John slowly exited his beloved Rover and took in a sharp breath. Captain Stanley's house was a mansion, in his eyes. The whole neighbourhood was beautiful with its landscaped gardens and neatly trimmed lawns.

"Wow, beautiful house Cap." John said, not really sure if he was worthy of entering the home. His background always made him feel uncomfortable when surrounded by luxuries.

"Yeah, well, neither of us have living parents… and we both were the only child…no brothers or sisters...So…Inheritance has helped pay for it all."

"You got an inheritance!" John blurted out before stopping himself. He suddenly felt naive and stupid. He just wasn't used to luxuries; they scared him, having grown up in poverty.

At that moment a neighbour approached. "Hank just thought I'd let you know…." He abruptly stopped when he looked Johnny's way. He eyed him up and down, and then cleared his throat. The paramedic immediately new 'that look' and turned his eyes down, his feet were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. He walked away to look at some flowers.

Stanley watched his paramedic in confusion as his neighbour got closer and whispered in his ear. "Aaahh...just letting you know, we'll be away for a week. Visiting the son up north. Could you keep an eye on the house? Can't be too careful." The neighbour watched Johnny as if he was about to do something dreadful.

"Sure Matt. I'd like to introduce..." Cap gestured towards John.

"No…no, that's ok, don't let me keep you. Bye" He hastily left.

Stanley was a little embarrassed, so he quickly invited John inside. "Em...Emily. I've brought home a very hungry friend."

John smiled, the neighbour suddenly forgotten. A lovely light brown haired woman with a pink apron entered the front room. "Well Hello. I hope you're hungry."

"Em, this is one of my Paramedics, John Gage. John this is my wife Emily."

"Pleased to meet you ma'am….You have a lovely house." John felt very out of place, looking down at his jeans that had rips where they had worn through. He shifted his feet and looked at his Captain not sure if he should suggest he leave and do this another time, suddenly getting cold feet.

"Relax John….What would you like a drink?" Cap led John out to the deck.

"Milk would be good." John answered as he sat down at a table on the deck.

"I'll get it." Emily went inside to the kitchen.

"Where are the kids?" Hank called out to her.

"Jase is out running and Marcia is over at Suzie's working on their science project."

"Jase is on..."

"The track team…I remember you told us yesterday." John injected with a smile. "What's his specialty?" He asked with interest.

"Anything with running involved." Cap stated proudly.

"I was on my track team. 440 was my specialty. I still run on my days off when I get a chance." John smiled as he remembered his high school days.

"Maybe you and Jase can get together. You could probably give him a few pointers. Me….I was a jumper….high jump was my specialty. Running round the track didn't appeal to me."

"Well I was a late sprouter…so high jump definitely was out of my league."

"Here we are." Hank's wife placed a plate in front of John and one in front of her husband.

"This looks great!" John exclaimed. His wide smile made Stanley's wife smile.

"You're welcome John." She patted her husband on the shoulder, and mouthed he's too thin to her husband. He just smiled, knowingly, back. Everybody was too thin according to his wife.

John tucked in and ate hungrily. He swallowed and looked up at his Captain hoping he hadn't noticed his bad manners. He slowed down and took his time, counting chews in his head. This was a technique Lt Blackcrow had taught him after noticing him wolfing down food like there was no tomorrow. John's years of near starvation had left him with no table manners; he hadn't eaten at a table from the age of ten to fifteen. Lt Blackcrow had helped the young man with lots of small things that most people took for granted, eating being one of them.

"So tell me John, Lt Blackcrow...friend...family?" Stanley looked up expectantly.

"He's a friend, more like a mentor. He helps me with things, like social skills and he helped me apply for the academy. He helped me get my legal papers together, by getting in touch with the Trust lands in North Dakota. Why do you ask? I already told you he doesn't make it a habit to turn up at the station." He stated defensively.

"Why did he come yesterday, if you don't mind me asking?" He knew he was prying, but he really wanted to get to know his youngest crew member.

John chewed his bottom lip. He answered honestly. "He was just checking on me. Things have been... tense... at the station. He wanted to make sure I was coping."

"Kelly...I've noticed. Tell me John, do you consider Kelly a friend?" Hank was starting to get down to the nitty gritty.

"Yes." John replied indignantly. "I don't know if he considers me a friend but that doesn't stop us from working together. He is one of the best linemen in the department, so is Marco. Together they're awesome." He stated proudly. Johnny really didn't want to get Chet into trouble but he remembered Roy's advice. "His taunting has got a little out of control lately, I don't know what's changed between us but I am finding him a bit daunting lately." John waited for his Captain's reply.

"I can do two things…reprimand him or maybe sit down and tell him no more harassing." Stanley put the ball back in John's court.

"I don't know." John wasn't happy with either idea. Both ideas implicated him. Chet would tease him endlessly about being a snitch.

"Well, I'm going to have a chat with him next, so how about I sound him out first and then we decide. What do you think?"

"Ok, but don't tell him I said anything. I won't hear the end of it." John said dejectedly.

"Now…." Stanley rubbed his hands together. "I mentioned your file. I noticed you don't have a next of kin. The department requires a name in case you get hurt."

"For medical purposes, Dixie McCall has my medical power. She isn't a doctor so she can legally make decisions on my behalf and be my carer. Next of kin...I don't really have a next of kin." John stated, shrugging.

"Do you think LT Blackcrow would accept being listed as your next of kin?"

"No….You have to understand something of my culture, he's my chief and will oversee anything to do with my heritage but, anything to do with the white man legalities he will not, so I can't list him as my next of kin. However, if something was to happen to me and I died, the department has instructions to follow and Lt Blackcrow has permission to have full access to my body. He will perform the ceremony for my journey into the spirit world. Roy is the beneficiary of my estate, not that there's much, but some of my insurance monies are to go to certain foundations in trust for Native American kids."

"Ok, I'll make a note in your file. By the way I spoke to my wife last night and we can attend the powwow."

"Well alright." John was happy that Cap was going to come to the powwow. "Lt Blackcrow will be there if you need to clear up some things with him."

John looked at his watch. "I need to go. I'm going over to Marcos to help put a skylight into his en-suite."

"That's a big job."

"I've done it before. I put one in at Roys."

"You sound like a handy man to have around."

Johnny shrugged his shoulders. "I like doing that sort of stuff. One day…." He said wistfully. "I'm going to buy me a fixer upper on some land and build me a small ranch and have some horses."

"Sounds like a plan." Hank stated as they re-entered the house. "John is going Em…"

"Thank you for a lovely breakfast Mrs Stanley." Johnny said shyly.

"Please, call me Emily and you are welcome John. I hope to see you around often."

"Really?" John was surprised. The Stanley's were perplexed by his response.

"Come around whenever you want John. My door is always open." Cap stated.

John smiled and nodded as he stepped through the front door to outside. "Bye." The Stanley's watched him drive away.

Hank shook his head and sighed. "He's a completely different person when he is working. Professional…confident…and from what I saw and read about him…excellent at what he does. I get the impression he didn't have a good childhood. He doesn't talk much about it."

"You need to ask him over so I can fatten him up." Mrs Stanley said.

"Twit." Hank shook his head at his wife as he shut the door.