A/N: The blackout described in this story is based on the real event that occurred in NYC July 13-14 1977. The details about the serial killer that was being looked for are also true, that was the summer of Son of Sam; a lot was going on in the city leading up to Jim and Johanna's wedding. This is a small story that I've been wanting to do for summer and I've finally gotten around to it. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter One

As Johanna stepped outside the law firm door late that afternoon, she squinted against the sun, hurrying to fish her sunglasses from her purse as she followed Jim to the car. The temperature was getting perilously close to a hundred degrees; and the office had felt even hotter since its air conditioning had quit working earlier in the week. She sighed deeply, seeing the steam rising from the grates in the streets as the subway rumbled by underground, vibrating the street beneath her feet. The air didn't seem to be moving, laying humid and heavy across the city. She hated weather like this, she couldn't help but think to herself as followed closely behind Jim as they moved toward the car; their footsteps hurried despite the heat that was dogging them. Jim reached back for her hand, keeping her close to his side as he surveyed the area near the car.

"Seems like he strikes mostly late at night," Johanna murmured to him; knowing that he was being extra cautious as the search for the serial killer the press called Son of Sam amped up in the city and its surrounding boroughs.

"I don't want to take a chance that he changes his game plan," Jim replied, keeping hold of her hand even as he unlocked the car door and ushered her into the passenger seat. "And I'm damn sure not taking chances with your safety."

"I know," she told him before he shut the door and hurried around the car to climb in on the driver's side. "Thankfully nothing has happened in Manhattan so far."

"The keywords of your statement are 'so far'," Jim remarked while starting the engine. "As long as he's on the loose, he can show up anywhere."

"I know…that's what worries me," she admitted.

"It worries me that he targets women with long dark hair," her fiancé remarked.

"Why do you think I got it cut?" Johanna asked. "Cutting my hair a month before my wedding wasn't really in my plans."

"I know, sweetheart; but if it makes you safer, then I would've cut it for you myself."

Johanna toyed with the strap of her purse as he pulled away from the curb. "To tell you the truth, I thought about dying it until they catch that son of a bitch…but I don't want to have a different hair color on my wedding pictures."

Jim frowned at the thought. "I don't want you to have different hair color period…but if this goes on much longer…it will be the one time where I'll fully support you in dying it if it will make you feel safer."

"I don't know what color I'd pick…I don't really want to be blonde."

He shook his head. "Definitely not blonde."

"Red?"

Jim considered that for a moment. "Red might be alright as long as it isn't too bright…but a lighter brown would probably suffice if it has to be done at some point."

She leaned her head back against the seat. "Hopefully it won't come to it…but if it does, I'll just go with my mother's hair color…until then, when we're out on a non-workday, I'll just continue to wear that baseball hat you bought me."

He smiled as he quickly glanced at her. "You look pretty damn cute in a baseball hat."

"I think I look stupid but I'm trying to be cautious."

"You definitely don't look stupid. Do you want to stop and get something to eat before we go looking for an air conditioner?" he asked.

"I'm really not hungry right now; but if you are, we can stop somewhere."

Jim shook his head. "Honestly I'd rather us go do what we need to do first, then we'll figure out dinner."

"Sounds good…but just know that if I'm making dinner, it's going to be something light and easy."

"Believe me, I don't expect you to cook elaborate meals in this heat," he remarked. "I can't wait to get home and change clothes."

"Me neither," she replied, her fingertips brushing against the slate blue skirt of her dress. That morning the dress had felt light and comfortable but as the day had heated up, so had the office and her comfort had waned, making her long for home, a cool shower and the comfort of her silky summer nightgown that was so light it felt like having nothing on. "I hope we don't have to go to too many stores to find an air conditioner."

"Hopefully there will be one waiting for us at our first stop and then we can head home and I'll put it in and we'll have some cool air."

"That's the best thing I've heard all day," Johanna replied, hoping that their shopping trip would be quick and easy.

It had taken two stores to find their coveted air conditioner, but thankfully, the second store had been close by the first, sparing them some time in their search and Johanna couldn't help but feel grateful for that as the doors of the elevator opened onto her floor. She quickly stepped out, giving Jim room to pick up the box he had sat down as she grabbed her keys out of her purse while holding on to their briefcases. "Are you sure you don't need me to help you carry that?" she asked.

"I'm positive, go on," he told her.

"Are you sure you got it?" Johanna asked, glancing back at her fiancé a few seconds later as he carried the large box toward her door.

"I've got it," he said. "Just hurry up and unlock the door."

She nodded and quickly shoved her key into the lock, pushing the door open and waving him ahead of her. "Are you sure that's not too big for the window?" she asked as he sat the heavy box in the center of the floor. "It seems kind of big."

"I'm positive," Jim replied. "It looks bigger than it is because of the box, they have to pack it well. Trust me, it's going to go in the window just fine and then at least we'll have some cool air in the living room."

"Maybe next year we can get one for the bedroom," she said with a sigh.

He gave her a smile as she clicked on the lights. "We will; but listen, I'll get this unpacked and installed in the window, and since we couldn't decide on what we wanted to eat, order us a pizza for dinner…and tonight, we'll drag the mattress out here and sleep with the air conditioner on. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Johanna replied. "It was so damn hot in the office today. I feel like my clothes are sticking to me."

"Roche said he's going to get a repairman in there tomorrow to fix the air conditioning unit."

"He better," she complained. "I don't exactly enjoy feeling like a baked potato."

"Neither do I…in fact, I'm going to change out of my work clothes before I start on this. I can't stand these clothes for another minute."

She nodded. "I'm going to change too and then I'll order the pizza…which I'm glad for that suggestion because I really didn't feel like cooking…even if it was only slapping some sandwiches together."

"I don't blame you, sweetheart," he told her. "Did you lock the door?"

Johanna moved back to the door and turned the locks and then put the chain lock in place that he had installed last month. "It's locked now."

"Good…I don't see any messages on the machine, usually your father calls by now to see if you got home safely."

"I think he had a late meeting; at least I think that's what Mom said when I talked to her on my break earlier. I told her I'd be with you though, that we were going to get an air conditioner and then we'd be in for the night. She'll probably call and check in later."

"Or Frank will," he commented as they made their way into the bedroom.

"I'm touched that he does…he doesn't often let us see that deeper side of himself…but I admit that sometimes it makes me a little nervous. I wish they'd catch that son of a bitch so we could all quit worrying."

"I know, I do too…and I get why the phone calls make you nervous…I probably do too, demanding you don't go anywhere alone…and that I make you hurry to get in and out of the car. That we don't stay out after a certain time here lately."

"No, believe me, with this going on I don't want to go anywhere alone or linger too much outdoors. Dad's even been coming with Mom and I on our planning outings…he calls Colleen too to make sure she gets home."

Jim gave a nod as he shed his suit jacket and then reached for his tie. "Frank might be the one who rests easiest of everyone whenever they find that bastard."

"That could be true. Unzip my dress please…and keep in mind that I already feel sweaty and have no desire to become sweatier."

Jim laughed a little as he moved toward her and unzipped her dress for her. "I understand…and don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not exactly in the mood for it either."

She gave him an amused grin as she shed her dress. "It's a bleak day indeed if even you can't conjure up the mood for it."

"This day has had rotten vibes since we got up this morning," he laughed while unbuttoning his shirt. "It was already too humid, the office was hot, everyone was miserable, cases were annoying. The day just sucked, plain and simple."

"Yeah, it did," she agreed while slipping into a pair of shorts. "We should've stayed in Long Island last week...those days didn't suck."

"Not at all," Jim agreed, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "We needed that little vacation."

"Definitely," she sighed, opening a dresser drawer to grab a tank top. "Clearly we're in need of another vacation…one somewhere cooler."

"That would be nice," he said. "I hope it isn't this hot for the wedding."

"You and me both…or I'll have to listen to my mother complain for years about how I should've chosen a cooler month to be married in."

Jim smiled and pressed another quick kiss to her lips. "Think of it this way, sweetheart; we're having a heatwave now so maybe that means August will be good to us."

"I certainly hope so."

"It'll work out, don't worry," he assured. "We've had so much trouble with planning and relatives that the universe has to have mercy on us and at least give us nice weather for our wedding day."

Johanna stole another quick kiss. "I hope you're right. As for this day here…well, at least we can say we're past the worst of it now. We're home, we're alone, soon we'll be cool once the air conditioner is in and working. The day can only get better from here."

Jim gave her a grin. "For the few hours that remain of it, right?"

She laughed. "Hey something is better than nothing."

"That's true," he remarked as he finished shedding his suit and moved to the dresser to find a pair of shorts. "We'll enjoy what's left of this day."

"I'm going to go order the pizza. Do you need me to move anything before you get started with the air conditioner?"

"We'll need to pull the couch out and maybe move the stand just in case; but I don't want you doing that by yourself. I'll be out in a minute to help."

"Alright, I'll get dinner ordered."

Jim smiled a little as he watched her leave the room; she was right, the day wouldn't be a total loss…they were home now, an air conditioner would soon be in the window and a pizza on its way to their door. They could relax now, and they had agreed in the car that they'd ignore the phone with the exception of easing Frank's mind if he called to make sure she was home. Yes, the evening would be much better than the day had been now that they could settle down together, unwind in front of the TV while they enjoyed their newest household purchase. He liked that thought…first they had bought an answering machine and now they had bought an air conditioner. It made it all feel real to him, that they were already quietly setting up their household together as the wedding drew near. He took off his watch and laid it on the dresser before moving his shoes back to the closet so that Johanna wouldn't trip over them. Yes, the day had been awful…but the evening was definitely going to be better.