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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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2010-08-16
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7,465
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6/6
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"A Family Affair"

Summary:

Station 51's A-Shift 'family' proves that raising money for their favorite charity really is all fun and games.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

"A Family Affair"

By Ross

Chapter One

"Are you kidding me?" Los Angeles County firefighter/paramedic, John Gage, turned his attention from Station 51's TV screen, to his closest crewmate, Chet Kelly. "A cattle egret?" Gage grimaced. "This is too painful to watch. A cattle egret? Of all the dumb answers..."

The two firemen had completed their Station assignments and were currently watching 'The Family Feud', whilst relaxing between runs. The question was 'Name a white bird.'

Kelly quickly came to the cute, blonde, female contestant's defense. "What's so dumb about it? Cattle egrets could be white, yah know."

"That's beside the point, Chet. One hundred average people were surveyed. How many—out of that hundred—have ever even 'heard' of a cattle egret—let alone 'seen' one? You have to think like those one hundred average people are thinking. Not like an 'ornithologist'. The average person is more likely to have said a dove...or a swan...or a pelican...or a stork...or a seagu—" The rest of Gage's argument was drowned out—er, supported, rather, by a loud *bu-uzzzz!* as the pretty little lady's answer failed to find a match up on the board.

Kelly did his level best to ignore his now smugly smiling colleague.

A gloating John Gage was always hard to take.

It didn't help that dove, swan, pelican, stork and seagull all ended up on the board, either.

Gage's smug smile broadened into a smug grin.

"Since you're so sure you could do so much 'better'," Chet insincerely began, "why don't you find yourself a 'family'...somewhere, and then go on there? Sure. You could prob'ly make a small fortune...a very small fortune," he teasingly tacked on.

John completely ignored the jibe. "That's not a bad idea..." he mumbled beneath his breath and gazed around the large, open room.

His Captain, Hank Stanley, and their engineer, Mike Stoker, were seated at the kitchen table, along with Marco Lopez.

His partner, Roy DeSoto, was busy putting the finishing touches on lunch.

Counting Kelly, the fireman had just managed to find five 'brothers'.

Gage got stiffly to his feet and then headed off...to compose a couple of letters.

__________________________________________________________

One month later...

Roy DeSoto backed their rescue squad into its spot in Station 51's parking bay and then slowly reached out to turn the truck's idling engine off.

Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes into an exceptionally hectic twenty-four-hour shift the pair had been dispatched to a 'Man down' call in a rather remote area of their district. Which meant that the two men didn't make it back to their quarters until long after the shift change.

John Gage raised the palms of his hands to his hanging head and attempted to scrub some of the weariness he was feeling from his haggard face. "Man! I'm glad we don't have to survive shifts like this all the time."

"Who says we survived?" his buddy sarcastically came back, sounding equally weary. "I don't know about you, but my body feels pretty dang dead right now."

Gage's still bowed head slowly swung in DeSoto's direction. "Shall I grab the defibrillator?"

The blond paramedic pretended to contemplate his partner's insincere inquiry over for a few moments. "Appreciate the offer. But I believe I'll pass on the 'shock' treatment. I'd much rather have a jolt of caffeine, than a jolt of electricity."

The right corner of his ever-helpful associate's pursed lips arched upwards just a bit. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I, uh, wasn't all that 'awake' when I made the coffee this morning," he candidly confessed.

His companion couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the warning. But I'm sticking with the caffeine."

Hopefully, B-Shift had made a fresh pot.

John watched in confusion as Chet Kelly suddenly exited the rec' room—still wearing his uniform. "What are you still doing here?" he asked, as the Irishman stepped up to his partner's open window.

Roy swung his head around to see who his friend was questioning.

"I have an even better question," Kelly cooly came back. "Name five guys who are really steamed at John Gage: Cap, Mike, Marco...and me."

"Who's the fifth guy?" DeSoto wondered.

Chet's eyes locked upon his confused shiftmate's. "You."

Roy looked even more confused. "I'm not really steamed at him." In fact, he wasn't 'steamed' at anybody.

Kelly looked smug. "Yeah? Well, you will be...once you find out what he's done."

Gage thought back through their entire tour of duty. The only thing he could have possibly done that would have affected his fellow crewmates—in any way—was to make the coffee that morning. "What'd I do?" he lightly inquired. "Use too many scoops?"

Chet chose to remain silent.

"Not enough scoops?" John jokingly continued.

Kelly suddenly recalled the mission he'd been sent on. "The Cap wants to see you," he announced and motioned for the pair to follow him back into the rec' room.

'The Ca-ap? What is he still doing here?' Gage exchanged a mystified glance with his partner. Whatever the reason was, he seriously doubted it had anything to do with the morning coffee.

Their curiosity piqued, the two men promptly vacated the parked vehicle and followed the mustached fireman into Station 51's rec' room.


The paramedics took a couple of steps into the room and then halted.

The entire A-Shift engine crew was seated at the kitchen table...along with two Fire Department 'big wigs' and a couple a' strange guys sporting twenty-five dollar haircuts and well-tailored business suits.

"What, exactly, did you do?" DeSoto asked beneath his breath.

"Tell me...and we'll both know," his completely bewildered buddy whispered back.

________________________________________________________________

Hank Stanley locked his gaze upon the new arrivals.

Well, upon one of them, anyway.

John suddenly felt a tad anxious.

Judging by the firm set to his jaw, and the stern look in his eyes, their Captain appeared to be plenty 'steamed', all right.

"Chief Dalbert and Chief Racine...from headquarters," his upset Captain icily introduced, and motioned to the two men seated on his left. "Mr. Webber and Mr. Talverson...from Mark Goodson Television Studios," he continued, and motioned to the two 'suits' seated on his right. "Gentlemen," Stanley's gaze returned to the recent arrivals, "these are our paramedics, Roy DeSoto and...John Gage," the fire officer finished, even more frigidly.

Upon hearing the coldness in the introduction their Captain had given him, John Gage's soaring spirits suddenly sagged and the huge, lopsided grin vanished from his face. 'Uh oh...'

Hank's gaze remained riveted on the 'responsible party' and his dark eyes began to narrow. "Mr. Webber and Mr. Talverson have just informed us...that we will be spending part of our next shift's break...in Hollywood...filming a television game show."

DeSoto turned to his tight-lipped friend, looking totally flabbergasted.

The entire engine crew glared up at the dark-haired paramedic, looking every bit as angry as their Captain.

John's heart suddenly sank even lower in his chest. "You guys don't wanna do it?"

Marco Lopez rolled his eyes. "Now he asks."

His crewmates snorted their complete concurrence with his snide aside.

The 'ganged up on' fireman quickly shifted from feeling hurt to feeling defensive. "Well I—"

"—Save your breath, John," Mike Stoker interrupted, giving voice to his displeasure. "Apparently, it's already a 'done deal'."

"But I—", Gage began again, only to be cut short by his Captain.

"—Yeah. It's a little late to be asking for our input, pal."

Chet Kelly stood there, sadly shaking his head. "Gage just doesn't get it, Cap. As usual, he's completely clueless..."

"This whole business was all your idea, in the first place," Gage reminded his smug chum. He gave Kelly an annoyed glare of his own and then aimed an apologetic gaze at the remainder of his A-Shift 'family'. "Believe me. I get it. You guys don't wanna do it. Fi-ine! Then let's just forget the whole...thing." The fireman's attention suddenly focused upon their four completely bewildered visitors. "You could probably convince one of the other shifts to play," the paramedic helpfully pointed out. Then he spun on his heels and immediately took his leave.

Mr. Webber leaned toward Mr. Talverson and whispered in his left ear, "Gage was right. These guys are just like a real family."

DeSoto remained more mystified than miffed.

Just writing and sending the letters had gotten Gage so excited, that, for days—er, make that for weeks, it was all he had talked about.

The blond-haired paramedic prided himself on his ability to read his buddy like an open book. So then...how on earth had his 'transparent' partner ever managed to keep this particularly exciting bit of big news a complete secret from him? Roy's right eyebrow gradually edged upwards, as an entirely new notion began to niggle its way into his boggled brain. He directed his confused gaze, and a rather good question, toward the two big honchos from headquarters. "When did Johnny find out about all of this?" He knew he'd hit on the heart of the matter, when the fire department guys and the TV studio guys each turned to the other, hoping to hear an answer.

Looks of dawning understanding, and embarrassment, immediately filled their four visitors' faces.

"We were told that the Fire Department had already informed him," Mr. Talverson announced.

Chief Dalbert exhaled an audible sigh—of remorse. "We were assured that the Studio had notified him—weeks ago."

"So," Marco began, "John couldn't discuss it with us..."

"...Because he had no knowledge of it, himself," their Captain finished for him. Stanley locked gazes with the unjustly accused's partner. "Could you go ask Gage to come back in here?"

Roy replied with a nod of his head and then left to go fetch his friend.

The remaining members of Station 51's A-Shift exchanged glum glances.

"Why didn't he just tell us that he didn't know about it?" Kelly quietly inquired.

"We were so steamed, we didn't really give him much of chance to say anything," their engineer reminded him, his words filled with regret.

"He's gone," DeSoto breathlessly decreed, upon his prompt return.

Their Captain's troubled gaze settled upon the room's drawn blinds. "You sure?" he asked, sounding every bit as disappointed as he looked.

Roy nodded. "His Rover is no longer in the lot."

'Gage must have had a new muffler installed,' Hank silently, and rather sadly, realized, because he hadn't heard him drive by the building.

Mr. Webber considered the amount of time—and money—their studio had already invested in the project's pre-production and asked, point blank, "So-o...are you guys in?...or out?"

The Captain momentarily locked gazes with each and every one of his remaining men. "You heard the man. Are we in?...or out?"

Even though there would be no personal gain in it for them, and it would mean sacrificing one or more of their days off, A-Shift's resounding reply was unanimous.

Hank Stanley couldn't help but crack a smile. 'Ahhh,' the fire officer mused. 'The things we won't do for...family.'

TBC