WHITE OUT
When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
A/N: Well, if any story could take on a life of its own, it was this one for sure. It was a great ride and reminds me how much I truly love writing and you guys made it so much fun to keep going. Thanks for everything! Hope to see you soon again.
EPILOGUE
"Come on Johnny, will you hurry it up?" Chet whined as Johnny pulled hoses to the tower.
"Keep your socks on will ya? Or come down here and actually do some work." He grumbled back.
It was a hot full sun southern California type of day and they were working up a sweat getting the job done even though evening was drawing near. An unusually quiet day of runs Cap had them scrubbing the stationhouse from top to bottom and the last thing Johnny wanted to hear was Chet whine.
"Mike's cooking spaghetti and the phantom does NOT like to miss those kinda dinners."
Johnny shot a look at him.
"Hey, just saying." Chet clipped back.
Johnny stopped and put his hands on his hips. "You know, if you'd try helping instead of running your trap maybe we won't be late for dinner."
Chet hopped down and pulled several loops of hose onto his shoulders as the real fear of missing the best supper of the week threatened his existence.
Roy popped his head out the door, "Johnny, Emily's on the phone!"
Johnny jumped up off the ground like a wound up spring was under him taking the arm full of hose loops and tossing them to Chet without looking. As he dashed back into the bay he left Chet twisted up in hose up to his chin yelping for help.
Hank appeared around the corner and scowled at the fireman. "Kelly, will you quit goofing around and get this mess cleaned up? Dinner's ready." Then turned and strolled into the kitchen knowing they were the only ones that saw the smile on his face.
Johnny ran to the phone and almost danced with anticipation while Roy tried to finish his conversation with her. "Come on Roy, give me a chance."
Roy laughed knowing that every time Emily called he was like a little kid again.
"Emily?"
"Hey John! How are you?"
"Good, good. Still coming home Friday?"
"Better believe it. Rose misses you guys so much."
"Awe, well, we miss her too. How's London?"
"It's rainy and miserable as usual. I'm ready for southern California again trust me."
"Make sure you give Kanda the flight information."
"Yes Sir, I will. Hey, I have to go now, but can't wait to see everyone."
"Us too Em. Love you."
"Love you too John, see you soon."
He hung up and turned around to see the entire crew sitting at the table staring at him.
"What?" He said as he pulled up a chair.
Roy chuckled. "You know she's only been gone four days partner?"
Johnny swirled his fork in the noodles. "I know that, don't you think I know that? Doesn't mean we don't miss Rose though."
"Uh huh, Rose." Marco smarted. "Sure that's all?"
"Well yea, and Emily too, of course." He shot his attention back to Roy. "She's home for a month this time, what do you think about going up to the cabin next week on our stretch off?"
"I'll have to see what Kanda's work schedule is but sounds good to me."
"London this time huh?" Marco said. "Is this a new gallery?"
"No, she's trying to purchase some warehouse space to possibly open up an art school."
Hank was impressed. "An art school? That's really great."
Roy swallowed his mouthful of noodles. "Saturday right?" He said to everyone at the table as Chet stumbled into a chair and started grabbing dinner as fast as he could.
Everyone nodded the confirmation regarding the gathering as they finished up the meal.
"So, she still has to travel a lot huh?" Chet asked.
Johnny nodded. "Seems like all the time, but she's really taken control over the business like a tiger."
"And Rose does okay with all the travel?" Hank asked.
"She sure does, seems to love every minute of it. We're just glad she found such a reliable Nanny to help her out when she's away."
Hank smacked him on the shoulder as he got up and took more bread out of the oven. "I'm just glad that things are finally going well for her. She's been through a lot."
"She's a trooper and getting back into her art has really helped her cope with everything." Roy added.
"I just wish she didn't have to travel as much as she does," Johnny said in a quieter voice.
"Maybe she just needs someone to help her put some roots down," Mike mumbled under his breath.
Johnny's head shot up, "What?"
Roy chuckled; very sure he heard exactly what Mike had said. "Just finish your dinner Junior."
Johnny shrugged and kept eating leaving the others unsure if he was really oblivious or just choosing to be.
Emily sat in the grass, Indian style and held the fist full of flowers as she looked over to Rose who sat in her car seat, babbling and playing with her Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear.
"Poppy can see how much you've grown Rose. When Maggie was your age I made fun of him trying to change her diaper. I think he managed to get poop everywhere but in the diaper pail. But hey, you have John now for that, don't you." She giggled and reached over to tickle Rose's bare feet making her squirm in the seat and make faces.
"Give the flowers a kiss before we leave them for Poppy baby."
She held the flowers to Rose's face and laughed as she tried to grab the stems and eat the petals. "No, no, your dinner's at home, so just give those back."
She took a deep breath as she looked at the words engraved before her. "I still miss you every day dad. I hope you hear my conversations since I tend to babble a lot with you. It's really hard to believe that so much has happened in this last year. More than once I had given up in my life, but people kept coming into it and showing me another way. First you saved me from my past, John," she sighed, "John saved me from myself then Kanda and Roy saved my Rose for me."
She leaned back onto her hands. "I visited the cabin this week with Rose and I won't ever let it go out of my life. When John and I went there a few months ago for a kinda anniversary of our struggles I finally felt like those holes in my heart had healed. The world of white memories are tucked away and now the place holds good memories for us. And don't worry; there will be many more stories to share with you I promise, good stories."
"Things are going great for Rose and I and work is keeping me busy. I got a new house for us to have here in LA, it's a great place and between it, the cabin, and the ranch Rose has the best of many worlds now."
Sitting back up she rested her elbows on her knees. "John, Roy and Kanda are also doing great. I really don't know what I'd do without them. Johnny is anxiously waiting until Rose is old enough to ride a horse, but don't worry, I'm making him hold to a walk right now with her. Roy and Kanda are still dancing around and I'm still working on that one." She smiled.
"Jenny has become a wonderful babysitter and mother's helper with Rose. You should have seen her teaching Johnny how to give her a bath. I'm not sure who wound up wetter, Rose or them two," she laughed out loud and Rose smile at her. Chris has taken to helping Kanda run the ranch more and more. He has quite a business head on his growing shoulders for his age and I think he would have impressed even you."
"It's been nice getting to know Margaret since that day we lost you. She's been super sweet to Rose and I have to admit dad that it really touched my heart that she always knew about me, that you never kept me hidden from her like a dirty little secret."
She took a deep breath. "I hope you don't mind that we kept going. I mean I know you would want it that way but sometimes it's still hard and I feel guilty that so many lives were lost and I walked away with so much." She rubbed her moist eyes. "I went back to keeping a journal this year and it already seems full of our crazy days and fun times. I'll bring it with me next time because boy, do I have some great stories to share with you."
She paused knowing it was time to go, but not wanting to say goodbye.
"Thank you dad, for everything."
She laid the flowers down in front of his headstone. "See you next time."
Turning to Rose who had managed to fall asleep in the warm sunshine she sneaked in a kiss then picked her up.
"Let's go home baby doll. We have company tonight."
The front of the house was modest with a porch that held bright hand painted pots full of colorful flowers and blooming vines that climbed the front posts seemingly reaching for the sky. Inside the walls were adorned with paintings from Emily's favorite artists and a few that she did with people that were special to her, including several by her and Jenny. The furniture was modest and comfortable with muted colors of yellow, oranges, reds, browns and greens throughout the prints while toys, scooters, wagons and stuffed animals littered the floor all around.
The back was a wall of pure glass panels that stretched from one corner to the next revealing the wide porch, bright green grassy lawn and sandy beach front beyond. It was beautiful, comfortable, and home in every sense of the word.
Jenny and Chris worked on a sand castle as the gentle waves rippled on the shore as Roy looked on from a lounge chair, while Kanda helped Emily set up the tables. Hank was in charge of the grill while his Emily helped set out the food and their girls followed Rose all over the house keeping her out of trouble as much as they could.
"Johnny the banner is in the top drawer of the desk, can you grab it?" Emily asked as she passed by with a handful of food items.
"Got it," he said with a smile. After he grabbed it and stretched it out he passed it to Marco.
"Hey man, can you fit that between the balloons?"
Marco chuckled at the sight of Johnny being as giddy as a child at Christmas over today. "Sure can. Chet catch," he said as he tossed the other end to Chet who was standing in another chair.
Good thing the tape was in his mouth as he reached out to catch the banner. "Thanks for the warning pal."
"Yea, careful Marco, we know how bad he is at juggling." Johnny jibed at him.
Chet tossed him a scowl, but couldn't hold the expression seeing the pure joy on his friends face.
The last thing in the check list was music and Johnny wandered over to Mike who was fiddling with the new stereo system. It looked a bit daunting to Johnny.
"You got this figured out yet?" He asked.
Mike looked up at him. "Of course, it's easy."
Johnny tried to nod with some semblance of assurance though he had no idea what Mike had rigged up. "Of course it is." His brow wrinkled, "does it work?"
Mike laughed and showing Johnny his right index finger he then reached to push one button. Instantly the house and back porch was filled with the upbeat sounds of country music that sent toes to tapping all around.
Standing in the living room Emily looked around at how great everyone had pulled together to make this possible. Declaring it ready to go she called for everyone to join her in the dining room.
The dining room table was huge and could easily sit ten people and was quickly circled by family and friends. Emily stood next to Johnny, who held Rose.
"I just wanted to say thank you, to everyone, for being such an integral part of making this amazing day even possible." She felt her eyes grow moist. "My primary wish for Rose was a life of joy and love." Her eyes circled the table, past the 51 family and their families, the ER doctors and Dixie, then to Margaret who seemed to be enjoying the fellowship around her. "Looking around at this group of family and friends I don't see how she could have anything less."
Looking over to Johnny he sat Rose on the table in front of her cake. The blue polka dotted bow that gathered up some curls matched her smocked sundress and when she saw the cake in front of her she clapped her hands and beamed.
Dixie had made the cake which had a three dimensional Winnie the Pooh sitting on a picnic blanket then surrounded by roses. In Pooh's hand was a number 1 candle lit and ready. Seeing the joy of the little princess made Dixie chuckle with delight.
As they sang happy birthday her little shoulders swayed and her body danced with them making everyone cheer and clap with her.
Emily leaned in and told her, "Blow out the candle Princess."
And with more slobber than wind she helped her mother blow out the flame and then proceeded to lunge forward and grab two fists full of cake, much to the resounding laughter and joy that surrounded her.
Emily laughed and hugged her. "Happy First Birthday my sweet Rose."
Darkness had fallen, the party had been cleaned up and guests had returned home as Johnny rocked a sleeping Rose with his own eyes closed reveling in the quiet moment. Emily put the last of the cake away and leaned on the kitchen island using the same moment to reflect on what incredible joy her life now held. She felt strong, confident, and in full control of her world around her. But more than anything, as she watched John and Rose, she realized she had found all that she ever needed in life, a family to love and that loved her back.
He opened his eyes and smiled to see her watching them. "I think she's out for the night."
Emily reached down to take her. "Partied out, it's a good way to go."
He nudged her away with a smile as he stood up. "I got her."
Rose snuggled up against the crook of his neck with her face, securing her position of comfort as they walked. He glanced around.
"Where's Roy and Kanda?"
Emily nodded towards the back yard.
Beyond the grass and sidewalk lamps their silhouettes could be seen as the full moon reflected off the crashing waves behind them. The outside stereo could still be heard playing a soft Caribbean beat as the cool night breeze rippled around them.
Johnny was tired, but felt so utterly content. When he turned to look at Emily he was caught off guard by her expression.
"You look like the Cheshire cat, what are you smiling so big about?"
"Do you think it will ever happen?"
Johnny looked out again and knew what she was referring too. "Yea, I really do."
…..but that's another story…
A/N: Laters, baby!