Johnny couldn't stand it any longer; he had to talk to someone about what he suspected. Chet could really be a pain but he was still a friend and Johnny was worried. He waited till he and Roy were alone and asked his partner, "Roy, about last night, do you think that Chet might not have dialled the wrong number the first time?"
Roy sighed and looked at his partner. "I have to admit I thought the same thing Johnny. She does seem too good to be true, for someone like Chet. One thing's for sure..."
"What's that Roy?" Johnny asked.
"We can't say anything to Chet...unfortunately he'll have to find out for himself. We'll just have to make sure that we're there for him when he does."
"If he does!" Johnny added. He didn't like getting involved when it came to relationships; not being that experienced with long term relationships himself. Roy was the expert here so he would listen to him and follow his advice. Since they were on the subject of relationships Johnny decided to take the plunge. Ellen had agreed with him, last night over the phone to meet with his partner. "Roy there's someone I'd like you and Joanne to meet. I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go on a picnic this coming Sunday." Johnny looked at his partner hoping he would accept.
Roy considered his partner's request and was intrigued with the invite. "I'll need to check with Joanne first. Are the kids invited too?"
Johnny chewed his bottom lip having forgotten about the kids. Ellen was used to children, being a teacher, but the children she taught were blind. That was how they had met. Johnny was at the school demonstrating for the teachers CPR. Some of the teachers were blind so he had to physically guide their hands to show them how to do CPR. Ellen had helped him, and that was when he noticed her. Little did he know that it would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship? At first it was his admiration that attracted him to her but as he got to know her, he was soon attracted to her sweet and gentle ways. He felt comfortable with her and didn't need to act like the tough fireman. Ellen loved hearing his stories of rescues but in a way like no one he had ever met. She picked up more on his caring ways than his heroics and for Johnny this was a pleasant change. It wasn't long before he was dropping the over eager bragging fireman/paramedic persona and becoming the relaxed and easy going companion. Ellen had a way about her that made him feel so comfortable with himself that he felt like he had known her all his life. She was like no woman he had ever dated and, despite the birthmark, she was pretty.
"Johnny?" Roy had been waiting for his partner to answer. Johnny had a look on his face that he had never seen on his partner before. Roy shook his head, could it be, was his partner finally 'in love?'
"I'm sorry Roy...What was the question?"
Oh boy he's got it bad, Roy thought. "The kids Johnny...Are they invited?" Roy asked again smiling at his partner as if he had just been let in on a secret.
"Yes Roy...of course!" Johnny told his partner suddenly feeling very exposed by the meaningful look on Roy's face.
The next shift Chet continued his bragging about his gorgeous girlfriend. Johnny tried to sound happy for his friend but couldn't budge the uneasy feeling he had about the relationship. Roy was feeling the same way but unlike Johnny didn't let it gnaw at him. Chet was a grown man and would have to learn to live with it if his girlfriend was playing around while he was on shift.
"Well it seems my friend you're not the only lucky one...I did some overtime with C shift and Terry White was bragging about dating a gorgeous girlfriend." Marco slapped his friend on the back. "Maybe you should compare notes."
"Hey! We should go on a double date!" Chet declared.
"C Shift is usually on when we're off Chet...Especially weekends." Johnny reminded his friend.
"Yeah you're right John. I'm just gonna' check the roster." Chet said and went into the Cap's office to go over A Shift and C Shift rosters.
"Can you imagine it? Two gorgeous girlfriends, competing with each other!" Marco laughed at the idea. Mike and Roy also laughed. Johnny sat there frowning, a horrible thought came to mind but he brushed it off. I definitely don't want to go there he told himself. He looked around and noticed his partner looking at him; Johnny just smiled and kept his thoughts to himself.
Chet came back into the day room, "Three weeks we'll have to wait!" Chet claimed.
"That will give you plenty of time to organise it." Marco told his friend.
"Yeah...there's no way Terry's girlfriend is more gorgeous than Alana!" Chet declared with conviction.
Roy and Mike shook their heads. They could see a lot of trouble blossoming between the two shifts. Marco smirked at the idea of two fighting women. Johnny frowned at Chet's remark noting, how gorgeous his girlfriend was, being the most important thing to Chet. He thought about himself and asked 'Was I that shallow?' He reminded himself how lucky he was the day Ellen entered his life.
"What are you doing on your days off?" Chet asked Johnny. Johnny knew it was Chet's way of opening a conversation to tell him all the things he'll be doing with his girlfriend. He wished he could be happy for him but he was too concerned about his friend's feelings being hurt if Alana turned out to be cheating on him.
"Just the norm'...what about you?" Johnny heard Roy moan.
"I thought you'd never ask. Nothing today because Alana needs to visit a sick friend out of town but tomorrow...we're going sailing." Chet was envisaging Alana in a swim suit, not noticing the paramedics exchanging worrying glances at each other.
Johnny thought about the sick friend out of town, that was the oldest excuse in the book. He was surprised Chet fell for it but following Roy's advice, said nothing. He noticed Roy was probably thinking the same thing as him. When Chet left, Roy sat next to Johnny on the bench.
"I don't know about you Junior but I'm ready to go!" Roy knew that Johnny was worried about Chet, but he also knew worrying wasn't going to change things.
"Yeah I'm ready to go. Which shift is taking over? We need to let them know about the backboard at Rampart."
"It's B Shift, then C Shift for 48 hours and then us."
"For 48 hours!" they said together. Both of them hated 48 hour shifts. It took them another 24 hours to get over a 48 hour shift sometimes, depending on how busy it was.
Roy and Johnny let the incoming paramedics know about the backboard. "Hey John, heard you couldn't keep your hands to yourself." One of the B Shift paramedics said innocently.
"Yeah...Where did you hear that?" Johnny asked, not impressed if Chet was spreading rumours about him.
"Aahh,...someone from C Shift...Oh Yeah! Terry White!" He said innocently not noticing how annoyed Johnny was.
"Marco!" Johnny said to Roy. Roy nodded his head.
"It has to be, since he worked the overtime with them." Roy told his partner surprised that Marco would gossip. He could see that Johnny was surprised also and then he saw the hurt in Johnny's eyes. He knew his partner took a lot of things to heart and Marco betraying him like that would have really hurt him. Roy decided to take it upon himself to speak to Marco; after all it was his barbeque. "Come on Johnny, let's go home and get some sleep. I'll speak to Marco and I'll even call Terry and set him straight."
"Thanks Roy but you don't have to do that?"
"Yes I do partner...It was my barbeque and I was the one who pressured you into calling in. Let me handle this?" Roy put his hand on his partner's shoulder. Johnny nodded appreciatively.
"We'll see you, Joanne and the kids Sunday?" Johnny asked his partner making sure they were coming.
"You bet...and it's WE is it?" Roy smiled a knowing smile at his partner.
Johnny flushed not meaning to say we, "I did say to meet someone!" He told his partner.
"Wouldn't happen to be female, this friend you want us to meet, would it?" He teased.
"You'll have to wait and see Roy." Johnny told his partner, ending the conversation by getting into his car. Roy waved goodbye to his partner, his smile leaving his face as soon as his partner was out of sight. Rumours and innuendos can get very messy around fire stations. Knowing how sensitive his partner is, he was more than a little concerned about these rumours.