The night before Johnny's first shift back Roy had Adam and his family over for dinner. Joanne had been furious when Roy told her Johnny was coming back and had no intentions of transferring. To lessen the blow he also told her that Adam and his family were coming over for dinner.

"Good we can discuss strategy" she exclaimed as she continued to do the laundry.

"They're coming over for dinner and that's all Joanne. This vendetta against Johnny has got to stop. Johnny's my partner and he was my friend up until a few months ago. I intend to work with him and stay friends with Adam but you have to get used to the idea that Johnny is staying at station 51 as my partner." Roy pointed to himself several times trying to get Joanne to take notice of what he was saying.

He grabbed his wife and sat her down. He needed to have this out with her once and for all. "Why don't you like Johnny?"

Joanne pursed her lips, just the mention of his name made her cringe "I don't like you working with a single partner."

"When I worked at 93s my partner was single and that didn't bother you" Roy said trying to draw the truth out of her.

"Yes but you didn't spend so much time with him, you seem to be spending a lot of time with Johnny."

Roy had heard this all before and took a deep breath. "What changed Joanne? Is it the job? What is it really?"

"It's not the job it's Johnny. I don't like him personally, he comes from a different background and I just don't like what he talks about and some of the things he does." She shrugged "I just don't like him" she said without revealing that she thought Roy could do better.

"You know Johnny's had a hard life and he's worked hard to get to where he is. He's a good and caring person. I would have thought you'd like me to be working with someone like that." Joanne was still scowling.

"Ok I'll just work with him and leave it at that. No more coming over to help with the house. We'll just have to pay someone to do the major stuff or you'll just have to wait till I'm able to get around to doing things on my days off. So no complaining about money because we had to pay someone to repair the roof. Ok?" Roy looked at his wife and laid down the ground rules.

"Can't Adam help?" she asked not liking the rules Roy was imposing.

"I've already told you Adam is not the handy man type. So are we clear? No more Johnny visits and hopefully just Adam and his family social visits."

Joanne agreed but somehow felt something was missing with this agreement. This is what she wanted so how come it didn't feel right. She got up and continued the laundry and Roy went outside to cut the lawn.

Dinner was pleasant and Adam was happy that he was being given a permanent job at 110s A shift.

"We're thinking of moving near the water" Adam's wife told Joanne.

"That's pretty expensive" said Roy.

Adam cleared his throat "Yes well my parents are pretty well off and they're going to help us out" he said trying not to sound snobbish.

Suddenly Roy could see why Joanne liked Adam's family so much. He explored more "Say your parents wouldn't happen to know my wife's parents would they?"

"Well of course. I thought you knew" stated Adam.

"No. No I didn't. Excuse me for a minute?" Roy asked and he left the table feeling anger build up from within him. He couldn't believe it; Joanne had kept this information from him. They had promised each other that they would never keep secrets. This whole thing had not been about Johnny it was Joanne trying to up her status, or was it? He knew what her mother was like maybe Adam's wife was like Joanne's mother. Suddenly our friends are not good enough. Roy shook his head and grabbed his keys. He needed to talk to Johnny.

Johnny had packed the car with his dry cleaned uniforms and his new boots that he had worn around the apartment to wear in. He was relaxing in front of the TV when there was a knock on his door. He was more than surprised to find Roy standing there.

"Roy, come on in" Johnny waved him into his apartment. "Take a seat".

"All set for tomorrow?" asked Roy keeping things light for starters.

"Yep uniforms are in the car along with my new boots. Did my helmet arrive?" asked Johnny knowing his helmet was crushed in the collision.

"Yeah I think Cap has it...Johnny I need to explain a few things to you" Roy said as he rubbed his hand over his face. "I found out a few things tonight and I'm not proud of myself. I let myself be manipulated into thinking I was doing the right thing as far as my family was concerned but instead I was being taken for a fool" Roy stood up and paced. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "When you had the accident and you went into a coma I tried to visit you as much as I could. Then, when you needed help with feeding and physio I tried to help then too. Then Adam comes along and Adam's wife. Turns out Adam's parents know Joanne's parents. Joanne starts complaining about how much time I'm spending at the hospital and not at home and then we start becoming real good friends with Adam and his family and suddenly there's no room for you" Roy sombrely looked at his partner "It was all planned out by Joanne's parents. Have their daughter mixing in the right circle of friends. I think maybe they had visions of me and Adam going into partnership or something, who knows...but...what I'm trying to say is..." Roy sat back down and looked at his partner "Joanne can be a stuck-up and mixing with Adam has brought that out and suddenly my friends aren't good enough."

Johnny watched Roy confess and try to explain the last few months but as far as Johnny was concerned he was falling short. "You don't expect me to believe that do you Roy?"

Roy's head snapped up and he looked at his partner stunned.

"Let me get this straight Roy. Joanne becomes friends with Adams wife whose parents in-law know Joanne's parents and because of that you stop helping me and being a friend to me" Johnny said disbelievingly.

"Well sort of. The thing is she was constantly telling me that I was neglecting her and the kids by spending all my spare time with you and instead of working out a compromise I just stop being a good friend." Roy stood up "Ah hell Johnny you're right. It's a lame excuse. God I don't know Johnny. This has all been too much for me. I just don't know what to believe anymore."

Johnny sighed and looked at his partner, he couldn't stay mad at him but he couldn't fully forgive him for turning his back on him. "Look Roy let's just be friends at work and leave it at that and if things get better in time maybe we can be good friends again but for now let's just concentrate on work."

Roy nodded realising once again that he had thrown away a close friendship. He stood up and shook Johnny's hand. He thought how much Johnny had grown up these last few months and he had missed it by choosing to not be a part of Johnny's life.

"I'll see you tomorrow" he said as he was leaving.

"See you tomorrow Roy" Johnny shut the door and sat down. He didn't quite know what Roy was trying to tell him but somehow he knew that Joanne had been making Roy feel somewhat guilty for spending time with him.

"Woman" he said to himself. "I am not getting married" he declared to his apartment.

Over in another apartment things were becoming quite serious.