Thanks for all the reviews. I am sorry this has taken so long for me to finish. I'm glad everyone enjoyed this story, as it was the first fanfic I ever wrote. Please read and review. Thanks to Soldier Heart for being my ever faithful beta reader.

6 weeks later...

Karen pulled into the parking lot behind Station 51. She was early for her first day back on the job. As she was getting out of the car, she let out a nervous breath. She grabbed her gear from the back seat and closed the car door.

As she walked into the Station, she realized that all the guy's cars were parked in the back as well. Wow, even Chet and Johnny are here early! I'm impressed.

As she walked past the engine, she thought she heard faint murmuring. She paused, listening. The noise stopped. She shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way to the locker room.

As she entered the locker room, she realized no one was in the room. Whew, I can change in peace, she thought as she walked over to her locker.

She set her gear down on the floor and opened the door.

Thwang! She heard the noise but didn't have time to duck as a water bomb hit her straight in the face. She sputtered and was about to yell a few choice words at the culprit, then decided she had better not. Those guys will be in here so fast trying to make sure I'm okay that I'll never get changed.

So she took her wet clothes off and quickly changed into her dry uniform. She hung her wet clothes in her locker and, after a moments hesitation a grin spread across her face as she quickly took the Phantom's water bomb out of her locker and deftly put it in Chet's locker. She filled it with water and closed the door.

She smiled with satisfaction as she left the locker room. She rounded the front of the squad and entered the day room.

"Surprise!"

The shout almost caused Karen to loose her balance. Six pairs of hands started to reach out to grab her. Karen regained her balance and looked around the room.

The guys had come early, to decorate the day room. She looked over to the table where there was a cake that said, "Welcome home Karen" with little fire engines on it. She also noted there were donuts, muffins, bagels and every other breakfast item the guys loved.

She looked around the room, seeing Dr.'s Brackett and Early by the blackboard, Dixie beside them. Joanne DeSoto, Emily Stanley and Rosita Lopez were standing near the table, ready to serve the meal. She was taken back however to see the Chief standing by the door.

"Oh my god," was all Karen could say.

"We wanted to surprise you and welcome you back," Cap said, reaching over and hugging the overwhelmed paramedic.

"Thank you. I was wondering why everyone was here early, even Johnny and Chet." Everyone laughed at her comment.

"Well, I'm here to officially welcome you back to Station 51. Without the help from your crew, you would have been assigned somewhere else. However, because they felt so strongly about you staying, the council made the decision to make you a permanent member of 51. My official reason for being here is to permantly assign you to this station starting today. Congratulations, you certainly earned it," the chief said as he shook Karen's hand.

"Thank you chief. I just want to say that, I appreciate everything that was done for me these past weeks. I realize that I could have died out at that last call. But because my partners refused to give up, the doctors standing against that wall," she said pointing to the two doctors against the back wall, "the nurses and family members, my crew mates, even you Chief. You all refused to give up on me and believed that I could come through. I just want to say," she paused, getting a little choked up, "thank you. Thank you for being there for me and for becoming my family."

The room erupted in clapping.

"We would have never given up on you partner," Johnny said and he and Roy hugged their new partner.

"We wouldn't have ever given up on you either," Kel said, pointing to himself and Joe.

"Neither would we," Marco said.

"Now, I have a little surprise for you Karen. That day, before the accident, you and Chet had been playing a little one on one basket ball."

"I remember. I remember beating him too."

"That's right. You did. Now, I never gave him the latrine duty that he so richly won."

"No Cap, don't say it. Please!" Chet begged of his Captain as the rest laughed.

"Zip it Kelly. Karen, now that you are back, I am officially giving Chet latrine duty for the next month. This is your get out of latrine duty free pass, if that's what you want to call it."

Cap handed Karen a card that said she was exempt from latrine duty due to beating a certain fireman at one-on-one.

"Thanks Cap!"

"No problem. Now, let's eat!"

Everyone headed over to the table and began filling plates. Chet had grabbed a jelly filled donut and begun to eat.

"Uh, Chet, I think you need to do something about your shirt," Marco said, pointing. Chet had dribbled some of the filling on his uniform shirt.

Chet looked down. "Oh crap. I'd better go change my shirt."

As soon as he left the room, Karen edged over to the door.

"What did you do?" Mike asked as everyone noticed Karen's interest in Chet's departure.

"The Phantom left me a calling card in my locker this morning. I got doused by a water bomb. However, I turned the table on him. I put his water bomb in his locker."

All of a sudden, from the locker room could be heard, "Damn you Karen! The Phantom never forgets things like this!"The day room erupted in laughter as Roy said, "Yep, things are pretty much back to normal now."

Dixie walked over to Karen and put an arm around her. "How does it feel to be part of a family again?""It feels wonderful, Dix. I am so glad I got assigned here. This is my family now."

Dixie smiled and began eating. Karen looked around the room. Mom, Dad, I love you guys and miss you so much. Now that you are gone, I won't forget you. You will be in my heart always, but I needed these guys and I think you had a hand in my staying here at 51. I promise that these people here today will always be a part of my family from now on.

The End.