Chapter 21

The chosen meeting place was an open park approximately half way between Roy and Hanks homes. There were picnic tables scattered around, where someone could have privacy without the music and noise of a bar, that would make it impossible to hear what each other was saying.

When Hank arrived he scanned the area carefully, when he didn't see Roy he went to one of the on sight concession stands and purchased two beers and a family sized basket of nachos. He then staked out and appropriated the best table for having a private conversation and watched for Roy. He didn't have to wait long before he saw Roy drive up in his little sports car.

Hank waved to Roy and watched as he got out of the car and walked toward him. He found it interesting to see that Roy looked a bit shell shocked and somehow he was sure he knew why. Roy joined him and sat on the other side of the table that was designed to seat four but comfortably sat two.

"When did you find out?" Hank asked as he handed Roy his beer.

Roy looked at Hank in surprise then realized he somehow knew about the new impending addition to the family. "How did you know?"

"Didn't JoAnne tell you?"

"Tell me what," Roy was clearly clueless.

"Our wives due dates are three days apart," Hank informed his paramedic and then shook his head in wonder at all that was happening at station 51 family.

Roy just looked at his captain in total confusion and then his eyes opened wide as he realized what his captain was telling him. "You too!"

"So my wife tells me. You didn't by any chance, have some kind of celebration after John renewed his vows the last time?" Cap guessed.

"Um, yeah. . . you too?"

"John and Elise did set the atmosphere that night; theirs is a love story for all times." Hank continued to shake his head in wonder and amazement, "Furthermore I suspect that partner of yours knew about our situations before either one of us did."

"How do you figure that?"

Hank proceeded to tell Roy how his wife had told him and before he was finished telling what he knew, both men felt both anger and despair for their young friend and his wife.

"I think I know some people who can help him. I'll try and give them a call tomorrow and get some information from them." Hank started winding down the conversation, "I hope to have something that will help the two of them before next shift. I just figured you and I needed to get on the same page."

"Yeah, I'm going to have to have a talk with that wife of mine." Roy was now able to shake his head in wonder and amazement.

"Just remember she's expecting, don't upset her." Hank advised, they both smiled before looking at the still half full basket of nachos.

"You must have been thinking you were feeding Johnny," Roy smirked.

"Well actually, I think, I was thinking that we were both eating for two." Hank responded. "Wow," he ended the conversation and there was nothing else to say.

-0-

The next time they gathered for the start of a shift, Hank was watching his youngest crew member closely. He could tell by the way John avoided eye contact that he knew he was being watched. When Roll call business was completed Hank asked both John and Roy to meet with him in the office.

As Hank watched he could tell that John was relieved and he was sure it was because both he and Roy had been called into the office. Once there he motioned for John to take the middle chair, while Roy sat on the corner of the back desk. Hank sat on the front desk facing John.

"John," Hank started and watched as Johnny tensed up. "Now calm down, we're here as friends. My wife has told me, some of the things, you and Elise have been through since the big dance. Heck you two have been through more than any one should have to go through, since she came to California and the two of you were married. I have some information that I believe will help both of you, can you just relax and bear with me for ten minutes?"

John looked at Cap, then turned and looked at his partner sitting behind him. He then took in and let out a deep breath and gave a nod of his head.

"First of all I want you to know I have something that I used to get my wife to tell me what she did, but I can't tell you what it is right now and I hope you can live with that."

John gave him a slightly distrusting look for a moment, then he sighed but said nothing. Hank continued.

"Okay, Em told me what you were told at the county run adoption agency, and I happen to know a couple of guys in the department who have adopted children within the last five years. I've contacted them and told them what you were told and they both tell me that they're sure that the person you talked to is someone named Edna something or other and they said to tell you that she's one of a kind, go elsewhere." Hank actually managed to get all that information out in one breath.

John sighed again and closed his eyes to dam up the tears building in his eyes.

"One of them recommended that you don't worry about contacting an adoption agency for at least a year from the time you were married. One of the men I know gave me this booklet to give to you, it's full of information that you need to know to prepare to adopt and it deals with both what they call domestic and foreign adoptions."

John willingly accepted the book that was offered to him and hank could see that he was both grateful and fearful.

"I've also had the opportunity to speak with my priest while I was off shift these last few days and among other things we talked a little about you. I hope you're not offended, but I needed to get some of the stuff I was feeling off my chest before I wound up punching someone."

John sighed again and nodded his head to show understanding, but he still didn't say a word.

"Now I know you're not really religious but he gave me this pamphlet that addresses some things you can do to help with you're and Elise's relationship, while you're waiting to be able to adopt. I've read through it and it's really not preaching, it has a lot of good suggestions that might help you and Elise to talk things over. And while he was talking to me, he also gave me this book on natural birth control methods. I don't know if you're interested but you can throw them in the trash just as easily as I can."

When John reached forward to accept the two books Hank was handing him, he saw his hand was shaking and he was swallowing hard. Sensing John was ready and willing to say something Hank took a moment to be quiet and catch his breath.

John sniffed then swallowed once again and leaned forward in his chair slightly. "After the Doctor told us how dangerous it would be if Elise got pregnant, we talked about doing something permanently as far as birth control goes.

"You mean like a vasectomy?" Hank then bit his tongue reminding himself that he couldn't impose his religious beliefs on his men.

"Yeah, we talked about it but Elise doesn't want me to do that, she says because it's her problem she should be the one to have tubes tied off."

John's lips quivered and his voice failed for a few minutes, at which point Roy and Hank each placed a hand on a shoulder and gave it a squeeze loaning John the strength he needed to continue. "We talked with Dr. Early yesterday and he said that before we do anything permanently we should wait a year and then talk about this then, after she's had adequate time to recover from her injuries completely. Meanwhile we do need to be very careful . . . not to let anything happen. So if this book has the information in it that I suspect it does, I thank you. Thank your priest for me too, would you. I'm sorry I've made you feel like punching someone."

"You're not the one who's made me feel like doing the punching John; those feelings are for other people we all know." Hank smiled and with two more squeezes of John's shoulder Hank had one more thing to talk about.

"One more thing John," Hank sat up straight and started with a deep breath, "there is something going on in Roy and my families that I strongly suspect you knew about before we did."

John once again looked at both of the men in the room with him and a grin spread on his face. "So it is true," John paused as he looked at each of his friends again and his smile grew larger, "I guess you guys really do fool around from time to time."

"John I just have to know," Roy spoke up for the first time with a laugh in his voice. "I just have to know when you knew?"

John continued to smile but he also started to blush, "Well um, Elise was asking me if I knew anything that night, well just before she told me we might be um, expecting. Anyway I didn't know anything at the time but I started watching JoAnne and Emily, it was kind of obvious when you were looking for it. I figured you'd tell me for sure when you were ready for me to know."

"Well partner I just found out two days ago." Roy laughed and continued to shake his head.

"Me too and believe me I was speechless for a while." Hank added. "We didn't want you to think that we were hiding anything from you, and we also hope this isn't making things harder on you and Elise."

"Na, not really, Elise wouldn't tell me one way or another, but I knew they all went in to get pregnancy tests together and I was pretty sure by the look in Elise's face that things were . . . .um Yeah, it looks like there's a baby boom at hand."

"Yeah well I do hope you're willing to take your share of the blame for this baby boom, as you call it." Hank playfully scuffed the hair on John's head, "it was that romantic feel in the air you and Elise created during your most recent wedding that led to all of this you know."

"You're kidding me . . . . right?" John looked genuinely surprised.

"Don't think so Junior, why else would our two due dates be only three days apart." Roy added his smile and a hint of laughter.

When John left the office, he had Roy's arm around his shoulder and cap tousling his hair. He was holding some books that pecked the Phantom's curiosity, but most of all he looked as if he had left the weight of the world behind him in the office and for that the rest of the crew were grateful.

Hank and Roy did get together later in the shift to talk about sharing their news with the rest of the crew. Hank really felt he should talk with his teen aged children before letting the crew know. Roy didn't plan to tell his kids until JoAnne was showing and they started asking questions, but waiting till the next shift to spill the beans to the rest of the crew was just fine with him. That is if John could keep it under wraps that long. So far since they had confirmed his suspicions every time he looked at them he smirked. It was very clear to everyone that he knew something and there were three men in the station who didn't.

John spent a lot of quiet time in a secluded corner of the station. Whenever Roy or Hank went to look for him they found him reading the material that had been given to him and both felt that he looked calmer every time they saw him. Gratefully, either the Phantom didn't know what he was reading or chose to be decent for a change and didn't bug him about it.

-0-

John spent nearly the entire end of the shift on the phone, or at least it felt like it. Chet tried to inch his way closer a few times but each time found a hand on his arm pulling him away. For his part John was deliberately speaking very softly. It was a wonder Elise could hear him on the other end.

Once he was released, John grabbed his books and ran for his car, without taking time to change out of his uniform.

At home there were good-byes waiting. Brandon and Joanie were heading home. They now owned the electrical stimulator that Brandon used daily to help strengthen muscles and he had managed to learn to stand straighter and his previously useless arm was now able to rise under its own power and if he could hook a handle Brandon could use it to open cupboard doors and drawers. They were both looking forward to showing their boys the improvements. And looking forward to just seeing their boys again.

Joanie gave John a good-bye hug, then pulled back and just stood before him fighting with emotions before being able to say something she knew she should have said a long time ago. "I've learned a lot of things during the time you've allowed us to stay here. First of all, my baby sister is all grown up now, and that she's pretty smart and knows what she wants. But the most important thing I've learned is that she's right. When I look back on her life before she came here, I realize that if we had just listened more often things would have been better." She had to pause and wipe some moisture from her eyes, "Thank you for accepting me, in spite of my bigotry; you are surely a bigger man, person than I am, and now I'm a better person because of you. Thank you. And thank you for all that you've done to help my husband.

"They say you can't choose your family, but in a way I did choose you. We had our moments, but it's all worked out in the end. I hope you know that you're welcome here whenever you come for your checkups or any other time you're in the neighborhood."

Whatever are you going to do with that place?" Joanie shook her head, for just the two of you it's so big. And all those bedrooms, Joanie couldn't finish she just shook her head and smiled.

"Well," John draped his arm around Elise's shoulder and pulled her close to him, "That's something Elise and I are going to have to talk over, it's hard to say what the two of us might come up with."

Joanie smiled and move to the side to allow her husband to say his good-bye, Brandon started by showing off and lifting his once useless arm up and patting John around the head as if he were looking for lumps. He did stop and focus on a couple of spots before speaking. "You n-need get file out, a for poke holes in helmet."

Both men laughed and John shook his head, he had to admit he hadn't been very diligent in correcting Brandon's speech for him, but he had improved in spite of John's inattention. Brandon offered his hand to shake but John took it and pulled him into a hug, slapping his back.

"You keep up the hard work and one day you just may forget you've had a head injury." John challenged as he helped Brandon up the steps of their converted bus.

"Keep in touch," Elise called out with tears in her eyes.

"Drive safely," John offered and the doors were closed, the engine started and while John and Elise stood arm in arm waving, the bus pulled out and started down the road.

John led Elise back into their home to find Mamma Lopez waiting to make sure it was safe to leave. John saw her out then returned to a breakfast kept warm, that he shared with Elise while they talked. Between bites John talked about what he had been told by his Captain and some of the information he found in the books he had been given that he thought would help. It was actually early afternoon before they finished their breakfast but they both felt better. John needed a nap and so did Elise so the dishes were left this once and the two made their way to the bedroom.

When John seemed to be having trouble getting comfortable Elise coaxed him to roll onto his stomach and started giving him a back rub. That did the trick and Elise felt better for being able to help John relax.

When John woke up a few hours later he found his wife in a chair at the side of the bed reading the book about relationships.

John rolled over in bed and reached out to take Elise's hand in his. After a moment of toying with fingers John found the words he wanted to say to Elise. "I am going to make it my goal to never let you forget how much I love you, How happy I feel to be with you, when you hurt I hurt but together we have gotten through some pretty serious stuff and I believe there is nothing in our future that we can't get through together."

John threw his feet over the side of the bed and took both of Elise's hands in his. "I can't help but feel that Dr. Early believes there's a chance that after you've healed up all the way that we just might be able to have children of our own. Either way, a year isn't that long to wait," John stopped looking at Elise, hoping she was feeling some hope in his words.

"We made it this far without kids, what's another year." Elise responded.

"While I was reading this I was thinking that I should visit with my, our lawyer and get back up to speed on all these properties I seem to own. I think it will help me to have something to do while you're at work."

John nod his head. One of the other issues he knew Elise was struggling with was the disability insurance stand that if she could go back to work in the medical field she was no longer disabled and no longer entitled to the funds to continue her rehabilitation and future medical needs. Dixie had told John privately that she was sure something could be worked out but that he needed to make Elise understand that she needed to just ride out a couple of years first. John was hoping that Elise could use her way with real estate to help her ride out the time.

Both John and Elise found themselves looking around and listening.

"It sure is quiet around here now that we're all alone," John commented feeling mixed emotions about that thought. "What are we going to do with this place?"

The two talked a while about a lengthy letter Elise had received from her uncle Milton and the attention was drawn to the empty barn.