James pulled into Station Fifty-One and parked between a small pickup truck and an old convertible, shutting off the engine. It was good to have his probation period behind him, though he wasn't sure exactly what he was walking into at his new station.

"Bunch of nuts over there." One of the guys at his last station had told him.

"And the occasional fruit." Another one had commented to guffaws.

James hadn't been quite sure what he meant by that but didn't want to ask and look like an idiot. He already felt like enough of one.

He climbed out of his car and grabbed his bag, starting toward the station. As he approached the door, he spotted something right in front of it.

That something started wagging its tail as James got closer, and he reached down to scratch its head. "Hey, buddy. You must be the station mascot, huh?"

The dog wagged its tail even harder, letting out a loud bark followed by a whine. "Okay, okay, buddy, let's go inside. I'm gonna be late."

The dog immediately followed James into the station. He could hear activity in the locker room area, a couple of guys already arguing with a woman's voice rising above sounding as if she was trying to intervene.

"No one told me there was a chick working here." He told the dog. The dog didn't seem to have an opinion on the matter.

The office door opened and someone came out, noticing James. "Morning." He called out as he approached. "Can I help you?"

James moved to meet him partway, extending a hand. "James Carver."

"Right, of course." The other man replied with a nod, responding in kind. "Good to meet you. I'm Captain DeSoto. Welcome aboard. Let's get you situated."

The dog barked, attracting Captain DeSoto's attention, and he glanced down with a frown. "Who's your friend?"

James was baffled. "Isn't he, you know, the station mascot?"

Captain DeSoto looked amused as he shook his head. "We haven't had a dog around here in years."

"Oh." James was more than a little embarrassed. What a way to start. "Well, I mean, he was just outside the door. He's…she's…it's real friendly."

"Sure seems like it." Captain DeSoto squatted down to scratch the dog's head. "Hi there. Who do you belong to?"

He examined the dog briefly before rising to his feet, his hands on his hips. "No collar, no tags. Suppose I'll put in a call to animal control. In the meantime, I guess he can hang around here."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…well, anyway, it just kind of followed me in."

"It's fine." Captain DeSoto told him firmly. "Now then, let's get you set up with a locker. Roll call's in five."

"Yes sir." James moved to follow the captain, the dog not far behind. The rest of the crew was talking among themselves in the locker room, whatever argument had been going on clearly over now, though two of them were still going back and forth.

A young Asian woman merely shook her head, pulling her hair into a ponytail and tugging it tight. She was awfully cute. He'd have to make time to talk to her later.

"Here's your locker." Captain DeSoto told him. "See you in a minute."

The two other men paused, turning to regard him curiously. James nodded as he started changing. "How's it going?"

"Fine, fine." The older man with a thick mustache answered. "You must be the new guy."

"Yeah." James replied as he finished changing into uniform. "Just got off probation."

"And they stuck you with us." The man shook his head. "Sorry for your luck. Chet Kelly. This idiot's Adam Collins. He's one of the paramedics."

"You can't pass the engineer's exam, and somehow I'm the idiot?" Adam scoffed, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."

The dog barked, and Adam regarded it with an arched eyebrow. "And you brought a friend. How nice."

Chet seemed to notice the dog for the first time. "Huh, how about that. When was the last time we had a dog here, Adam?"

"Don't remember." Adam replied, appearing to ponder the question. "Must have been when Johnny was still here."

"Right, Johnny." Chet shook his head. "Good man, Johnny. Shame what happened to him."

"Indeed." Adam added mournfully. "Miss him every day."

James couldn't help his own curiosity. "What happened to him?"

Adam clapped him hard on the shoulder. "That's a story for another time, Probie."

"I'm not…" James trailed off as Adam and Chet left the locker room. "Never mind."

He joined the crew in the day room, taking a spot next to the Asian girl, another man lining up next to him. She was tiny compared to the rest of them, only maybe coming up to his shoulder, if that. How the hell did she manage to do the job? James couldn't imagine. He'd heard cracks at other stations about how other girls had somehow gotten into the department, but those cracks never sat quite right with him.

Of course, he didn't have the guts to speak out against them, either. He was a probie, he just needed to keep his head down and keep on pushing.

She glanced up at him. "You're staring."

He heard the man standing next to him start laughing quietly, and James could feel himself heat up. "Sorry." He muttered. "Didn't mean to."

"Good morning." Captain DeSoto's voice rang out in the room. "I'd like to take a minute to introduce our newest member, James Carver."

The dog trotted in and immediately sat down next to Captain DeSoto, who merely looked down. "And we have a visitor that came in with James."

"Aw, what a sweetie." The girl knelt down, and the dog trotted over to her, licking her face. Her nose wrinkled up at the move. "Oh, ew, no. None of that."

"Yeah, mutt, only I'm allowed to do that." Chet commented.

"God." Adam huffed. "You're so goddamn weird."

"Guys." Captain DeSoto broke in with an exasperated tone. "We've got a lot to cover today. There's a school tour coming through here later, and I want everything to be in good shape. And they're elementary school age, Adam, so watch your language."

Adam looked mildly affronted before he acknowledged that with a nod. "Yes, Cap."

"Okay, let's get things cleaned up." Captain DeSoto told them. "Don't want the kids to think we live like animals."

The dog barked as if in protest, and Captain DeSoto gave him a pat. "No offense, buddy. Okay, guys…and Sam. That's all I have."

The crew broke up, with Adam and Sam heading out to the bay while Chet and the other guy started cleaning up the day room. "Grab a broom, Probie." Chet told him. "Make yourself useful."

The other man glanced at him from where he was wiping down the table, greeting him with a nod. Chet suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I guess you didn't get to meet everyone. This is Mike Stoker. He's our engineer."

"Nice to meet you." James extended a hand.

Mike accepted with a hint of a smile. "Likewise."

"And the woman you were trying to hit on is my wife, Sam." Chet continued. "She's the other paramedic."

James felt himself heat up again. "I didn't know, sorry."

"Oh, I'm not worried about it." Chet answered casually. "Sam holds her own and then some. That's what I love about her."

"She sure put him in his place earlier." Mike commented with a hint of a smile.

Chet all but beamed. "That's my girl."

Suddenly James heard a distinct whining sound, and he looked over to see the dog scratching at the door.

"Better let your little pal out." Chet told him. "Cap'll have your head on a platter if he makes a mess in here."

"Yeah, don't want to get on Cap's bad side your first day here." Mike chimed in.

"Remember what happened to the last guy that did, Mike?" Chet asked.

"Sure do." Mike nodded, crossing over to the sink. "Poor guy got ran right out of the department, never to be seen again."

James was pretty sure they were just yanking his chain but set the broom aside to let the dog outside. The dog sniffed around for a while until it found a spot it deemed acceptable to do its business.

Once done, the dog looked up at James, tilting its head and wagging its tail. James scratched its head with a sigh. "We need to figure out a name for you. And what you are. That's if Captain DeSoto lets you stay."

The only response was a loud woof. James laughed a little at that. "Yeah, I thought that's what you'd say. Come on, let's get inside before they start looking for us."

Once inside, James picked up the broom while the dog leapt up on the couch and flopped down. Just then, Captain DeSoto came in. "Someone's made themselves at home."

The dog lifted its head, and Captain DeSoto merely shook his head. "Guess you're staying with us, buddy. The pound's all full."

The dog rolled to its back, letting Captain DeSoto scratch its belly. "Looks like we've got us a boy. He needs a name."

"Well, let's see…we've had Boot and Henry." Chet answered thoughtfully. "Maybe we should continue the tradition of naming dogs after our dearly departed brothers."

Captain DeSoto looked skeptical. "Continue? Didn't know we started one."

"Come on, Cap, you know." Chet started to explain. "Boot was a nickname, and Henry, well, you know who we named him after. Seems only logical to, uh, continue the tradition."

"I see." Captain DeSoto didn't seem convinced. "Well, you guys keep thinking on it."

The tones went off, and everyone jumped to respond. James climbed into the engine next to Chet, while Mike started it up and waited for Captain DeSoto. He soon climbed in, and they were off. Naming the dog would have to wait until they returned.

# # #

"Man, I'm getting awfully damn tired of this." Chet complained as they all climbed down from the engine. "Why do they even call us out when all they need are the paramedics?"

"That's how Nine-One-One calls work, Chet, you know that." Captain DeSoto told him. "It's all hands on deck. You should be used to it by now."

"Yeah, I guess." Chet hung up his turnout coat and headed back into the day room. "Wow, that mutt hasn't moved the whole time we've been gone. Maybe we should call him Lazy Bones."

"We should see about getting him some food." Captain DeSoto commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"James let him in." Chet pointed out as he sat down at the table and started writing on a memo pad. "Seems only right that he should go after it."

"Adam and Sam are on grocery duty anyway." Captain DeSoto replied patiently as he left the day room. "They can pick some up while they're out."

James heard the rescue squad pull in and shut off, and soon the two paramedics entered the day room. "Chet, you'd better have that list ready." Adam called out.

Chet handed Adam the memo pad, and Adam looked it over before he glanced over at the couch. "Our little friend is staying, I assume?"

"That he is." Chet replied. "He needs a name."

Adam tucked the memo pad in his shirt pocket. "He does."

"So what I was thinking was…you know how we named the last two dogs, right?" Chet continued.

Adam frowned slightly before nodding. "Right."

"Right, so I was explaining to James here how we name our dogs after our, uh, dearly departed friends."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked as she filled a water glass and turned to lean against the sink.

"Before your time, babe." Chet waved a hand at her casually. "So, I was thinking…"

"No, absolutely not." Adam shook his head. "I will not desecrate that man's memory by naming a dog after him. He would have hated that."

"What are you talking about?" Chet argued. "Johnny loved dogs, God rest his soul."

Adam merely shook his head. "Sam, we can go when you're ready."

Sam drained her water and set the glass in the sink before following him out. James thought he could hear her asking Adam about the whole conversation, but soon their voices faded away.

Chet flipped open a textbook and a notebook, and James decided now wasn't a good time to bother him. But he was awfully curious about this Johnny guy.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and started a fresh pot before joining Mike and Chet at the table. Mike was reading the newspaper, and James didn't want to bother him, either.

Still, the question remained. Finally, he decided to ask Mike. "Hey, Mike?"

Mike lowered the newspaper. "Yes?"

"About Johnny…"

Mike merely shook his head. "There are some things you're better off not knowing."

James didn't want to press further on that point. "I mean, maybe we should name the dog Johnny. Maybe it'd be a good way to remember him."

He thought he heard Chet snicker, but it turned to a cough so quickly as Mike threw him a sharp look that he wasn't sure he'd heard it right after all. "Or maybe we could name him by Johnny's nickname."

"He didn't have one." Chet answered, not looking up. "Wasn't around long enough to get one."

"That's not true." Mike countered. "When you used to play pranks on him, what did you call him?"

"Pigeon." Chet's head jerked up. "But Pigeon's a terrible name for a dog."

"True." Mike nodded. "Well, I'm sure we'll think of something."

Adam and Sam soon returned from the store, and Sam pulled out two dog bowls along with some rawhide chews and some toys. She filled one of the bowls with water and set it down alongside the other bowl before filling it with food. The dog immediately rolled over, his ears pricking up, his tail wagging.

"Come on, sweetie." Sam encouraged him. "Come on."

The dog jumped down and made his way over, sniffing at both bowls before noisily lapping up some water and moving on to the food bowl.

"Aw, poor baby, you must be starving." Sam's voice was sympathetic as she scratched his back. "Does he have a name yet?"

Chet spoke before James could say anything. "We're working on it. Want to make sure we give him a good one, you know. Proper. Respectful. In the, uh, long-standing tradition."

"I see." Sam answered, clearly skeptical. She checked her watch. "I suppose we should start putting lunch together before that tour comes through,"

Everyone started gathering the makings for sandwiches, spreading them out on the table as Captain DeSoto came in. "Good thinking. That tour's coming through in about an hour. We figure out a name for that dog yet?"

"I was thinking we could name him after Johnny." James suggested. "Seems like he was pretty important to you guys."

The room fell silent, and Captain DeSoto regarded James curiously before glancing at the dog. "You know, I do see a slight resemblance."

Chet and Adam both snorted and started laughing, while Sam and Mike merely seemed amused. James was thoroughly baffled. "What? What did I say?"

"It's nothing, Probie." Adam clapped him hard on the shoulder. "You're just funny, that's all."

"I didn't think it was such a bad idea." James muttered as he ate his sandwich and chips.

"Don't mind them." Sam told him quietly. "They're clowns. You'll get used to it."

They finished lunch and cleaned up just as James heard voices out in the bay. Captain DeSoto went to greet them, and he soon returned to the day room with another man. He was about the captain's height, with dark hair streaked with hints of silver, walking with a slight limp. Behind him were a group of kids, some of them looking on with great curiosity, others looking bored out of their skulls.

"Hey guys." He greeted them with a nod and a smile. "And Sam."

Chet and Adam looked at each other before Chet spoke. "Uh, hey. Didn't know they let you lead tours."

The man looped an arm around one of the kids and pulled her in close. "Katie's been bugging me for ages. Finally had some time and set it up. We're not interrupting anything, right?"

"Right." Adam nodded.

"Great." The man let go of Katie and put his hands together, turning slightly to the rest of the kids. "So, just to go around the horn, this is Captain Roy DeSoto, our engineer Mike Stoker, you know, the guy that drives the engine, our paramedics Sam Winters…uh, Kelly and Adam Collins, and our linemen Chet Kelly and…uh…"

"James Carver." James spoke up. "Just finished my probation."

"Yeah, take it easy on him." Chet smacked him between the shoulders. "It's his first day at a real fire station."

"Good to meet you, James." The man crossed over and extended a hand. "John Gage. I used to be a paramedic, now I teach."

The dog barked, and the kids immediately started toward him. John moved to intervene. "Hey, hey, take it easy. Step back."

He kneeled down slowly and held out his hand. "Hey, buddy. How you doing?"

The dog sniffed John's hand and approached him, head down with his tail low. John gently scratched him on the head. "Aw, it's okay. I know, all those kids coming at you kinda scared you, huh?" He turned his head toward the rest of the crew. "When did you guys get a dog?"

"Today." Captain DeSoto answered. "Tagged along with James."

"Sometimes they do that. They just kinda show up." John nodded before slowly rising to his feet again. "You know, there's a reason for that."

Given the stories James had already heard today, he was a little skeptical.

"Sure." John replied. "See, dogs show up at a station when they're needed. Like when a station loses a guy for, well, whatever reason. It's like they know."

"So that's why he showed up?" James asked. "Because of Johnny?"

Chet smacked him on the arm while Adam let out a loud huff. John merely looked confused, his brows wrinkling as he looked from James to Chet to Adam and back again. Finally, he nodded. "Right, yeah. Hey Mike, you wanna show these kids how the engine works?"

"You bet." Mike smiled broadly, rising from his chair to follow John and the kids out of the day room, Captain DeSoto not far behind them.

Almost as soon as they left, both Chet and Adam started laughing. "Did you see the look on his face?" Chet managed to get out.

"Never seen him so confused." Adam replied, shaking his head. "God, I miss working with him."

"Wait…" James slowly started to put things together. "That was Johnny?"

Both Chet and Adam looked at him as if he was crazy. "Yeah." Chet told him.

"So he's not dead."

"What?" Adam barked out a laugh. "No, of course not. Why the hell would you think that?"

James was so stunned he could barely get the words out. "Well…you know…'shame what happened to him', 'dearly departed friends', 'wasn't around long enough'. What was I supposed to think?"

"Oh, that." Chet nodded.

"Yeah, that." James answered, his temper rising. God, he couldn't believe he'd been so gullible.

At that moment, John stuck his head into the day room. "Hey, guess what? The kids wanna check out the squad."

"That's our cue." Adam told Sam, both of them rising from the table to head out to the bay.

Sam lightly touched James' shoulder on her way out. "Don't feel bad. You should have seen how they treated me when I first started."

"Hey, I resent that." Chet called to her as she left.

Sam paused at the door, turning to look over her shoulder. "Rope drills. That's all I'll say about that."

As soon as she left, James turned to Chet. "Rope drills?"

"None of your business." Chet answered, holding his hand out to the dog. "Listen, I feel bad for yanking your chain. Tell you what, I'll make it up to you."

"I'm not sure I want you to."

"Now now, hear me out." Chet replied. "The mutt followed you in here. There must have been a reason. You go ahead and name him."

"What about your 'proud tradition'?"

"Doesn't exist." Chet waved his hand dismissively. "I mean yeah, dogs have a habit of just showing up here, but it's just coincidence. Who knows how long this guy's gonna stick around? He might decide he doesn't like us and he'll just move on to another station."

"You're kidding." James laughed.

"True story." Chet told him. "So?"

James reached down and scratched him behind the ears, and the dog's tail thumped on the floor. "He kind of reminds me of a dog I had when I was a kid. We called him Duke because my dad was a big John Wayne fan."

"Well, there you go." Chet responded. "Duke's a fine name. Suits him."

"Yeah, it does." James bent down further. "What do you think, Duke?"

Duke barked and wagged his tail even harder, if that was possible. "I think he likes it." Chet told him.

Soon the rest of the crew, John, and the kids came back in. "Well, that's it. Any questions?"

"Yeah." One of the kids piped up. "Can we pet the dog?"

"If he'll let you." John told them. "Don't ambush him, okay? Let him come to you."

"His name's Duke." James told them.

The kid who had first asked to pet Duke got down on his knees. "Duke, come here."

Duke trotted over, his nails clicking on the floor, and the kids started to slowly surround him, petting him and talking excitedly.

Captain DeSoto nudged James. "Duke's going to be a great mascot."

"Yeah?" James felt better now.

"Yeah." Captain DeSoto answered. "Just make sure he doesn't mess up the place, okay?"

"Yes, sir." James nodded.

Duke barked and wagged his tail happily, and James gave him a pat on his side. "Yeah, we're going to fit in here just fine."