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Roy drove himself back to the diner and parked in front. He still couldn't believe how his old partner and friend looked. Sure Johnny always cut it close when it came to his hair but the patient was always first, no matter the danger to himself. Shaking his head he leaned back in the seat and waited.

Roy had gone to Johnny's apartment to look for him. Opening up with his spare key he found an empty apartment. He recognized the manager.

"Excuse me I'm looking for John Gage?" His blue eyes shuttered back and forth.

"Oh Gage moved out a month ago sold all his stuff including his car, he said he needed it for legal fees. I'm sorry he didn't leave any forwarding address."

A knock on the window made him look at his old partner.

"Hey Roy I finished early. Shall we?" John pointed to the diner all grins.

DeSoto opened the car door and followed Gage into the diner. They found an open booth and sat down.

"Roddy," Margene looked at Roy. "I see your friend found you." She popped her gum.

"Margene this is my good friend Roy DeSoto from LA," John watched as they were introduced.

"Nice to meet you, formally at least. Coffee?"

Both men nodded and got comfortable. Roy continued to have a big grin on his face.

"What?" Johnny shook his head.

"You Johnny you. I mean I'd thought I never see the day. I mean you were always cutting it close with your hair but this!" Roy pointed both his hands at Gage's face.

"Hey Roy no more rules you know, plus I got tired at looking at the same old face, you know," Johnny got silent and looked into his coffee cup.

"Yeah I'm sure you did." Like in all the newspapers. "But it takes come getting used to you know," DeSoto still had a grin on his face. "I'm just glad you were happy to see me is all."

"So how is everyone?" John looked at his friend. "Now why wouldn't I be glad to see an old friend Roy. I mean God has it been a year?"

"Well Mike got married he really wanted you to be there since you introduced her to him," Roy pulled out a photograph and gave it to Gage. "Keep it. Mike said to give it to you."

John gave a slight smile and then frowned. "Like goes on huh."

"Yeah, but it isn't the same you know," Roy frowned and played with his coffee cup.

Dinner was bought and the men ate silently lost in their own thoughts.

"Wow you're right this is really good, "Roy finished off his coffee.

"Then you have to have dessert," Johnny smiled. "Margene two apple pies a la mode."

"Coming up Roddy," Margene winked at him.

"You still have that Gage charm," Roy laughed, "Something's never change."

"Man yeah they don't. So tell me what else is going on at the station." Gage settled himself in the booth.

"Well let's see Chet studying for the engineer exam again and Marco is writing a cookbook. Cap's looking forward to his kids going to high school and," Roy took out his wallet and showed John photos of the family.

"Holy cow Roy you're kids are so grown up," Johnny frowned.

"They miss you Johnny. They ask about you all the time," Roy put back his wallet.

"Couldn't be helped Roy I had to get out of there," John lamented and sighed heavily. "It ended up being a bad scene Roy. Too heavy and uptight."

"I know Johnny but you did a lot of good you know. You made the union stronger and we're protected now." Roy smiled to see a blank expression on his friends face.

The check arrived and Roy took it. "Can't a guy buy his friend dinner?"

"Yeah sure," Roy placed bills on the table and they headed outside.

"Well Roy it was really good seeing you and all," John reached out his hand.

"Look Johnny is there someplace we can talk privately?" Roy had built up his nerve over dinner and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Well in the diner, "John pointed, a place where everyone knew him, a safe place since friends from his past just didn't show up, suddenly.

"No Johnny really private. You got a place right?" Roy all ready knew from the detective.

"Yeah, but Roy it isn't much you know this isn't LA and…" John's hands went up. "I…Roy…aw hell."

"Please Johnny it's important," Roy begged.

"All right follow me," the former paramedic got on his bike and Roy followed in the rental.

They drove a few miles and turned into a dirt road and a small trailer park. Gage's seemed to be the smallest and he pulled his motorcycle in front, locked it up and Roy parked behind him. Reaching into the glove box the manila envelope felt like lead. Clutching it tightly he followed his friend into the tiny trailer.

Sliding into a small dinette, Roy noticed Gage had a cat and that's about it, dinette, small kitchen, bathroom and a tight sleeping area covered with an Indian quilt. There were no other personal things he could see, it was like Johnny didn't exist anymore.

"My castle," John's hands swept over the small space. "Beer?"

"Sure, why not," Roy placed the envelope on the table with his palms down, still sweating from holding his friend's future.

Popping two long necks John handed Roy a beer and then sat directly across him. His brown eyes scanned his friend's blue eyes and he looked at the manila envelope.

"Figured you didn't come to just say hi," John took a long draught of his beer, his brown eyes half masted and suspicious.

"Yes I did Johnny. So how are you really?" Roy looked at his friend. "How do you survive?"

"Man right to the heart," Johnny put a hand over his heart. "Well I work at the clinic and do odd jobs around town."

"And that's it?" Roy shrugged.

"Yeah Roy that's it, k." John pulled one long leg up to his chest. "I make enough for food, beer and rent. What else does a guy need?"

Roy looked at the envelope. "You know I rehearsed in my mind what to say. You know all these platitudes and right now they seem stupid. So here read it," Roy shoved the envelope at his friend.

Johnny opened the envelope and started reading. His eyes betrayed no emotion as he knew once more he could do the thing he loved. A paramedic back in LA instead of freakin nowhere. But did he want that again.

Roy watched as Gage read the documents. Nothing even close to surprise or happiness crossed John's face. DeSoto leaned back in the booth and thought maybe he had been wrong.

Gage set the documents on the table, took a drink of beer and sat back.

"Isn't that great! I mean you can come back to LA and…" Roy's voice bubbled over and his hands failing about.

"What makes you think I want to come back Roy?" John said slowly and deliberately as the pain he left back in LA washed all over him again.

"Well…um… just to prove to the bastards you were right, that's why!" Roy stammered.

"Roy, man maybe I'm tired of fighting you know," Gage took another drink of his beer, noticed it was empty, got up and got another one. Remembering the raking over the coals and how much his life was ruined once he decided to fight the department to get his job back. He had lost a lot, too much maybe then he'd care to admit.

"I don't buy that Johnny, otherwise you wouldn't be working at the clinic," Roy looked at his friend. "Sure it took a lot out of you. I just wished you'd let me help you."

"What and get you fired? When you have a wife and two kids, no way pally, no way," Johnny shook his head. "Besides it was my fight remember?"

"Yeah I remember," Roy sighed.

They were at the lockers changing when Roy noticed how silent Johnny was.

"You okay Junior," Roy looked as John slumped against his locker.

"He said it was okay to go to Rampart, I heard him man. I heard him. Watson just caved man, just caved," Gage shook his head defeated. "Right Roy."

"Johnny I wasn't there remember," DeSoto said softly.

The next minute John was nose to nose to his partner. "What are you calling me a liar, now pally?" Gage's nose flared and his eyes glared at his partner.

"Of course I believe you Johnny. I know you don't lie," Roy's blue eyes locked into his partner. "I just wasn't there is all."

Johnny sat down again more deflated. "I'm sorry Roy it just got me bugged. The guy's a liar. I know it. I know it."

"Well you know you don't have to make a decision right now, right?" Roy smiled. "I mean you are a natural paramedic, why else did you think I recruited you Junior."

"Yeah Roy but were not friends anymore," Gage said flatly. "I didn't want you to be collateral damage, but I heard that didn't happen."

"What do you mean collateral damage…and what about my partner?" Roy was speechless.

"Man, they stuck you with Brice. How low could they go and…"

"Johnny you're still my friend. How the hell do you know I have Brice as a partner?" DeSoto was slowly losing his temper and then he understood. "It's not going to work Junior."

"Man what work?" Johnny leaned back into the cushions.

"You know how to push my buttons but not this time. You even did it before you left didn't you?" Tendrils of information came pouring in as he remembered how skillfully his friend pushed him away. "Why Johnny? Why?"

"Man, I was protecting you. Why else? I could see they were going to use you to get to me. That's why I had to make sure…make sure you hated me," Gage took a nice long drink of his beer and looked at the table. "I'm sorry Roy I had to make sure and…"

"Johnny I never gave up on you. I knew about Chet, Marco and Mike and…"

"What do you mean you knew?" John's head shot up.

"Because of the way they were acting dammit and the minute I mentioned your name they'd clam up. You could' a stayed on my couch too Johnny. You know that don't you?" Roy sighed finally letting it out.

"NO, never. I didn't want you. Roy you're the…hell…I didn't want you to get hurt and I knew being a paramedic was everything to you and I knew they would pressure you and then… I wasn't going to be responsible for that, man. Man, I wasn't going to screw my best buddy over for anything," John wiped tears from his eyes. "Man I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I… knew you were coming after the detective talked to me. I… man this hurts too much."