NOTE: THIS STORY IS FICTIONAL, A WORK OF THE WRITER'S IMAGINATION. THE
CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS USED IN THIS STORY ARE PURELY FICTIONAL AND ARE NOT BASED ON ANY PERSON AND/OR PERSON'S ACTUAL EXPERIENCES.

COPYRIGHT 1999 BY ANGELA VANDERBURG

Title: PSYCH101

Author: Angela

Rating: PG

Pairing: M/F Marco/Victoria

Archive: Yes

Summary: Marco, as well as the rest of Station 51, meets Victoria. She's a paramedic from Syracuse, NY in LA to work on a book.

Psych101
by Angela Vanderburg

It was a typical southern California day. Sunny. The kind of day when everyone wished they were some place else: at the beach soaking up sun, in the mountains hiking, or camped out beside a stream fishing. But it was a workday and there wasn't much time for such idle thoughts.

The 'A' crew of Station 51 had just returned from a run involving a small kitchen fire; no one had been injured and damage to the kitchen minimal. The woman had panicked, forgetting the simple measures one could take to put out a grease fire. It was getting close to lunchtime; Chet stood
at the stove putting the finishing touches on a pot of chili.

"I wonder who our visitor is today?" Johnny wondered aloud as he sat down at the table, unfolding the sports section. "Cap said it was someone important."

"Probably some old boring guy who was once a fireman and he wants to see the insides of a modern fire station," Chet replied, looking over his shoulder at Johnny.

"And tell us stories of how it used to be," Mike added.

"I hate visitors like that," Marco opined. "That's when you wish for the alarm to go off."

"I don't think the department chief would be involved with anything like that," Roy said, reaching for the rest of the newspaper. "Think about it."

Captain Stanley walked into the living area with two people in tow.

The department chief, Chief Harrison, was immediately recognized, but the second person wasn't familiar to them, but yet had everyone's attention.

"Men, I'd like for you to meet Victoria Cellini," Captain Stanley said.

"This is paramedic Roy DeSoto, paramedic John Gage, firemen Mike Stoker, Marco Lopez, and cooking, Chet Kelly."

Johnny stumbled over the leg of his chair as he got to his feet, unable to keep from staring at her. "Take my seat," he offered with a slight smile.

"Thanks, but I'll stand for now," she replied, amused by his reaction.

"Could I get you something to drink? Coffee? Water?" Marco asked, careful not to make a spectacle of himself.

"A cup of coffee would be nice. Thanks."

He nodded as he went to the coffee pot. "Anything any it?"

She shook her head. "I like mine straight up."

"You're a brave soul," Stanley warned.

"Captain, I'm Italian. I'm used to strong coffee," she assured him with a smile.

"One cup of black coffee," Marco said as he handed the cup to her.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Her fingers brushed against his and she smiled a smile that would have melted chocolate in Siberia during a blizzard. "If you need a refill, just ask." She nodded, totally oblivious to the fact that Marco was willing to be at her beck and call.

"I'm going to let Ms. Cellini explain why she's here," Chief Harrison explained. "I think it'll sound better coming from her."

"I could have gone anywhere in the United States to do this project, but after some research, I decided to come here," she said, walking toward the table and stood between Roy and Marco to talk to them. She took a sip of coffee then set the cup on the table. "I want to write a book on the what it takes to be a firefighter, the mental and psychological factors behind it, and I'd like to have all of you be the subjects." She could see the skeptical looks. "Before you roll your eyes and grumble about having a female in the station house, let me assure you that I'm not dead weight. I just left Syracuse, New York where I was a paramedic for seven years." Was this going to be a hard sell? She hoped not. So far, first impressions were favorable and she liked the atmosphere. "What I'd like to do is observe this station in action which would entail a lot of photography on the scene."

"And you picked us?" Chet asked, still somewhat skeptical. "What's so special about us?"

"I went through all the station files and narrowed it down to three choices, then I went with the Chief Harrison's recommendation of Station 51. If any of you rather I'd not--"

"We'd like for you to use us as the subject of your book," Johnny interrupted, looking at the others for help. "Wouldn't we, guys?" There was a long silence. He gave them a pleading look.

"The vote has to be unanimous," Victoria said. "In order for me to take pictures of you in action, I have to have 100% consent. Would you prefer to talk it over for a few minutes? I need to go out to my car anyway." She left before anyone could say anything.

"Do any of you object to her shadowing you?" Captain Stanley asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered that she wants to write a book with us as the subjects, but how long would she be with us? And would she bunk with us?" Chet countered. "I'm sure I'm asking the two questions that are on everybody's mind."

"She said that it would take approximately six months for her to compile enough information and pictures," Chief Harrison explained. "As for bunking with you, she said that if you didn't feel comfortable with her in the station house, she'd limit her time with you to the day and evening and
that she'd use a portable scanner to listen to dispatch in case anything big happened during the middle of the night. She's willing to be as flexible as possible."

"Well, I, for one, would like her to stay," Johnny stated.

"You're just looking for a chance to get a date with her," Mike replied.

"I am not."

"So you just happened to trip over your own feet because they were in the way?" Roy asked dryly.

"I think she'd be a nice change of pace around here. That's all."

"Well, we can't keep her guessing, guys. What's it going to be?"

Captain Stanley asked. "Does she stay or not? Raise your hands if you'd like her to stay and write the book." Johnny raised his hand first, followed by Marco, Mike, then Roy; Chet's hand was the last to go up, though not reluctantly. "Well for raising a big fuss, you guys made your minds up in a
hurry."

Chet shrugged. "It was worth seeing Johnny get agitated."

"I wasn't getting agitated," Johnny defended.

Chet nodded. "Sure, Johnny. You call it what you want; I know agitated when I see it."

Johnny clenched his jaw in annoyance, mindful that Chief Harrison was a few feet away. Better to take defeat than to make a scene and avoid a lecture by Captain Stanley.

Victoria returned, carrying a soft sided black leather brief case. "Well, what was the verdict?" she asked, her voice crisp as she sat down between Roy and Marco. "Do I stay or are you going to turn me out on my ear?"

"We would be very honored to have you write your book," Captain Stanley replied.

She smiled. "I sort of figured that." She opened her briefcase and pulled out a small stack of papers. "What I would like for each of you to do is fill out this questionnaire. Please be truthful with your answers so I can get to know each of you better." She passed out the questionnaires. "I would appreciate professional, mature answers as well." She knew what kind of mentality tended to run through a firehouse and wasn't going to take anything for granted. "If you could turn them in to Captain Stanley before the end of your shift, I'll stop by and pick them up tomorrow." She zipped her brief case shut.

"You're leaving?" Johnny asked.

"I'm in the process of moving into my apartment," she replied. "And I'd like to be more or less settled before I jump into this project with both feet."

"When will you be back to ride with us?" Captain Stanley asked.

"When's your next shift?"

"Sunday."

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think three days is enough time to get the bulk of my stuff unpacked. I've been living out boxes for the last three days and I can't stand that. I need all my stuff out where I can see it."

"Would you like some help getting moved in?" Chet asked.

"Sure. For any of you who would like to help, besides Chet, I live in the Wind Dancer Apartments, number 2407."

"Hey, I live in the same complex, " Marco exclaimed, delighted by the idea that she was practically a neighbor. There were carpool possibilities in his future. Maybe. "I live in number 1702 and I'll help you."

"OK. I'll order us a couple of pizzas and get some beer." She picked up her bag. "The invitation is open to anyone who wants to come."

She looked at Chet and Marco. "And I'll see you two tomorrow afternoon."

She and the Chief Harrison left; a long silence followed until Johnny spoke up. "Man, she's something else." He let out a long sigh, which was an appreciative one.

"Tell me about it," Chet added.

"I guess I'm the lucky one," Marco said with a slight grin, "since she and I are practically neighbors."

"You guys are going to be in a world of hurt if she wants nothing to do with any of you," Mike pointed out. "Do you know for certain that she's single and not seeing someone?"

"Well, I don't think she'd be inviting us over to help her unpack and offering pizza and beer in the process if she was involved with someone else," Chet countered.

"Yeah, and you didn't see the way she looked at me and Chet," Marco added.

"All us married guys are trying to say is not to get your hopes up where she's concerned. She's here to do a job not prowl for a date," Captain Stanley pointed out. He held up a copy of her personnel record. "Talk about some fascinating reading. She's a real go-getter. She's been decorated for bravery twice, taught community CPR classes on the weekends, and spent the
last year and a half revamping the paramedic training program for Syracuse."

Roy was impressed and the expression on his face showed it. "Wow. Sounds like she doesn't let the grass grow under her feet."

"And she came here for what?" Chet asked, somewhat confused. "A woman like that, or any person for that matter, doesn't just quit their job--"

"She didn't exactly quit her job in Syracuse," Captain Stanley interrupted. "She's on an extended leave of absence to do this book. It's a personal project."

Johnny was crestfallen. "You mean she's going to go back to New York when she's done?"

"More than likely, but you never know. She could decide to stay and work here."


Part 2

Victoria finished unpacking the second carton of books, putting them on the bookcase shelves in no particular order; rearranging them could be a rainy day activity. Just as she tossed the empty box toward the door, the doorbell rang. "Coming," she called out, making her way over empty boxes to open the door.

"Hi," Marco said, holding up a six pack of Corona. "I've got the beer if you've got the lime."

She smiled. "I think I do; if not, I do know I have a lemon or two."

She stood to one side to let him in. "Anyone else with you?"

"No, but I do know that Chet will be here," he replied, unable to keep his gaze from taking her all in. She was dressed nothing like she had been the previous day at the station. There, she had been dressed in casual business attire; now she was dressed in red sweat shorts and a cut-off purple tee-shirt that exposed her midriff and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. There was no doubt she was fine shape and he wondered for a moment if she lifted weights.

"I guess we can put those in the refrigerator…unless you happen to want one now," she replied. This was the first break she'd taken in four hours. She was slightly thirsty.

"You look like you could use a break," Marco said, noticing the slight sheen of perspiration on her skin. It would be so easy to fall for her at this moment. And fall hard. It was definitely going to be fun getting to know her and he hoped she felt the same way about him.

"I guess we need to get the lemon." She motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.

"Nice kitchen," he commented, looking around the gourmet-style kitchen. "This is a lot nicer than mine."

"I made sure the apartment I rented had a nice kitchen. I love to cook and I like plenty of room."

"I like to cook too and I do a lot of the cooking at the station. I won first prize at last year's fireman's cook-off for my Irish stew and chili."

She arched an eyebrow. "The chili I can see; the Irish stew leaves me wondering." She opened the refrigerator to get the lemon from the crisper.

"And I've had plenty of Irish stew from my fire station days."

"You'll never look at Irish Stew the same way after you've tasted mine." He opened two bottles.

She sliced the lemon into wedges, handing him one and putting one in her bottle of beer. "Cheers," she said, clinking her bottle against his before taking a healthy sip.

"Can I ask you a question?" Marco asked after taking a sip of his own beer.

"Sure."

"What made you want to become a paramedic?"

She shrugged. "Well, I thought about becoming a doctor but I was too impatient to go through the whole ordeal of interning. I figured that being a paramedic was the best way to be as close to the medical profession without all those extra years of schooling and still live on the edge. I pretty much wanted a challenge and I got it." She tipped her beer up and took another sip. "Besides my father and three brothers are firemen."

"For some reason, I knew you were going to say that."

"Actually, everyone in my family was surprised when I told them I wanted to be a paramedic. After going to college and getting my master's in psychology everyone thought I was destined for research. I thought about it, but I wanted to be where the action was. I tend to hate quiet." She leaned back against the countertop.

"So what did your family think when you told them you were moving to Los Angeles?"

"They knew it was coming one day. In order for me to write this book on an unbiased level, I had to go somewhere unfamiliar so I could get to know everyone on equal footing. I know everyone in Syracuse and what makes them tick, so to speak."

"And what is the book going to be about? I know you gave us a glossed over version at the station."

"Primarily, it's going to deal with the psychology of being a firefighter. And your station has enough diversity in it, job-wise, to get a good perspective on what it takes to be a fireman. I plan on talking to some other firemen in the county but my main focus will be Station 51."

"I've often wondered what drew me to this line of work. It was something I could never really explain."

"Well, maybe I'll be able to do that before it's all over." The doorbell rang. "I'll be right back. Care to bet on who it is?"

"I'll take Chet."

"That leaves me with Johnny."

"Hey, what does the winner get?"

She shrugged, giving him a grin. "We'll see." There was something about Marco that intrigued her to the point where she wanted to flirt with him. She didn't feel the same way about Chet or Johnny. Marco struck her as an extremely low-key guy, one who didn't go out of his to be noticed. And being good looking didn't hurt matters any either. She opened the door and found both Johnny and Chet on her doorstep. "Come on in. Marco's in the kitchen."

"Where else would he be?" Chet asked as they followed her. "The man lives for the kitchen."

"We're working on our first beer. Either of you want one?"

"Sure," Johnny replied. "What are you drinking?"

"Corona. All I have is lemon to put in it."

"That's how I prefer mine, in all honesty," Chet said. "I never could understand all the fuss behind putting a lime wedge in it."

Victoria laughed. "To each his own, I suppose."

Johnny took a sip of his own beer, the lemon leaving a tart taste in his mouth. "So, did you get a chance to read our questionnaires?" he ventured, half grinning at her. He hoped his answers made an impression on her, providing her with some insight as to what a great guy he was despite the impression he'd made on their first encounter. True, she hadn't really noticed him, but there was still a chance.

"She'd probably find your questionnaire a cure for insomnia seeing how you decided to write a book," Chet snorted.

"I didn't write a book," Johnny replied. "I just gave thorough answers."

"I noticed," Victoria said as she lifted the beer bottle to her lips.

"But it is comprehendible." She took a long sip of her beer then set the bottle on the counter. "I glanced over them this morning and I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you better. Some answers intrigued me, some surprised me, and some were typical."

"So, none of us came across as a crazy maniac?" Chet asked.

Victoria giggled. "No. Although there was this one name that was mentioned by both Johnny and Roy…I think it was Brice?"

"Yep," Johnny nodded. "Craig Brice."

"Now, he could be an interesting subject to sit down and analyze from what they wrote about him."

"You wouldn't want to do that. Trust me," Chet warned. Victoria raised her eyebrows in askance. "He'd probably tell you that you were doing your job wrong."

"Hmm. Well, I've never met anyone I couldn't figure out."

"You don't want to figure him out," Johnny said as if Brice was some sort of poisonous substance. "He makes my head hurt just listening to him talk. He recites rules and regulation as if they were Bible verses."

Victoria laughed, unconvinced. "Come on, guys, no person is that bad."

"It's not that he's bad," Chet said. "He's just different."

"Different how? Different in that he has a hideous wart on his nose with little hairs growing out of it?" The three men laughed. "Or maybe different in that he's annoying and doesn't really fit in with the chemistry of your shift?"

Johnny smiled his crooked smile. "You could say that."

They finished off their beers then headed into the living room to tackle the next round of boxes. Victoria and Marco worked on getting her CDs unpacked while Johnny and Chet worked on getting more books unpacked. "Did you actually read all these book?" Johnny asked, handing Chet a stack of five books. He noted the names on the books' spines. "Virgil? Homer? Machiavelli?"

"They're literary classics," she giggled. "And, yes, I did. You're welcome to read them if you'd like."

"If they don't have pictures then they'll be over his head," Chet smirked.

"If I remember, Machiavelli wrote The Prince," Marco said.

"Somewhere along the way, I read it."

"All my reading material isn't of that genre," she assured them. "I also have some contemporary novelists on my shelves."

"I'll bet that you were one of those brainy types in high school that just ruined the grading curve for everyone," Johnny said.

She nodded. "I was class valedictorian, for your information," she replied with a smug smile.

"Ah, a brainiac," Chet commented.

"Being a brainiac got me into Harvard."

Johnny reached into the box and pulled out calendar. "Planning on revisiting the past?" he asked, holding it up for her to see.

"That calendar was the biggest money maker for the Syracuse Fire Department and also caused the biggest stink around town," she replied.

"There were two versions: one was all men, the other all women."

Johnny's curiosity got to him and he leafed through it, noticing the scantily clad women for each month. He glanced at Victoria for a moment then continued leafing through the calendar. "Are you in here…by chance?"

"October," she replied, amusing by Chet and Marco's crowding around Johnny as he flipped to October. She was wearing bright yellow string bikini that barely covered all the vital areas yet showed off her olive skin to perfection; she was stretched out in the sand, her dark hair loose about her shoulders. She had her head against her hand with her elbow propped up in the sand for support.

"That's you?!" Marco exclaimed first, unable to believe what his eyes were actually seeing. He could see that she was in great shape, just a hint of muscle definition.

"I can see why the calendar was such a big seller," Chet said, taking the calendar out of Johnny's hands and looking through it himself. "Any of these women available?"

"At the time, all of us were. And I don't think any of them are married now," she replied. "Thinking of moving to Syracuse?"

"I might just do that. These are some hot women."

Marco caught what she had said about not being married at the time she had posed for the calendar. He had concluded that she definitely wasn't married since he'd not seen anything among her possessions to convince him otherwise. And he was beginning to think she wasn't seriously involved with anyone either. The signals she was giving were not hard to decipher.

END PART 2