Gen steered the car down the drive and parked as close to the house as she could. At this point, the less distance he had to traverse the better. She shut off the engine and dared a sideways glance at Johnny, who'd remained silent and sullen the entire ride home. It had been three days since she told him about the lawsuit and two days since they'd removed the chest tube. With no further complications, Kel thought it best to let Johnny go home. Gen wasn't so sure she agreed.

From the moment he'd stepped out of bed at the hospital and began to dress she'd noticed his weight loss. He was so thin anyway that even the slightest drop in pounds showed right away. Right now he was scary thin and she was worried. His duty nurses had all reported a drop in his appetite, with him only eating the bare minimum to keep them from nagging him. How would she make sure he ate when she was working?

At least in the hospital there were people around to monitor his eating, or in his case, his not eating and provide IV fluids to keep him hydrated. Sure she could do this when she was home, but what about days she needed to work? She wasn't due to go on maternity leave for another month and a half. So how could she monitor him in the meantime?

Without a word, she exited the car and made her way to the passenger side. Johnny already had the door open and using the door and the pillar as support, was slowly pulling himself to his feet. His gaze locked with hers for a split second before he turned his attention elsewhere. It only took that second for her to see the anguish and sorrow now living deep in his soul.

Every time he managed to look her in the eye, which wasn't often, she saw that same expression and her heart broke just a little more. Where was the Johnny she knew and loved? Yes, she she'd seen him down before. He'd even gone through a small bout of depression not long after Olivia's birth, when a good friend and fellow firefighter was killed on the job. He'd been eerily quiet and withdrawn then and she worried about the toll his depression was taking on him. This time though, it wasn't someone else the situation happened to. There was no distance between him and the tragedy like before.

This time would he be able to pull himself out of this downward spiral or would the depression's ugly grip grow stronger until she'd lost him forever? That thought had her eyes watering and she turned her head away so he wouldn't see. No need in making him feel worse than he already did by allowing him to see her cry.

He took a second to steady himself, then began to slowly move, one shuffled step at a time, toward their large back porch. Gen followed closely, in case he lost his balance, but kept her hands to herself. The last thing he would want right now was her trying to force him to lean on her for support. Physically or emotionally. That thought also struck an arrow directly at her heart as she watched him grab the handrail and in painfully slow motion manage the steps one at a time.

She thought about all the times she'd leaned on him for strength and support over the years. How their friendship, then later their romance, had been partially based on her need for his strength, love and support. They'd grown closer than any couple she knew, yet now, when he needed her most...when she had the opportunity to provide him with that same comfort and strength she received, he pushed her away. Was it possible they didn't have the type of marriage she thought they did?

Gen let that thought stew for only a moment before she forced it out of her mind. With everything else going on right now, the last thing she needed was to add that worry to the mix. Besides, what would she do about it anyway? Her world practically revolved around Johnny. Without him, she'd be heartbroken and lost. Yes, she still had Olivia and the new baby to love, but without Johnny she'd never feel complete.

They'd just made it inside the back door, when Olivia raced toward them, a huge smile on her face. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" She held her tiny arms open wide and nearly bowled Johnny over as she plowed into his legs and clung like a bur.

Gen reached for him, snared him by the arm and held tight while he regained his balance. With his other hand he reached down and stroked his daughters hair. "I'm happy to see you too, boo."

Olivia turned her cherub face up to look at him, her eyes as wide as her smile. She lifted her arms toward him. "Up, daddy."

"Uh..." Gen leg go of his arm and reached for Olivia. "No baby. Daddy can't do up yet."

A look of consternation crossed Olivia's face. "Daddy up," she said again, this time with a trace of impatience in her tone.

"I'm sorry, boo," Johnny replied, his tone one of defeat. "I can't."

Olivia's face slowly screwed into a frown and all Gen could do was watch the impending tantrum build. She couldn't blame her daughter. After all, it had been well over a week since she'd last seen Johnny. In a three year old's world a week might as well have been a year and facts were facts...she missed her father. "Up, peeze." she whined.

Gen exchanged quick glances with Johnny, noted to pleading look in his eyes. This certainly wasn't going to help his depression any. She grabbed the chair to help keep her center of gravity, then crouched until she was nearly face to face with Olivia. "Sweetheart. What did mommy tell you about Daddy? Do you remember?"

For a brief second she could see her daughter take a moment to think. It still amazed her that such a little person already had such adult abilities, like being able to stop and think to recall a conversation or for that matter, to hold a conversation. After a moment a pout formed on her lips and she nodded. "Daddy ouchie," she replied.

Thank goodness! Having Olivia remember would hopefully be helpful now. "That's right." She gave Olivia a small smile. "And that means daddy can't pick you up yet. If he does it might hurt him."

The pout grew larger, until it encompassed Olivia's entire face and Gen could feel her stress level abut to rise. So much for hoping to reason with a soon-to-be three year old. "Daddy, up," she repeated as the first sob broke.

Knowing there wasn't any way for this not to end ugly, Gen glanced over at the doorway to find Dixie watching them. She'd agreed to come over on her day off and watch Olivia while Gen retrieved Johnny from the hospital.

In an instant, Dixie was behind Olivia, scooping her up. "Come on, girlfriend. Let's go outside and play on the swing set, while mommy get's daddy settled in."

"I want Daddy," Olivia shrieked even as Dixie firmed her grip. "I want Daddy," she repeated and squirmed against Dixie, trying to break free.

Gen mouthed a silent thank you, to Dixie as she passed by them both and headed out the back door with Olivia, who by that point had officially moved into full tantrum mode. Her shouts of I want Daddy, echoed off the kitchen walls, then slowly faded into distant murmurs as they moved outside toward the play area.

Slowly, Gen pulled herself back up, blew out an exaggerated breath and dared another look at Johnny. "Some welcome home, huh?"

He shrugged. "It's nice to know she missed me. I just hate that I couldn't scoop her up and swing her around like I usually do."

"When you're stronger and the stitches have healed you'll be able to," Gen offered. "Until then...well, she's a smart girl. I'll work with her on ways she can spend time with you without it impacting your injury."

Johnny's lips turned downward. "So much for being her superman."

"Hey now." Gen quickly stepped in front of him and reached up to cradle his cheek in her palm. "Nothing, not this injury or whatever happens with the investigation or lawsuit is ever going to change the fact that you'll always be Olivia's superman."

"Yeah, right," he nearly snapped as he pulled his face away.

"I'm serious, Johnny," she tried again. Damn he could be so stubborn sometimes. "None of those things matter to her. Not the house or your job or money or any of those adult worries we have. All she wants is her father." Ever so slowly she leaned toward him and dared a small kiss. "All I want is her father. The rest doesn't matter."

He didn't kiss back. That fact wasn't lost on her as she pulled away. "I'm tired, Genevieve. Can I please just go to the den so I can rest?"

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable upstairs in your own bed?"

He shook his head and she noted how he was back to avoiding eye contact with her. "It took everything I had to make it from the car, up the three steps on the back porch to here. No way could I manage I full flight of steps. The den will do."

"The living room is closer," Gen offered. "How about I set you up on the couch there?"

Again he shook his head. "I want to go to the den."

Not wanting to start an argument, she conceded. The den was down a hallway and set slightly away from the rest of the house. It also had pocket doors that sometimes allowed them to use the room as an extra bedroom for guests. Only this time she had a bad feeling Johnny was about to use those doors to shut himself off from the rest of the world.