Chapter 19

Johnny lightly knocked on the door of Chris' bedroom. He waited for permission to enter, but when he got no response, he decided to open the door anyway. It creaked as he twisted the knob, slowly entering the darkened room.

"Chris?"

Johnny's heart broke when he heard the sniffling response.

"Un-cle John-ny?"

Johnny walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "Yea, it's me, Sport. Your mom said you weren't feeling so good."

"My stom-ach h-hurts," the child complained pitifully, trying to calm his breathing.

Johnny walked over to the bed where the boy was curled in a fetal position, facing the wall. Johnny sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to his adopted nephew. He tugged gently on the child's arm, encouraging him to roll onto his back. "Here, lemme check you out." Johnny raised up the boy's shirt, palpating his abdomen. "Does this hurt?" Johnny watched Chris' for any signs of discomfort. Seeing none, and noticing the child shaking his head, he pulled the shirt back down over Chris' belly, patting the child on his left shoulder. "Have you thrown up?"

"No, I just don't feel g-good," he hiccuped. Chris didn't know how to explain his feelings to his uncle. He lay still as Johnny felt of his forehead.

"You don't have a fever, Sport. So, did you just wanna blow off school?" Johnny asked, hoping the youngster would open up to him.

"No, I jus' feel crummy. I think I jus' need to rest for a while," Chris said, rolling onto his side again, turning his back to Johnny.

"Hmmm, I see. You know, worrying will make you feel awful. You've been pretty worried 'bout your folks, haven't ya?"

Chris shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to discuss his fears any more than he had the previous night at John's apartment. Then, he thought about his outburst and wondered if that was the reason Johnny was at his house today. "You told on me, didn't you?"

"Told on you?"

"Yea," Chris groaned, still facing the wall. "You told Dad what I said last night, didn't you?"

John pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure of how to respond to his young friend. "Your dad and I have talked about a lot of things this mornin'. I came over here to see how he and your mom were gettin' along and, I'm happy to tell ya, that they seem to be getting' along very well now. I really don't think they'll be getting' a divorce, Chris."

Chris pulled the rounded collar of his shirt up, using it to dry his face and wipe his nose. He didn't know how to respond to his uncle's comments and so he remained quiet.

"I've talked to both of them separately, and both love each other and they're both sorry for causing you to worry about them. They love you and Jennifer… and they love each other." Johnny pulled slightly on Chris' shoulder again. "Hey, look at me, a'right?"

Chris rolled onto his back once again, his sad blue eyes staring at Johnny.

"Your family is gonna be fine, Christopher. I promise. You don't have to worry about anything, okay?"

E!

Back in the kitchen, Roy set the paper bag down on the counter and began removing the items Joanne had brought home. "Ginger ale and saltines? Is he vomiting?"

"I'm not sure. He's being vague about his symptoms," Joanne said, finally taking a good look at her husband. "Oh, Roy… Are you alright?" Gently, she reached out caressing her husband's reddened complexion.

"Yea," he whispered, leaning slightly into her hand. Her hand felt so warm and loving. Johnny was right, he really had missed her touch.

"But… You've been crying, haven't you?" She recognized the bloodshot, swollen eyes and red splotchy face. She had only seen this a couple of times and it only happened when he had been crying hard. She positioned herself in front of him, reaching up with her other hand to cup his face. "Sweetheart, please tell me you're going to be okay… That we're going to be okay?" Her green eyes darted back and forth as she searched his handsome face for some sign that he was committed to making their marriage work. "I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I love you, too. I love you more than anything, Joanne," he whispered into her ear, deeply inhaling her scent, trying to force back the thoughts of what he had come so close to losing.

"We're going to be okay, aren't we?" She asked, fighting her own tears.

Roy gulped, hearing the fear reflected in her voice. "Yes, baby. Yes, we're going to be okay." He released her from his embrace, looking into her beautiful face once more, and planting a soft kiss on her velvety lips. "Johnny and I had a long talk after you left, and… And, he told me that Chris is afraid that we're going to get a divorce."

"What?" Joanne gasped, unaware of how their situation had affected their older child. "He… He thinks we're…," she covered her mouth with her hand as her tears began to spill onto her cheeks. "Oh Roy… What've we done?"

Her obvious pain nearly ripped his heart out of his chest. "It's not we… It's me. I caused this with my crappy attitude and… I'm so sorry, baby. I can't ever tell you how sorry I am for all that's happened." Roy wanted to tell her the rest of the story, but knew that it would have to wait until a later time.

"No… You didn't do it alone. I carry just as much blame for Chris' pain as you do. We've…," she gulped. "We've got to convince him that we're alright, that we're not gonna get a divorce."

"Johnny's talking to him now. He's telling Chris that we're going to be alright." Roy dropped his head slightly. "And, he wanted me to have a minute to tell you what Chris was worried about."

"Then, we need to go talk to him. Chris needs to see that we're together, and that we do still love each other…"

"And that we love him," Roy interjected. "Kids tend to blame themselves when their folks split up."

"Our poor baby," Joanne choked out. "We have to go talk to him now." She grabbed Roy's hand, leading him toward the stairs.

Inside Chris' room, Johnny was quickly running out of encouraging words when he heard a soft knock on the door. Relief washed over him when he saw Roy and Joanne quietly entering the room. He made eye contact with Joanne, noticing the mistiness in her eyes. He knew immediately that Roy had spoken to her about Chris' fears.

'Thank you,' she mouthed to Johnny. Johnny merely smiled, standing up. "Chris, I've gotta run now. I hope you feel better real soon," he said as he walked towards the door. Joanne kissed him lightly on the cheek and Roy patted his back. "I'll let myself out. Lemme know if you need anything, 'kay?" He asked the two DeSoto adults before quietly excusing himself from the room.

"Thanks," Roy said following his wife as she sat down on the edge of Christopher's bed, brushing his dark blonde bangs out of his eyes. "Chris? Chris, please sit up for a minute." She waited for him to comply before continuing.

Christopher felt his stomach flip when he sat up and saw that both his parents were in his room. His mother sat on one side and his father sat on the other, leaving him feeling caught in the middle. An overwhelming sense of loss fell over him. This was the moment he had been afraid would happen. "Uncle Johnny lied to me, didn't he?" The child's shoulders began to sag, and the two adults couldn't miss the trickle of tears that fell from his face onto his lap.

"Your Uncle Johnny would never lie to you, Chris," Roy began. "I think he came up here to tell you not to be afraid that your mom and I were splitting up. Is that what he said?"

"Y-yes," the child said, his emotions nearly trapping his words in his throat. Then his anger began to resurface, dislodging the lump, and allowing his words to spew forth. "But, you're here together, and you're gonna tell me you're gettin' a divorce, aren't you?"

"No," Roy croaked out, his own throat constricting as he cupped the back of his son's neck. "No, we're here to tell you that you don't need to worry about that. We're not getting a divorce, son. We love each other, and we love you and your sister, very much. We've not been getting along as well as we normally do, but we've talked it out and we're doing fine. We are not going to go our separate ways. Everything is going to be alright."

"Jus' like always?"

"Yes, just like always," Roy responded.

Chris' heard his father's words, felt his hand on the back of his neck, and the dam inside his aching heart broke. He couldn't stop the tears that flowed freely. He felt his mother wrap her arms around him, pulling him into her embrace. He lay his head on her chest as he released his emotions, relieved by the feeling of her hand stroking his hair, and his father's larger hand patting and squeezing his shoulders. A moment later, he felt his father embracing both of them in a hug, and heard him whispering to them both.

"I love you two, and Jennifer, too. You're my family, my life." Roy leaned in kissing his wife on her forehead. "I'm sorry for all the worry and pain I've caused you both. Please forgive me, Joanne? Chris?"

"All is forgiven, Roy." Joanne whispered, her softly spoken words were a healing balm to Roy's broken heart.

"I love you, Dad and you too, Mom," Chris spoke up.

"Love you, too, son," Roy spoke softly. He rubbed soothing circles around on his wife's back. She had said all was forgiven, but he still had another confession to make to her. The same one he had made to Johnny earlier. He just hoped that she would be able to truly forgive him when she knew the truth about everything.

E!

Johnny backed out of the DeSotos' driveway, headed back to his apartment. Then, remembering his previous conversation with Chet, he decided to stop by his friend's apartment, and clarify what the lineman had actually seen between Roy and Gretchen. He needed to stop Chet from continuing to think the worst of their shift mate. He wheeled into the apartment complex, just as Chet was stepping out of Caroline's apartment.

Chet saw the familiar white Rover driving up, and decided to wait at the bottom of the stairs for Johnny, whom Chet assumed was coming to visit him. Once the lanky paramedic stepped closer to him, he spoke up. "Hey, Gage. What brings you by this afternoon?"

"Can I talk to ya for a minute?" Johnny asked, not wanting anyone to overhear the conversation.

"Sure, c'mon up." Chet led Johnny up the stairs and into his apartment. He slipped his sandals off, leaving them at his door, and hung his keys up on the hook near the light switch. He gestured for his friend to have a seat. "Wanna beer or something?"

"Nah, too early. Maybe just a soda, if you have one," Johnny responded.

"Sure, just a minute." Chet walked into his kitchen, removing a couple of root beers from his refrigerator, then returned to take a seat in his recliner. "Okay, so what's up?"

Johnny removed the top of his bottle and took a long drink. He belched slightly into his closed fist. "Aahh, that's great stuff. Um, I wanted to explain what you saw that day."

"Roy and the uh, waitress?"

"Yea," Johnny agreed. "Roy had seen her walking home. She stumbled on the broken sidewalk and injured her hands. He gave her a ride home, and then dressed her wounds with his first-aid kit that he keeps in his trunk."

"Oh, man." Chet leaned his head back in his recliner. "I sure thought there was something else goin' on between them. I feel like a dope."

"Nah, I had the same suspicion, remember?"

Chet snickered, raising his bottle to his mouth again. "Oh yea, you were stalkin' them."

"I wasn't stalkin' them, ya jerk." Johnny couldn't keep from smiling at the lineman's joke.

"So, how'd your talk with Roy go? Did you tell him about Chris?"

"Yea…," Johnny hesitated, a faint smile appearing on his face as he looked at the dark frothy liquid in the bottle. "Yea, he was upset. When I left a little while ago, he and Joanne were talkin' to Chris."

Chet looked at his watch. "Why isn't he in school?"

Johnny sighed before answering. "Joanne had to go get him. Said his stomach hurt," Johnny said, looking knowingly at his friend.

"Aahh, poor little guy."

"Yea…," Johnny paused, raising his bottle. "Hopefully by now he knows the truth though. Roy and Joanne aren't going to divorce," he said wistfully, drinking more of the soda.

"So, are they compromising on something? I mean, I know it's none of my business, but something was causing problems between them, right?" Chet couldn't calm his curiosity without more information.

Johnny snickered. "You're right… It's none of your business, nosy."

Chet rolled his eyes.

"So," Johnny began again, blowing across the top of his nearly empty bottle like a child. He laughed when Chet cringed at the ear-piercing sound. "What's the scoop on Corrie and her bite mark?" Johnny had not forgotten the bruise he had seen on the little girl's back the previous afternoon.

"None-ya," Chet countered with a mischievous grin.

"None ya?" Johnny questioned, his dark eyebrows forming an arching 'V' on his forehead.

"None ya business, Gage," Chet cackled out before settling with a smug expression on his face. "Gotcha!"

"Yea, yea, ya got me," Johnny moaned. "But seriously, what happened?"

Chet's countenance immediately fell. He sighed deeply before telling his friend about Caroline's attempt to find gainful employment, and the fallout of sending Corrie to daycare. He felt his blood pressure rising as he relayed the events of the previous day. "Man, she was so upset. I mean, all she wants to do is find a job so she can start to save a little money for emergencies. You know, like to replace her car when the one she's driving wears out, or to pay medical bills if Corrie gets sick or something."

Johnny's silence alarmed Chet. The normally talkative John Gage was as silent as a church mouse. Chet looked over and noticed the serious look on Johnny's face, the faraway look in his eyes, as though he were contemplating his next move in a chess game.

"Yoohoo, Earth to Johnny," Chet called out.

"Wha-huh?"

"Whatsa matter with you, Gage? I'm tryin' to tell you my story and you aren't even listenin'," the lineman complained.

"I've got an idea," Johnny said, his grin taking over the left side of his face.

Chet closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the chair. "Oh, no… I hate your ideas."

"Not this time, Chester," Johnny said with a smile, standing up and heading for the door. "Not this time."

E!

Johnny looked at his watch for the third time since leaving Chet's apartment. He only had a few minutes to talk things over before Joanne arrived for her afternoon shift at work. He flipped on his blinker, indicating that he was about to park. Then, with the skill of a surgeon, he perfectly parallel parked his Rover across the street from Bloomers. He got out, locked his door, pocketed his keys then jogged across the street to the front entrance of the florist's shop.

Iris Campbell turned the key in the lock of the back door of her flower shop. She dropped her mail onto the counter then went to unlock the front door. She didn't want to keep the shop closed any longer than necessary. Without customers, she had no business, and she needed all the business she could get. However, she needed to go to the Post Office daily, as well as take a lunch break, which left her with no choice except to lock the front door when she had no help around. This was one of those days. Just as she removed the CLOSED sign, she saw a familiar face jogging up to the glass door. A huge smile spread across her face as she opened it for the handsome young man.

"Well, nice to see you again, uh, John. Won't you come in?"

Johnny appreciated the warm welcome. He stepped into the shop, stopping to plant a quick kiss on Iris' cheek.

"It's good to see you too, and, ah, thanks for rememberin'," he offered, his warm smile quickly fading. "I don't have but a minute. Joanne isn't here is she?"

Iris walked with him back towards the work counter, glancing at the wall clock when he asked about her helper. "No, no she isn't scheduled to be here for another few minutes. Of course, she does come in early sometimes," she said, turning around and propping an ample hip on the work stool. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no."

Iris snickered. "Can't make up your mind?"

Johnny grinned at the woman's playfulness. However, knowing that he had only a little time, he decided to just launch right into his explanation and plan. He saw that Iris was paying very close attention to every word, and that her heart was breaking for the issues he was relating about the DeSoto family. As soon as Johnny had finished his proposition, she didn't hesitate.

"Oh, of course. That's a brilliant idea."

Johnny's shoulders immediately relaxed. "Okay, that's great. But, you can't bring it up, a'right? Let her approach you with the idea. And it might take a day or two, but I'm going to plant the idea in the guys' minds' first. I can do that when we go back on shift tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Iris replied with a twinkle in her eye.

Just as Johnny turned to leave, both he and Iris heard the back door of the shop opening.

"That's her. Scoot!" Iris whispered, making a shooing motion with her hands.

"Thanks a bunch. I'll be in touch," he whispered back, his eyes as large as saucers as he turned and quickly exited the shop.

"Hello, Iris."

"Hi, Joanne. How are you this afternoon?" Iris asked nervously.

Joanne couldn't help but see Johnny crossing the street towards his Rover. "Is that Johnny?"

"Um, yes that's his name. I believe he said that he and Roy were partners or something, right?" Iris asked, thumbing mindlessly through her mail.

"Did he come in here to buy something?" Joanne asked, curious about what her husband's bachelor partner was doing in a flower shop.

"Yes," Iris commented, thinking quickly on her feet. "He, ah, he placed an order for some flowers for his aunt's birthday."

"Oh," Joanne's eyes began to tear up. "He's so thoughtful, always putting others ahead of himself."

"Yes…," Iris' voice faded off wistfully as her mind strolled down Memory Lane. "Yes, indeed he does."

Joanne looked at her boss with a confused expression on her face. How did Iris know about Johnny's self-sacrificial behavior?

"But, how'd…"

Iris quickly realized her mistake and interrupted Joanne's comment. "I mean, how many young men his age, would think to be so nice to their aunt, huh? That John Gage is a rare breed."

Joanne looked towards her boss, smiling as she thought about how the Ole Gage Charm, as Johnny called it, was affecting her boss. Then, Joanne's countenance fell as she thought about what she needed to discuss with Iris. Nervously, she began sucking in her bottom lip, biting it between her teeth. She wanted to let Iris know about the difficulties her job was creating for her home life, but before she could open her mouth, the bell on the front door jingled as a couple of women entered the shop. Her request would have to wait.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, do we need an appointment to discuss wedding flowers?" Asked the pretty blonde-haired, middle-aged woman. She smiled brightly at the thinner younger version of herself who stood beside her with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Iris smiled broadly, stepping around the counter to escort them over to a spacious table. "How about now? I assume you are the blushing bride?" She questioned, placing her arm around the younger woman as they walked away from the work counter.

Joanne smiled at the look on the young bride-to-be's face. She remembered looking that happy when she was planning her wedding, although she certainly didn't recall her mother looking quite as happy as this mother-of-the bride appeared. 'Oh, Mother… Roy really is a wonderful man. Marrying him was the right thing for me back then, and it still is.' She picked up the stack of order forms, seeing what her afternoon held for her. Her conversation with Iris would have to wait until another day.

She cringed when she saw the date and time on the first order form. The plant needed to be delivered to the hospital this afternoon. She immediately set about creating a lavender and white bow to wrap around the green foil covering on the African violet's terra cotta pot. She began trimming up the leaves and deadheading the spent blooms. It wasn't long before she had the potted plant prepared for delivery. Setting it aside, she began on the next hospital order which consisted of a dozen red roses to be delivered to the maternity ward. She thought back to the birth of her first child. Her eyes began to burn as she remembered the proud look on Roy's face when he found out that their first-born was a son. Later that afternoon, he had presented her with a dozen red roses, even though they really couldn't afford the expense. She remembered how worried he was for his new family, and how hard he worked to provide for them.

Her heart broke again as she thought about how deflated she had made him feel lately, when all she had wanted to do was help him out. Instead, she had made him feel unloved and unappreciated. She gulped as she prepared the rose order, watching Iris out of the corner of her eye. She really did like the kindly woman, and she enjoyed her job, but she missed her family and the work she was neglecting there. As she tied the red ribbon on the clear vase, she promised herself and her family that by the end of the week, she would talk to Iris about hiring a replacement for her.

By the time Joanne had completed the orders for the hospital, Iris had completed her work with the bride-to-be. Joanne was loading up the items for delivery on a cart when Iris returned to the work counter. "I'm about to head out to Rampart and Harbor General. Do you need me to do anything while I'm out?"

Iris took a seat on the stool behind the counter. "No, I don't think so. Thank you, though. Drive carefully."

Joanne loaded the Bloomer's van with the deliveries then returned the cart to the shop. She waved to Iris, who was on the phone taking another order, as she headed out the back door. Once inside the van, she cranked it up, adjusting the mirrors and radio volume, then pulled into the heavy Los Angeles County traffic on her way to make the afternoon deliveries.

E!

Back at Johnny's apartment, he removed the telephone book from beneath his telephone and looked up florist shops. Finding the number he wanted, he dialed it while silently praying that the right person would answer on the other end. If the wrong one answered, then he would have to hang up.

"Bloomer's. May I help you?"

"Hey, it's ah, it's John Gage. Did she see me?" He asked, his voice sounding as if he had run the distance to his apartment instead of driving.

"Yes, she did, I'm afraid. But, I just told her you were in here ordering flowers for your aunt's birthday," Iris said with a slight giggle. She could almost see Johnny's lopsided grin through the phone line.

"Well, that was very clever of you," he snickered.

"I thought so. Anyway, she didn't ask me where your aunt lives so if she does, what should I tell her?"

"Uh, Sacramento. That's far enough away that she won't ask about meeting her," Johnny suggested.

"Now who's the clever one?" Iris chuckled. "She didn't ask me about hiring more help yet; just in case that was why you were calling," Iris offered, silently hoping that Joanne wasn't the only reason for his call.

"Yea… Yea, I'm sorry, but that is the only reason… For now, anyway," Johnny mumbled. He felt a twinge in his chest as the silence on the other end spoke volumes.

Iris sniffled slightly before continuing. "I understand. Thank you, Tho-ah, John. Thanks for everything."

E!

Later that night, Roy and Joanne lay in bed snuggling. They had spent the afternoon and evening reassuring their children that the family unit would remain intact. The two adults had then worked together to prepare the evening meal, which the family enjoyed, sitting around their dinner table. It was the first meal they had eaten together in a long time. Afterwards, once the children had gone to bed, Roy and Joanne had enjoyed another love-making session. Now, they lay in each other's arms, each one tenderly caressing the other.

Roy sensed that the time was right to bring up the subject he had been unable to discuss earlier.

"Ah, honey, I need to tell you something else."

Joanne's fingers that had been toying with his chest hair, froze at the sound of his words. "Okay… Did I do something wrong?" She questioned fearfully.

Roy wrapped his arms around her again, embracing her tightly and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "No, sweetheart, not at all. It's…," he gulped. He had no idea how to say it other than to simply spit it out quickly. "It's about what Johnny and I discussed this morning, while you were gone to get Chris."

Joanne rolled onto her stomach, her cheek resting on Roy's belly. She needed to see his face, read the real story being told by his crystal blue eyes. "What did you two discuss that upset you so badly?" She questioned, remembering how swollen and red his eyes and face had been when she had returned home.

"Ugh," he said with an exhale. "Please don't hate me, Jo."

Joanne felt as if some unseen force had suddenly sucked all the breath out of her lungs. Her heart began to pound inside her chest. Sitting up, she pulled the sheet around her nakedness, and sat staring at her husband. "R-Roy, you're scaring me."

"No, baby, please… It's…" He used the heels of his palms to dig into his eyes, rubbing them as he tried to hold back his tears. "Okay, when I went over to Gretchen's apartment to try to open her window, she…um… When I was leaving, she, ah… She kissed me on the cheek." He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for her to lash out at him. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Roy, you can't help that. Besides, I sometimes kiss Johnny on the cheek. It means nothing other than a simple 'thank you' or 'hello', okay?"

"But…," Roy pushed himself up so that he was sitting directly across from her. He could see the pulsing of her heart in the hollow space of her throat, and knew that she was growing more and more upset. "But, Jo… At that moment, for just a short time. I… I thought about how easy it would be to st-stray… to…"

"I believe the word you're looking for is adultery, Roy," she spat back, remembering his own angry words he had thrown at her during his accusation of her unfaithfulness.

"Baby, please… I-I just wanna be honest with you. I did think about it. How it would feel. Then I realized just how easy it would be to mess up, and to lose everything…"

"You mean HALF of everything, don't you?" She snarled, feeling hurt and insecure.

Roy reached out to her, pulling her into his embrace, even though she initially resisted. He felt her trembling and heard her sniffles. He had hurt her again, and he hated himself for it. However, he knew that telling her was the right thing to do. "No, I mean I'd lose EVERYTHING that means ANYTHING to me. You and our kids are all that's precious to me. Baby, please… I'm sorry, I really am. And I swear on my life that I did NOT do anything except just think about it for a moment. She never made a move and neither did I. It… Honestly, it scared me because I've always thought that it could never happen to me… to us. Yet, it could've. It didn't, but it could've." He felt a sense of relief when she finally laid her head against his shoulder. He reached beneath the sheet, needing to touch her, feel her warmth. She didn't reciprocate his caress, but she didn't pull away from him either.

"W-why? Why did you th-think about it?" Suddenly, she felt inadequate as a woman. If her husband was tempted to seek out a mistress, then what was she doing wrong as a wife?

"I don't know really. I-I'm so a-ashamed, Jo," he began to cry, struggling to continue his explanation. "I jus'… I miss…you. H-holdin'… you. Lovin' y-you. An' I jus'… I need you. I-I can't live… don't wanna live with-out you," he sobbed into the sheet he had managed to wrap around his shoulders. He had just lost every ounce of dignity he had ever possessed. He just hoped that by being honest with his wife, his greatest fear wasn't about to be realized.

At some point, the two lay back down on the bed, and for a long time, they simply held each other and cried. Neither one spoke, allowing their tears and their touch to be their words. Finally, Joanne leaned onto her elbow, able to see into his eyes from the slim shaft of light that was entering their bedroom from the bathroom. She saw the self-inflicted pain brought about by his confession, and she realized that he was hurting because he felt such a deep sense of remorse for what had almost happened. He had been honest with her, and now, she didn't want to cause him more pain by rejecting him. That would only serve to ensure that the next time something serious happened, he wouldn't be so quick to speak openly and honestly with her. She reached up, wiping away the streaks of moisture that had stained his face. His eyes glistened in the soft light, and the sight of him crying was nearly her undoing. She cleared her throat, then spoke the words she knew needed to be said for both their sakes.

"Ahem, Roy, what you told me just now hurt me. It hurt me deeply. But, I can see that it also caused you as much, maybe even more pain. I believe you when you say that nothing happened between you and Gretchen. I don't think your conscience could handle the guilt if it had." She looked deeply into his eyes before continuing, needing him to allow her words to sink in. "I forgive you, Sweetheart. I love you and I forgive you. I appreciate that you were honest with me. I can't imagine how hard this must've been for you. And, I promise, I will talk to Iris, and I will either reduce my hours or completely quit my job. It's not worth it to see what it's done to us, all of us," she said, thinking of their two children who lay sleeping down the short hallway. "I don't even enjoy it as much as I had thought I would. You and the kids come first. You said you needed me, well, you got me," she said with a forced smile. "I need you, too. I hope you can forgive me for my part in all of this. Please?"

Roy couldn't find his words, but his mouth found hers. The kiss was passionate, full of love, understanding and most of all, forgiveness. They were giving each other and their marriage a fresh start – and neither would ever take the other for granted again.

E!

The following morning, the A-shift of Station 51 began to trickle in, ready to take over for the haggard firemen of C-shift. Hank, as usual, was the first one to arrive. He headed for the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, then proceeded to the Captain's office for an update from the departing captain.

"Well, hello there, Hank. You're looking well-rested today."

"I'm feeling well-rested, too," Hank replied to the other captain. "I hope this shift won't change that any."

The two colleagues continued their jovial banter as they exchanged the reins of the station. Out back, Mike drove up in his pick-up truck, and strode confidently into the station. "Good morning," he said to the departing crew members. "Rough shift?"

"Hell yea," one of the linemen spoke up, pushing away from the table and stretching his arms over his head. "I'm going home just as soon as Marco gets here and I'm not gonna get outta bed until my next shift."

Mike snickered, just as Roy entered the room. He nodded at the paramedic as he raised his coffee cup to his lips.

Roy smiled, a feeling of contentment flowing through him. He and Joanne had made a lot of progress during his time off. His total confession had been extremely painful for them both, but they had endured the fire and come out stronger on the other side.

Roy poured himself a cup of coffee, reminiscing about his evening with Joanne. He recalled holding her for a long time as she slept, her head lying on his hairy chest. He had caressed her arm and the curve of her lean body as she drifted off, enjoying the slow methodic breathing of her peaceful slumber. He had thought back over everything that had happened, accepting his personal responsibility in their difficulty, and vowing to himself to never allow such a thing to happen again. Finally, after the cleansing flood of their tears, he felt as if he had finally forgiven himself.

Suddenly, a slap on his back made him nearly drop his coffee cup, a small amount of the hot liquid spilling over the edge onto his hand. "Owe, Johnny!"

"Oh, sorry, Pally," Johnny winced slightly, his broad grin lighting up his entire face. He had spent the previous day devising a scheme that would possibly relieve some of the stress in the lives of his friends. "Um, I might have a proposition for you," he smiled. "Well, it's actually for Joanne."

Roy leveled the hyperactive young man with his stare. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, uh, no, no… I didn't mean it like that," Johnny responded, embarrassed by his verbal faux pas.

"How else was that supposed to be taken?" Mike asked.

"Yea," Dwyer joined in. "Sounds like you're making a move on Mrs. DeSoto."

"Isn't your shift over, Dwyer?" Johnny asked, his shame still coloring his face.

"Yep, and I'm outta here," Dwyer announced, leaving his nearly empty coffee cup in the sink as he headed out the kitchen door.

Chet entered on the backswing. "Mornin' everybody." He headed for the coffee pot as his C-shift counterpart stood up to leave.

"Glad you're here, Kelly. I'm heading out. Have a safe shift," the departing lineman called out.

"Yea, thanks," Chet said pouring his coffee. He looked over at the lone C-shift member who sat with Henry on the sofa, gently massaging the dog's floppy ears. "Hey, Jones, Marco just drove up, if you wanna head out."

"Thank you," the older man said, pointing a finger upwards as if thanking a deity.

Chet waited for the departing man to get out of hearing range before he launched into the tale he had been waiting to tell since it had happened. "Man, fellas, you won't believe what happened to me the other night."

"Pa-leeze," Mike groaned, rolling his eyes. "We don't want the sordid details."

Chet's eyes widened as he tried to build the drama. "No, wait a sec, Mike. Ya gotta hear this. I was just sittin' there," Chet began, his hands waving animatedly in the air in front of his bulging blue eyes. "I was mindin' my own business…"

Johnny snickered loudly. "Ha, since when?"

"Shut your pie hole, Gage. I'm tellin' my story here." Chet tried to cast a threatening gaze at his friend, but his sparkling eyes gave him away. "So anyway, there I was. Sittin' alone, mindin' my own business. And this cute, young, and...," he slowed down for emphasis. "And, might I say, completely naked chick came runnin' up to me, sat in my lap, and kissed me."

"Get outta here," Mike scoffed.

"Bullshit," Johnny shot back.

Roy merely smiled, thinking he might know where Chet was heading with his story.

"No, man. I'm bein' serious." He made an exaggerated X mark across his heart with his finger. "Cross my heart, hope to die."

"And goin' to hell for tellin' a lie," Johnny laughed, proud of his comeback.

"No lie, man. She was all slippery wet, her hair slicked back away from her face, and she sat right on my thighs and gave me this kiss and…"

All eyes shifted to the doorway as Marco walked in. The older linemen looked as if he had already worked a long shift. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles forming beneath them. He glanced around the room, knowing he had just become the center of attention. "Morning, fellas."

"Have a seat, Lopez. Kelly here was just telling us about his wild off time with some naked foxy lady," Mike said, catching his shift mate up on the conversation.

"I don't wanna hear it," Marco countered, leaving the rest of the shift unsure if he was joking or not. He walked over to the cabinets, removed a coffee cup, and poured himself a much needed jolt of hot caffeine.

"Oh you will, Marco. Just listen. Okay, so this completely naked, wet, young chick came bounding over to me. She sat in my lap and kissed me. Caught me completely off guard, man. I swear, I did NOT see it comin', but hey…" He opened his arms wide, palms facing up. "When ya got it, ya got it. She was diggin' me."

"And what about Caroline, huh?" Johnny questioned, leaning against the counter holding his coffee mug in his hand, his left hip jutting out.

Chet snickered, knowing Johnny was falling into his trap. "Aww, she was NOT happy," he smirked.

"You're gonna catch somethin' ajax won't remove," Johnny spouted out, unable to understand why Chet would allow something like that to happen that would hurt a lady as nice as Caroline.

"Nah, she's young and innocent," Chet commented, realizing that Johnny still hadn't figured it out. Chet had already seen the look on Roy's face and knew that he, as the father of a young girl, had figured out about whom Chet was referring.

Marco cut his eyes at his partner, setting his hot coffee down on the table. He felt his stomach lurch at Chet's comment. "What did you say?"

Chet smiled. "Just that young wet naked babes find me attractive."

"That isn't funny, Chet." Marco narrowed his tired eyes at the Irishman, too exhausted to fully comprehend the jest of Chet's story.

"Yea, her mother didn't think it was too funny, either. In fact, she was appalled by her daughter's behavior." Chet laughed, knowing that with that last comment, the entire crew would understand his joke. He was wrong.

Marco somehow mustered up the energy to bolt from his spot at the table, grabbing his partner by the shirt collar, and slamming him against the brown refrigerator door.

"What the hell, Marco? It's a joke! It was Corrie! She'd just gotten a bath!" The younger man yelled out, surprised by his partner's reaction.

Mike and Roy suddenly appeared on either side of Marco pulling his hands away from Chet, and dragging him backwards. Johnny set down his coffee cup, rushing to Chet's defense.

"You a'right?" Johnny asked, pointing a finger at Chet's chest.

Hank pushed through the kitchen door, pinning his men in place with his stern hazel eyes. He saw Marco fuming, Mike and Roy holding him away from Chet. His younger lineman was straightening his shirt, as Johnny stood in front of him, effectively blocking Marco's access to Chet.

"Is there a problem in here?" The fire captain questioned his men.

Chet peered around Johnny, waiting for Marco to say something. When no one spoke, he decided to answer their captain's question. "No… No, sir. Everything's just FINE," he spat out, emphasizing his last word.

Hank looked each man in the eye for confirmation. The only one who wouldn't make eye contact was his older lineman. "Roll call in ten minutes. Kelly, tuck your shirttail back in. Lopez, my office… NOW!"

E!

A/N: This is where we leave the DeSotos and pick up with Marco. I hope you have enjoyed the ride through DeSoto's Dilemma and I hope you will continue the journey with Marco's Mission. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, comments or contacted me through PM's. I appreciate your kindness as well as your suggestions. You make me a better writer and keep my muse active.