fire, then as he treated her and later at the hospital as they waited for news on her condition, he'd experienced a fear he unknown to him since parents death.
It was at that point he'd realized just how important she'd become to him. Still, even back then, admitting he loved her, or anyone for that matter, simply wasn't something he was capable of doing. Then as time passed and they grew closer, he knew deep down he'd never be happy with anyone else.
Sure he tried to date other women, but none of them compared to Gen. None of them had her qualities or looks. Knowing she only wanted to remain friends killed him inside, but it had been better than not having her in his life at all.
Still, watching from a distance as struggled to find herself and battle her demons had been hard. She'd put him through hell, first with dating Jason, then again when he'd nearly lost her during her surgery and more recently with their latest misunderstanding. The strange thing was, he'd discovered that admitting his love for her had become so much easier with each incident.
Seeing her last night at the banquet, decked out in that amazing dress and looking more incredible than he'd ever seen her in his life, he knew he had to do something to get her back. Thank God she'd felt the same way. Last night had been the single best night of his life, a dream come true and what he hoped was the beginning of something much bigger.
Only how did he breach the next subject without having her distance herself again? It's too soon for that Johnny! Don't push her! He knew his conscious was right, but his heart wanted what it wanted. A big farmhouse and a dog, a big yard and a swing set with a giant slide that their kids could play on as he watched them with Gen by his side. You're hopeless Gage!
He smirked at that thought. The playboy in him had sworn never to get married and he'd never wanted kids, yet being with her caused new and strange feelings to surface and suddenly he found himself desiring everything he'd worked to avoid.
His brow knit at that thought. What if she didn't want the same thing? They'd never actually talked about the future beyond her career. Could he be happy if it was just the two of them in a tiny apartment for the rest of their lives? It was a conversation that needed broached and one he was suddenly concerned about having.
He lay back against the pillow and closed his eyes. Despite all the progress she'd made mentally, emotionally and physically, she still expressed her desire to return to the station. Was it possible that desire was based on her fear of change? The department had put her through hell since she joined and despite all the positive changes over the last few years, it was possible she still feared stepping back into that hell if she moved to another station or position.
She could easily switch to 51's B shift and never miss a beat. Dwyer would look out for her and the rest of the guys on the shift adored her. He felt the crease in his brow deepen. The last thing he wanted was her anywhere near Dwyer for any appreciable amount of time.
He knew he was being paranoid. After all, she'd already express her love of him. Still, he knew guys like Dwyer, had been one of them until she came along. Maybe it was best if she came back to 51's A shift with him. At least until he could put a ring on her finger.
John pursed his lips, rolled onto his side, wrapped an arm round Gen and pulled her back against him. She murmured, then snuggled deeper against him before settling down again. If she was going to come back to work at 51, then they'd really need to keep their relationship a secret. Not that Cap would rat her out or insist on transferring her. He couldn't see Cap being so heartless, but it would be unfair of them to put him in that position.
He'd only need about a year, maybe just six month while she continued to see her therapist and he worked on her about getting married. Recently Roy'd been toying with the idea of taking the Captains exam. Now that the department had made some rule changes about paramedics and promotions the possibilities had opened up. If he was going to provide for Gen and possibly a family, maybe it was time for him to consider that exam too.
After all, Cap was once again studying for the battalion chief's exam. Even Mike, Marco and Chet seemed to be a bit restless as of late, discussing the idea of transferring to other departments or taking the engineers exam. If her entire reason for returning was based on them, would she stay at 51's if they all moved on?
It was definitely worth playing the odds and seeing how this situation shook out. Even if she stayed at 51's and he moved up to Captain, they'd end up at different stations, which meant they could then be together in the open. He let out a contented sigh as he closed his eyes and finally began to feel sleep tug at him. Yes, right now he'd give her what she wanted. He'd do that for her not only because he loved her and wanted her happy, but because maybe, just maybe, in the end he would have what he wanted too.
"Genevieve?"
She shifted, winced, then burrowed deeper into the covers.
"Genevieve? Baby wake up."
She opened one eye, then the other and found herself staring into the most handsome face she'd ever seen. A slow grin spread across her lips as she remembered their encounter the night before. No wonder she was sore. "Hey, handsome."
He returned her smile as he crouched next to the bed. "Hey yourself. I need you fully awake for a moment."
"Why?" she mumbled as her eyes slowly drifted shut. "And why are you not in bed with me?"
"Because I have to go to work."
Now she did open her eyes, shifted to sit up and was immediately reminded why moving quickly was a bad idea. A grimace claimed her features as she hissed through her teeth. They'd spend the last twenty four hours making up for lost time and she certainly felt the result.
Johnny grinned. "A little sore this morning are we?"
"Sore but satisfied." She glanced at the clock and experienced a tweak of sadness. "You have to be at work in an hour."
"I know," he replied as turned and sat on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. "Believe me, I'd love nothing more than to spend another day in bed with you, but I'm pretty sure we could both use a break. Besides, I have shift and you have that meeting with brass."
Her eyes widened at his reminder. "Oh yeah." Her stomach twisted at the idea of meeting with Chief Houts and Chief Miller. What could they possibly want with her?
Johnny leaned over, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Let me know how it goes, okay?"
She nodded as she reached up and stroked a hand through his hair. "I will."
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Love you."
"Love you too," she replied as he stood and walked out of the room. She waited to hear the closing of the front door before she decided to move. Slow and easy she made her way to the bathroom to start her shower. Three and a half years of sexual tension had been unleased Saturday night and continued deep into Sunday. Today her body was feeling the result. Tired, sore and happy, she stepped into the shower and tried not to worry about her meeting. No matter what they said or how it turned out, she had Johnny and that was all that really mattered.
At exactly ten o'clock, Genevieve knocked on Chief Houts' door. Despite her earlier declaration to herself, nerves now danced along her skin.
"Come in," Chief Houts voice carried through the door.
Gen opened it and stepped inside. "Good morning, Chief."
He and Chief Miller turned to look at her. In an instant smiles slid across their faces.
"Ah, Genevieve. There you are. On time, just as I knew you would be."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Sir."
He waved a hand at her motioning her further into the room. "You can stop with the sir, stuff and come sit down. Chief Miller and I want to discuss something with you."
"Yes, s- I mean okay." She moved into the room and eased into the empty chair.
"I was very pleased to see you receive your award Saturday night," Chief Houts said. "You've worked harder than most of the men in this department and you vry much deserved it."
"Thank you, Chief."
"Gen," Chief Miller began. "I know you're still working toward trying to go back to your old position at 51, but Chief Houts and I have discussed the possibility of that really happening."
Immediately her stomach dropped. Were they not going to allow her to try and return? "You don't think it's going to happen?" she asked, unsure if she wanted to know his answer.
Chief Miller lifted a hand. "Now don't panic, Gen. We're not saying you can't go back. We just know how difficult it is for someone to return after an injury like yours."
"And we want you to know you have options," Chief Houts added.
"Options?" Gen repeated.
"Yes." Chief Miller nodded. "The fact of the matter is, you're valuable to us, Genevieve. You're the first woman in our department and a lot of positive changes have come from your presence. We don't want you leaving just because of this injury."
"But if I can't be a paramedic and a fireman what can I do?" Gen asked.
"There's plenty of options for you," Chief Houts replied. "Which is why you're here. We know your recertification is about a month away and while you work toward it, we'd like for you to consider some other options."
"Such as?" Gen asked.
"Such as maybe joining our arson investigation unit. It means more training and classes, but we know you could handle it," he replied.
"Or," Chief Miller continued. "You could become the face of the department by working in public relations with Dick Friend. Having you as our spokeswoman would do wonders for the department's image."
Gen tried not to roll her eyes at that option. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention any more than she already had been.
"There's also work in fire prevention or becoming an instructor for our civilian first aid and CPR classes."
Gen spent several minutes considering what they offered. None of it sounded all that appealing, especially after working fire and rescue at 51s.
"What about the rumor I heard about the department creating standalone paramedic units?"
Chief Houts and Chief Miller exchanges glances before Chief Miller spoke. "That's still in the early stages of consideration. We know there is a need for standalone units who could respond to calls we know don't involve fire department rescues, like heart and maternity cases, minor car accidents and such, but we're still toying with how those calls could be vetted in order to make the units a feasible option." He shook his head. "I don't know if or when it will happen."
Disappointment wash through her. None of the other options sounded all that appealing and most likely wouldn't give her the same satisfaction she got from fighting fires and helping people. "I don't know," she murmured.
"Well, how about this?" Chief Houts offered. "While you're continuing to work toward your recertification, I'd like for you to attend some of training classes or arson investigation and spend some time in the other two departments. You can get a taste of what's involved and if by chance you can't return to 51's, then you'll have a better idea of your options. What do you think?"
Despite her disappointment she knew what they were offering her was huge. She also knew she was facing astronomical odds when it came to reaching her goal. Could it really hurt to see what other options existed?