Author's comments: Thank you all for being patient with this story. Real life sure can get in the way, sometimes. And special thanks to my guest reviewers. I can't respond to you individually but please know how much I appreciate you all.

Chapter 27

"Oh no! No, no… Nooo!"

All heads turned to the senior lineman who was sitting at the kitchen table, grimacing. He stared at the piece of paper in front of him before slamming down his hand in an uncharacteristic display of frustration.

Hank, who was pinning the latest job announcements on the station bulletin board, voiced the obvious question for all the men. "Something wrong, Marco?"

"Yea, what's goin' on?" Chet questioned, emptying the dustpan in the trash can. The station had not been toned out since shift change which meant the Phantom was lurking around the premises. He was grateful for the reprieve that had allowed his alter ego to set up another prank. It was going to be classic, but now his attention had turned from his pigeon to his best friend.

"Have you guys seen the shift schedule for next month?" Marco asked, holding up the calendar.

"Last week we celebrated New Year's and you're already looking at the schedule for next month?" Johnny questioned with a lopsided grin. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips for another sip before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Marco shifted in his seat to address the junior medic. "John, it's my first Valentine's Day as a married man… and, well, Beverly has been kind of down lately. She said it happens to her around this time every year. Our therapist thinks it's because of a lack of sunshine, not sure I believe that, but…" He shook his head, returning to the issue at hand. "Anyway, I was planning on taking her out for a nice romantic dinner, but I won't be able to because we're gonna be on shift."

"Well, that sucks," Chet groaned, pouring himself a cup of coffee, and taking a seat across from Johnny.

"Actually, it works out pretty good for us," Johnny said, pointing back and forth between Chet and himself. "Lily and Caroline will be so busy at Bloomers that they prob'bly wouldn't feel like going out for a night on the town, anyway." It was the first time he had considered how Valentine's Day would be different this year since his fiancée was also a florist.

"And we can't even buy them flowers either, Gage. I mean, that's the last thing they're gonna want after the busiest day of the year for the floral industry."

"If we can't buy flowers then…" Johnny ran a hand down his long face. "Hey Cap… You've been married the longest… What can me and Chet get our girls for Valentine's Day instead o' flowers?"

"Anything but an Edsel," the fire captain deadpanned, continuing to tidy up the bulletin board.

"Spent a little time in the doghouse for that one, huh, Cap," Roy said with a knowing grimace. He'd spent his fair share of nights on the sofa during his married life, too.

"Well… Let's just say that it was a long time before I received the gift I was hoping to receive on that particular Valentine's Day," the senior man replied.

Amid the snickers, Mike stood up from the table and began rummaging through the refrigerator to make himself look busy. He was the only man in the crew who was grateful to be working on the one day that truly emphasized being single. He tried to drown out the banter between the guys as he moved over to the pantry and started making a list of available spices for the dinner he was planning since he had kitchen duty. No one seemed to notice his absence from the conversation; after all, he was known around the station as 'the quiet one.' He kept his back to the other men, hoping no one would try to draw him into the conversation.

Chet turned his attention back to his own partner. "Are you sure that's the right schedule?"

"Says so, right here," the senior lineman responded, pushing the paper toward the younger man.

Hank took a step back and looked at the job schedule. He ran his finger along the lines until he found the date, February 14, 1976. "You're right, Marco. We're on shift that day. And it's on a Saturday, so it'll probably be a busy one."

Johnny's face was shadowed. "Humph, not the kind o' busy I was hopin' for, if ya catch my drift."

Roy rolled his eyes, shifting Henry so the sleeping dog wouldn't drool on his clean uniform. "Might as well get used to it, Johnny. Once you're married, you won't be nearly as busy as you think you will."

"No way, Pally," the dark-haired medic shot back. He leaned forward, pointing his index finger at his own chest. "Lily and I will always be flyin' high in the bedroom," he retorted, making a hand gesture like an airplane soaring upwards.

Hank never missed a beat, his stoic expression unchanging while he responded to the overconfident young Romeo. "Oh, you'll start out flying high, but once the honeymoon's over, you'll be spending more and more time flying solo… if ya catch my drift."

The fire captain's cleverness surprised everyone, especially Chet who lost his grip on his coffee cup. He tried to stop it from tipping over, but only succeeded in knocking the cup over with the back of his hand, sending hot coffee across the table in Johnny's direction. With cat-like reflexes, the younger man leaped backwards from the table, his chair crashing into the backside of their engineer. Mike twisted around, grabbing the chair, and shoving it back in Johnny's direction. He was about to chastise the younger man when the tones sounded.

"Station 51… traffic accident with entrapment… at the intersection of East 223rd Street and Wilmington Avenue…. that's East 223rd Street and Wilmington Avenue… time out 10:17."

"KMG-365," Captain Stanley acknowledged. The sound of slamming vehicle doors echoed in the apparatus bay as he rushed to take his position in the officer's seat of the engine.

Johnny strapped on his helmet as Roy, hesitating just long enough for the squad to be able to clear the rising bay door, pulled onto the apron then turned right into the yielding traffic. Sexual inuendoes, spilled coffee, and sore buttocks were all forgotten as the six firemen made the short drive to the accident scene.

E!

The head nurse at Rampart's emergency department reviewed the shift chart with a studious expression. She had one nurse on maternity leave and another who was on bedrest for the remaining six weeks of her pregnancy. One of her senior nurses had sustained an on-the-job injury on her last shift when a patient, high on angel dust, used an IV pole as a baseball bat, breaking the woman's arm which required surgery. But the most concerning issue was the fact that two of her younger nurses had come down with a particularly nasty case of the flu. She had to find some way of covering the needs of the emergency department, preferably without requesting floor nurses from other departments. Staffing ratios had to be met, labor laws had to be followed… it was all giving her a monster headache.

"Earth to Dixie," the dark-haired paramedic repeated, his raised voice finally bringing the nurse out of her trance.

"Oh, hi Tiger, I think Roy's waiting for you in the staff lounge," she said, pointing her pen in the direction of the breakroom. "Took you long enough to get here, must've been a real mess."

"Yea, the extrication drew so many rubberneckers that we ended up with two more fender-benders. No injuries, but Cap needed my help with clean-up and crowd control."

The pretty nurse lifted her eyebrows, questioningly. "Rubberneckers?"

"Yea, you know… people driving by stretching their necks trying to get a good look at the accident," Johnny explained, shaking his head. "Why are people so eager to see other people hurt?"

"Been asking myself that for years… When I get an answer, I'll let you know," she said with a playful wink. Rapping her fingers on the shift schedule. "If they're that interested in seeing injured and sick people, I could sure use them down here for the next few weeks," she mumbled.

"Say, do ya mind if I ask you a question?" the young man quizzed, his demeaner growing more serious.

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Dixie propped an elbow on the white counter.

"What's the best gift you can think of for a very special lady whose future husband will be working a 24- hour shift on Valentine's Day?"

Dixie felt her cheeks turn rosy at the thought of the handsome paramedic, who had been rejected by seemingly every available nurse at Rampart Hospital over the years, asking her such a serious question.

"Well," she began, sitting up straight on her stool. "I would normally say a dozen red roses but since this, uh, very special lady is probably a florist, I'm guessing that's really not the best option." When she saw Johnny give a slight nod, she knew she was on the right track. "And since she's wearing an engagement ring, there's probably not another piece of jewelry that would top that… at least not this year, am I right?"

Johnny grinned, bashfully. "And her future husband is a public servant so, uh, money's kind o' tight… but he doesn't want to be cheap, ya know?"

"Of course not," Dixie agreed, fighting the urge to laugh at his way of speaking of himself in third person.

"Oh, and… she's got a mild allergy to chocolate."

Dixie lifted a concerned brow. "You do have quite the dilemma, Johnny."

"Please, Dix… you've got to help me," he pleaded, drawing her in with his puppy dog eyes.

"I don't think Miss Lily Campbell is the kind of girl who's impressed with flashy things. She seems to be more the sentimental type." She waited for Johnny's silent agreement before she continued. "I know I've always been rather fond of a little slow jazz; how about a new album?"

Johnny contemplated that for a moment, trying to picture Dixie relaxing in her apartment with a glass of wine and a jazz album playing in the background. Picturing Dixie in such a scenario was easy, but not Lily. She was such a free spirit, a naturalist. Although she had a habit of being shy and sometimes withdrawn, she always seemed at one with the earth. It was part of the reason why they had chosen a camping spot for their wedding venue.

"I dunno, Dix. She's more likely to, um, be frolicking with butterflies than listening to a record album."

Dixie smiled at the young man, enjoying the way he described his future wife with pure delight. It was obvious that he had finally fallen in love, true love, this time. "Johnny… she's got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" She didn't wait for his response. "I think I might know just the thing for her, and it'll be very unique and personal."

"Lay it on me," Johnny said, his eyes lighting up his face.

"You've got some time and you're a really great photographer. Why don't you take a few casual pictures of her, maybe act like you're just playing around with a new type of film or different lighting… something that won't draw her suspicion… then have the best shots framed in a collage? You could even have it delivered to Bloomers while you're on shift."

Johnny's smile was as bright as a camera flash. "A'right, Dix! It's perfect!"

"Well… I do have my moments," she agreed, batting her long eyelashes at one of her favorite paramedics.

The handi-talkie squawked to life with a disembodied voice asking for the squad's status.

Johnny keyed the mic as he stepped away from the nurses'station and headed for the staff lounge. "Squad 51, available."

Dixie watched the young paramedic retrieve his partner and head out on another run. His step was definitely lighter. She returned her attention to the staffing crisis at hand. If only her own dilemma could be so easily resolved.

E!

Roy glanced into the side mirrors, backing the squad into the appropriate spot in the apparatus bay. It was the first time he and his partner had returned to the station since the first call of the day. The sun had already set, and the temperature had dropped significantly. He turned the engine off, resting his head against the back of the cab.

"Helluvaday," he groused.

"Nine runs… Nine runs, Roy," Johnny complained. "And the engine hasn't been called out once… not once since that TA this morning."

"Wanna go back to the engine crew?" the senior medic asked, already knowing the answer. He knew his partner loved his job, and he was one of the best medics Roy had ever known. He also knew that Johnny couldn't leave the paramedic program no matter how many difficult shifts they worked. It was something he understood because he felt the same way. Even so, the two men needed to complain and decompress after days like today… and no one knew the stresses of a paramedic like his shift partner.

"Nah, but I jus' wish we could catch a break sometimes," the junior man said, leaning his shoulder into the squeaking squad door and stepping out. He inhaled deeply, an anticipatory smile spreading across his face. "Ahhhh, Stoker's fried chicken."

"Good… I'm starving," Roy responded, opening his door.

Johnny's steps quickened as he followed the aroma like a bloodhound on a scent trail. He rushed into the kitchen just as Marco was placing a bowl of potato salad on the table.

"Mike… you've got my mouth watering, Pally," he said, slapping his engineer playfully on the shoulder. "Colonel Sanders ain't got nothin' on you."

Mike offered a quick acknowledgement of the compliment, placing the large serving tray of chicken in the center of the table. Each man took his seat and began filling his plate with the savory food. With attentions focused on the meal, Mike slipped into his seat with a grimace. Hank was the only one to notice.

"Stoker? You okay?"

Both paramedics immediately turned their attention to their engineer, their trained eyes doing a cursory assessment - neither seeing anything concerning.

"Fine," was the only response the fire captain got, but he wasn't satisfied.

"If you're hurt, I need to know. Department policy."

"I know."

The other four men cast concerned glances at each other, then continued to eat in silence. Hank kept his eyes on his engineer, forcing the younger man to shift his gaze.

Mike, not wanting his captain to be worried, huffed in exasperation. "Okay, alright… My ass is a little sore after Johnny slammed into me this morning but-"

Choking and coughing noises cut the engineer's explanation short. For the second time in one day, Chet was responsible for a mess at the table. This time, he had tried to laugh with his mouth full of milk. The lineman pushed away from the table, his napkin covering his mouth and nose, his face growing red. Mike felt his face heating up and knew that the tips of his ears were glowing. He lowered his face, slowly shaking his head. He knew that his explanation had sounded as though he and his shiftmate had been engaged in compromising relations. His feeling of awkwardness quickly gave way to an embarrassing groan.

Roy helped Chet step away from the table, handing him extra napkins, while Johnny's bulging eyes looked at the red-faced engineer. With a half-eaten chicken leg in his hand, the stunned paramedic aimed the piece of poultry towards his own chest.

"ME? What'd I do?" Johnny questioned, the words expressed around a mouth full of food.

"Arrgh, ahua… I got milk comin'…ahua, out o' my nose… ugh!"

"You ain't gonna die, Kelly, jus' let it drain out," Johnny reacted, returning his attention to Mike. "Seriously, wh-what'd I do?"

"You jumped up from the table this morning, your chair tilted and rammed the corner of the chairback into my backside. It's just a bruise, Gage… And I do not need you to check me out," the engineer groused, his expression stern.

Johnny pointed the chicken leg at Chet. "Hear that? It's all YOUR fault."

"Arrgh, ahua… I feel like I'm drownin' in cow juice," the Irishman said, trying to gently blow his nose to remove the lingering milk from his nostrils.

"Ha," Johnny retorted. "I can think of worse things that come from a cow that you could be snortin'."

The fire captain leaned forward, propping one elbow beside his plate and resting his chin in his palm. He was fighting conflicting urges – the compulsion to laugh at the slapstick comedy act playing out in front of him, merging with the desire to question some deity as to why he had been given command of these twits. He turned his head to Marco, hoping the senior lineman would offer some explanation as to why he had landed command of a fire house in purgatory. Marco merely shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his meal.

Hank turned his head to the side, his eyes connecting with the bloodshot eyes of the station mascot. "It's because I burned McConnike's hat, isn't it, Henry?"

E!

That night, the cacophony of usual dorm room sounds had lulled most of the crew into a calm, deep slumber. What might seem like annoying disturbances to others held an entirely different meaning for a fireman. The occasional high-pitched squeaking of bunk springs shifting, accompanied by the steady percussion of the wall clock, were the background sounds that were usually upstaged by snoring men, and in a fire station, that meant that the entire crew was safe and resting instead of battling a blaze or working a wreck. Instead of lying on his back, one arm draped across his face, Johnny was restless. Dixie had given him the idea of a collage for Lily's Valentine's Day gift, but his mind had taken it in a slightly different direction. But he couldn't pull it off without some help, and he would make the necessary calls once his shift was over. With a satisfied smile, he flipped from his side onto his back, positioned his arm, stirring up a cloud of dust, unseen in the darkness… and started sneezing.

"Achoo…achoo…achoo."

"You alright, John?"

"Yea, Cap… Sorry, I jus'…achoo… achoo." The sneezing fit continued unabated.

The paramedic got up, padding to the latrine in his boxers and tee shirt. He needed to stop the sneezing and didn't want to continue disturbing the sleeping men.

Curled on his side in his bunk, the junior lineman was struggling to remain silent. The urge to laugh out loud was growing harder to fight with each echoing sneeze from the locker room. He squeezed his eyes closed, burying his face into his pillow, and bracing for what he knew was about to happen.

"CHET! YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Kelly," Hank growled in frustration. "What'd you do?"

An unusually pale Johnny charged back into the room, his anger having momentarily relieved him of sneezing. "What the hell?" he asked, standing at the foot of Chet's bunk.

Before the Irishman could answer the question, the lights came on with the sound of the tones dropping. Johnny scampered to pull his bunkers on, snapping his suspenders into place until the dispatcher confirmed the run was for the engine only.

He sat back down on his bunk with a huff, pulling the covers back to look at his bunk. "Flour… and pepper! That jerk put flour on my pillow and… and pepper on my sheets!"

Roy cut his eyes over at his partner with a snicker. He knew the Phantom was going to cause Chet to be in loads of trouble with Captain Stanley. "Hey, Johnny?"

The aggravated younger man cast a glance in his partner's direction, brushing the tiny flakes of pepper off his bed. "What?"

"You, uh, might want to double check your Indian heritage. I think you've got more, um… pale face ancestors than you think."

"Oh, ha-ha," Johnny retorted, sarcastically. "I'm just glad that run wasn't for us," he grumbled, heading back to the latrine to wash his face. Quickly, he doubled back, switching his pillow for Chet's. "Now we'll see that Irish blood really come out in ya, Kelly," he mumbled with a bit of satisfaction in his voice.

By the time the engine returned, there were less than 2 hours left before wake-up tones. The tired and sooty engine crew made their way into the dorm room, none caring enough to even clean-up before climbing into their bunks. Johnny rolled onto his side, trying not to laugh at the thought of the junior lineman's face turning a pasty white from the flour on his pillow.

As soon as wake-up tones sounded, a groggy group of men peeled out of their bunks with a variety of groans and grunts. Johnny, the only man to be fully awake and seemingly ready for the day, looked across the room. Chet's face was stretched in an unsightly yawn, small patches of white gunk matted in the creases of his face and neck. The young medic snickered as his plan had worked better than he had anticipated. He hadn't counted on Chet crawling into bed without a shower.

"Lookin' kind o' rough, Chet," the paramedic laughed.

"Yea, well, while you fellas were here asleep, the REAL firemen were out keepin' the citizens safe," he responded, running his fingers through his mussed-up curls.

"Leave me out of it," Roy deadpanned, snapping his suspenders in place on his way to get the coffee started.

Marco took one look at his partner and rolled his eyes. "Looks like the Phantom was busy while we were out."

"Huh?" Chet questioned, seeing that all eyes were on him.

"Go get cleaned up, Kelly," Hank ordered. He wanted to chastise John but decided the junior lineman deserved it.

By the time Chet had gotten his face presentable again, the rest of the crew were listening to the coffee percolating while Marco and Mike were cooking breakfast.

"Mornin'," Chet grumbled, waiting on one of the guys to make a smart-alecky comment.

Johnny leaned back in his chair at the table with his trademark grin stretching across his face. "Well, well, well… it looks like the Phantom got caught."

"Get the juice out, Kelly," Hank said, hoping to head off any further comments. He wanted a little peace in the stationhouse before the shift ended.

"Yessir."

"Hey, Chet?" Johnny asked, his mood serious.

"Don't start, John," Hank said, sternly, watching his perturbed lineman set the gallon of orange juice down before taking a seat across from Johnny.

"This is serious, Cap. I need a favor."

Chet grinned, waxing his mustache. "And you need ME to help ya out… after what you did?" he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the dorm room.

"After what I did?" Johnny asked, his hand splayed over his chest. "ME?"

"Eggs are ready," Mike said, placing a large platter of scrambled eggs on the table between the two sparring men.

"Toast, too." Marco placed a plate of toast beside the eggs.

"Plates," Roy added, handing the two junior men their plates, trying not to chuckle at the arched eyebrow of exasperation his own partner was giving him for furthering the interruptions of his conversation with Chet.

The request was momentarily forgotten as the men began eating their breakfast. By the time the dishes were done, B-shift was trickling in. Johnny finally managed to catch Chet on their way to their vehicles after shift change. He explained his plan for Lily's Valentine's Day gift to Chet along with his request.

Chet leaned his back against his van, arms crossed in deep contemplation. "Yea… Yea, I think Caroline will go for it. I'll set it up with her and give you a call later."

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it, Pally."

E!

Caroline pushed through the back door of Bloomers, grateful that Chet had agreed to keep Corrie. The winter wind was whipping and there was a hint of rain in the air. It definitely was not typical weather for southern California. She hung her coat up and stood by the electric heater for a moment to warm herself up.

"Good morning," Lily called out from the small kitchen area. "Coffee is perking."

"Oh, thank goodness."

"Mom's gone to pick us up some donuts."

"In this weather?" Caroline questioned, rubbing her hands together. "It's freezing outside."

Lily walked back into the workroom. "Where's Corrie? I thought she was coming today."

"No, I left her snuggled in her bed. Chet's watching her for me so she wouldn't have to get out in the cold wind."

Lily hopped onto her work stool and began tying ribbons. "We've got two funerals tomorrow, so it'll be a long day. Mom and I made soup. It's in the fridge."

"That's awfully nice of you."

With a gap in the conversation, Caroline took the opportunity to complete the task Chet had requested of her – on Johnny's behalf. "Um… Would you mind if I asked you for a favor?"

Lily looked up. "Sure, what is it?"

"Well," Caroline joined her at the worktable, writing out the cards to go on the funeral arrangements. "Johnny's pretty handy with a camera. I mean, I've seen the pictures from the Lopez wedding and they're really professional looking. Do you think he might be willing to take some family photos of Chet, Corrie, and me? Maybe even a few of just Chet and I as a couple… you know… engagement pictures?"

Lily looked up from her task, her face glowing with pride. "I'm sure he would. Chet should just ask him tomorrow when they go back on shift."

Caroline bit her lip. She really hadn't planned for that comment. "I'll tell him. Um, would you mind helping him out that day? You know, men aren't always the most observant. I don't want to have pictures with my hair out of place, or… or Corrie with her panties showing," she chuckled.

They both were laughing when Iris came in carrying a box of fresh donuts. "What's so funny, you two?"

Lily relayed the story between guffaws. Caroline and Iris shared a knowing look. They were each in on the secret Valentine's Day gift. Iris was busily working on her part, as well. "Good idea," she called out from the kitchen where she was pouring three cups of coffee. "I've seen family photos where no one noticed that a toddler was picking his nose or scratching his behind," she laughed.

"Okay," Lily held up her hand. "I promise to be there… to make sure Chet isn't picking his nose," she laughed.

By the time the van was loaded up for afternoon deliveries, the wind had calmed, and the temperature had risen significantly. Lily grabbed the keys from the hook beside the door. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

With Lily out of the shop for a while, Iris took the opportunity and called Kizzy back in Alabama. She would need her help for the Valentine gift, as well. Of course, the older woman was more than happy to help. She didn't have many pictures of herself or her husband, but she would make copies of what she had and send them to Iris. Pictures were treasured keepsakes, and she had all the negatives safely stored in a safety deposit box.

"Oh, wait. If you send them to me, Lily might find them. Hold on a minute."

Caroline already knew what her boss was going to ask and was busy writing down her address. "Tell her to send them to me and I'll see that Johnny gets them."

Iris silently mouthed her appreciation and relayed the address slowly so Kizzy could write it down accurately.

"I'll sho get 'em to ya jus' as fast as I can. Oh, and I'm 'bout finished with da broom, too. I'll be sendin' it out soon for y'all to get all decorated up for da weddin'."

"Thank you so much, Kizzy. I know Lily will be excited to get it. You are still planning on flying out here with my parents, right?"

"Lawd, yes," the older woman remarked. "I ain't gonna miss my only granddaughter's weddin' for nothin'. I'm scared, but I'm gonna be a'right. Me and the good Lawd been doin' us a heap o' talkin' 'bout me I' on dat airplane. He done give me a peace 'bout it. I'll be there, hun, don't you worry 'bout it none, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm glad to hear that. I can't wait to see you again. I'll talk to you later… oh, and thanks so much for the pictures."

E!

The following weekend proved to be the perfect weather for outdoor pictures. The sun was shining, there was very little wind, and Corrie was in a good mood. She loved getting dressed up and hamming it up for the camera.

"Smile for me, sweetie?" Lily said, kneeling just below Johnny's camera.

"Nice," Johnny said, between clicks. "These are gonna be great."

After shooting for about 20 minutes, Chet pipped up with an idea… at least, he pretended like it was his idea.

"Hey, why don't I snap a few pictures of you two," he said, looking at Lily and Johnny. "The weather's great and if I counted right, Johnny, you should still have a few more pictures left on that roll of film."

Johnny pretended to check the counter, nodded his agreement, then looked over at his fiancée. "Well… why not, right, Lily?"

Lily began shaking her head. "Oh, I'm really not prepared to-"

"You're a natural beauty," Caroline joined it. "C'mon… let him finish up the roll. It'll be fun."

Reluctantly, Lily agreed. She and Johnny repeated many of the poses that Chet and Caroline had used for their engagement pictures. Chet deliberately fouled up a few of the pictures, as he and Johnny had previously agreed. Afterall, he would need to show Lily something. She would never believe it if Johnny just told her that Chet ruined the whole set of pictures. He would show her two poses, but he was going to save the best for his collage.

"Oops, okay, that was the last one," Chet said, using his thumb to rewind the film. He handed the cameral back to Johnny. "That was great, man. I can't wait to see how all of them turn out."

"I'll get them developed and bring them to work next shift. They should be ready by then."

"Let's go eat, I'm starving," Chet commented, rubbing his belly.

"Me too," Corrie said, rubbing her own midsection. "Pizza, pizza," the little girl squealed, jumping up and down. It was her favorite food.

"My treat," Chet added, wanting to show his appreciation to his shiftmate for the engagement pictures. Even though the entire thing had been Johnny's idea, he was grateful to have been the recipient of a free photo shoot. It was the least he could do. He might call Johnny his pigeon, but everyone knew how much he cared about each one of his shiftmates. He had nearly lost Johnny twice on shift, once to a snake and once to a hit and run driver. Last year, he had nearly lost Johnny to a cult. But now, all their lives seemed to be returning to normal and for that he was grateful. Stoker wasn't quite back to his old self, but the rest of the crew all seemed to be heading in the right direction. Hopefully, 1976 would be a good year for their engineer, too.

+E!

Mike finished cleaning up his breakfast dishes, leaving them to dry in the dish drainer before packing up his bag for shift. It was the morning of Valentine's Day and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get his mind off Lexi. Why? He hadn't seen her in over two months, hadn't even talked to her. Marco had told him that she was recovering well and was making a lot of progress with her therapist. The lineman had even let him know that Lexi had asked about him. His head had written her off, but his heart just couldn't quite make the break. He had even taken Antonio out for a movie a couple of times, but he had refused to pick him up at Maria's house. Instead, he had picked him up and dropped him off at Marco and Beverly's apartment.

"Damn, Stoker… get it together, man," he said to himself in the mirror as he finished brushing his teeth. He was frustrated with himself. He could run up twenty flights of stairs carrying gear and then carry men twice his weight to safety, so why was he afraid of a woman who was barely five feet tall and weighed less than 110 pounds? He knew the truth. He was protecting his heart. He knew that if he saw her, if he looked into those dark eyes one more time, he would completely lose himself again. He just couldn't risk it. Maybe with enough time, he would be able to move on, be able to forget about her. But right now, he was vulnerable… and so was she. Vulnerable to someone she saw as a rescuer.

He hung his head, turning off the light and slinging his bag onto his shoulder. He locked up his apartment and headed to his pick-up. He wasn't just protecting himself. He was protecting her, too. She had said that she was in love with him once before, but was she? Did she even know what love was? That emotion had been used against her in the worst way possible. It was reasonable to expect her to think she was in love with the man who had rescued her. He had allowed himself to fall in love with her and take advantage of her weakness. He had made love to her, and now he regretted it more than ever. He had used her body to satisfy his own needs. She hadn't been ready for that step, and he knew it, but his body reacted to her touch. She had only been paying him back for getting her off the streets, right? It was the only currency she knew. He still had her letter, the one she had written when she thought she might die. He read it often. Sometimes he felt as if she had been honest with him, and other times, he wasn't sure. But did she really know the truth, herself? Her mind had been so damaged by Gomez that he just couldn't be sure. He couldn't risk causing her more emotional damage. She didn't deserve it and neither did Antonio. The little boy deserved the best life had to offer, and he would only be able to have it if Lexi was completely healed, physically and emotionally. And once that healing occurred, she would realize how wrong he had been to take advantage of her the way he had. She would realize that she really wasn't in love with him. She was grateful, but not truly in love. Or was she?

He pulled up to the station with little memory of driving there. Today was going to be a very difficult day for him, but he would get past it. No one would know because no one really expected him to be talkative anyway.

E!

"Special delivery for a Miss Lily Campbell and one for a Ms. Caroline Marks."

The two women looked up from their workstations. It had been an incredibly busy day with numerous pick-ups and even more deliveries. They were finishing up the last of the pick-ups when a delivery man came into the shop, looking for them.

"That's us," Lily said, walking around the table to greet him at the counter. She accepted the two large packages, thanking him.

Caroline saw her struggling with the weight of the packages and rushed to her aid. "Let me help you." Caroline took the top package and carried it to the worktable. "These are heavy. Do you think the guys sent them to us since they're on shift?"

Lily giggled and blushed, glad that her mother was out making the last of the deliveries. "Well, Johnny and I both got our gifts last night, if you know what I mean."

"I got a box of chocolates and a card last night… so did Corrie." Caroline rolled her eyes, playfully. "So, with a high energy kid loaded with chocolate, there was no way we could have any, um, couple's time," she said with a wink. She was dying to know what was in her package, but she also wanted to watch Lily's expression when she opened hers. After all, she already knew what it was and couldn't wait to see it.

Lily carefully removed the red bow but wasn't nearly as careful with the white wrapping paper. She ripped it off, cut the tape on the brown box, and opened it up with a gasp. Both hands steepled at her mouth, her eyes filled up with tears. She used her sleeve to dry her eyes before she ran her fingers across the glass frame. It was a very large, framed collage, the size of a poster. Inside were pictures, some she had never seen and some that were familiar. Some were in black and white and others, the more recent ones, were in color. In the middle was a large picture of she and Johnny at the park. He was standing behind her while she sat in a swing. She remembered seeing a picture of the same pose but with their heads out of the frame. It had all been a ruse. Johnny had pretended that Chet had ruined most of the pictures but the best one, he had kept hidden from her. Surrounding the larger picture of the two of them were scattered pictures of her as a baby. There were pictures of her father and a very young-looking Grandma Kizzy with the man she knew was her grandfather but whom she had never met. He had died before she was born. There were pictures of her parents as a young couple and another of them holding a baby that she recognized as the picture taken the day she had been brought home from the hospital. There were pictures of her father as a young boy and pictures of her mother and her maternal grandparents. She touched each one, lost in her own thoughts.

"How… How'd he…"

Her words were broken off by sniffling coming from across the table. "Caroline? Are you okay?"

Caroline looked up, her mascara lightly smudged. "It's… beautiful." She held up a portrait of she and Chet lounging in the grass with Corrie laying across their laps looking up at them laughing. It was the one she had most looked forward to seeing but that Chet had told her had been blurry. He had lied to her just as Johnny had lied to Lily, and she started laughing amid her tears.

"We're engaged to a couple of great guys, you know?" Caroline stated.

"Yea… we are… and in only 6 weeks, you'll be Mrs. Chester B. Kelly."

Caroline smiled back at her. "Yes, I will. It's really coming up fast."

"And I can't wait for your lingerie shower," Lily giggled. "It's gonna be so much fun."