Copyright: June 1999 By The Fairy Queen

THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE ON ANY PREEXISTING COPYRIGHTS THAT MAY BE VIOLATED. FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS, BUT NOT FOR PROFIT.

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.

Title: Crossroads

Author: The Fairy Queen

E-mail: devilwmn23@aol.com

Rating: Slash

Pairing: Roy/John

Archive: Yes

Summary: This is the third story in the So Much to Say Series, and follows "So Deep in My Heart" and "Dreamcatcher". You do not need to have read those stories for this one to make sense. Johnny and Roy are forced to deal with the fallout after their real relationship is revealed to the rest of Station 51.

So Deep In My Heart 3: Crosroads
by The Fairy Queen

Come on baby let's get out of this town
I got a full tank of gas with the top rolled down
There's a chill in my bones
I don't want to be left alone
So baby you can sleep while I drive

You know I've seen it before
This mist that covers your eyes
You've been looking for something
That's not in your life
My intentions are true
Won't you take me with you
And baby you can sleep while I drive

You Can Sleep While I Drive
Melissa Etheridge

~~~~~~~
"Roy, watch out!"

At Johnny's shouted warning, Roy half-turned, instinctively throwing up one arm to protect his face even before he knew what it was he was protecting himself from. A large flaming chunk of the old building's collapsing ceiling hit him, and he staggered. His upraised arm and helmet deflected most of the debris, but a spray of sparks showered him, some of them dancing down the
collar of his turnout coat.

Roy dropped the hose he was holding and twisted and flailed, trying to get the cumbersome coat off. Suddenly Johnny was in front of him, pushing his hands away and undoing the fastenings for him, pulling the coat off his shoulders. Then he was leading Roy outside, away from the dense smoke and crushing heat of the intense fire inside the abandoned greeting card factory.

Outside, Johnny gently pushed on Roy's shoulders, urging him to a seated position on the back of the squad. He removed his partner's breathing apparatus and gazed into his clear blue eyes. Roy seemed dazed, reminding Johnny of the time Roy had become disoriented while fighting a blaze in a fancy single's bar. He had been suffering from heat exhaustion then, and Johnny thought he might be suffering from it again.

"Roy, can you hear me? I'm gonna take your shirt off, I need to see if you have any burns, okay?"

"'kay, Johnny," Roy tried to help his partner remove his uniform shirt, now soaked with his sweat, but his fingers would not cooperate. Again Johnny gently pushed his hands away and unfastened the buttons.

"John, what have we got? Is he okay?"

John turned to see Captain Stanley behind him, shouting to be heard above the roaring of the fire and the general cacophony of so many men and so much equipment engaged in the battle against the huge inferno.

This was the second four-alarm blaze in as many weeks in 29's district, and the second time 51 had been called out as backup. The first fire had quickly been ruled arson, and all indications pointed to this one being so as well. Johnny squelched the sudden flare of anger that rose in him at the idea of Roy being hurt in an arson fire. Firefighters realized and accepted the risks they took fighting blazes as part of the job they did as public servants, but a fire caused by an accident or an act of God was one thing - one caused by some sick person's quest for a thrill was quite another.

"I'm not sure yet, Cap. He's acting a little out of it, and I think he's got some burns on his back. A big piece of the ceiling fell on him. I'll know more in a few minutes. Can you get the biophone for me?"

"Sure, pal."

While Cap set the phone up, Johnny finished removing Roy's shirt. As he tugged the sleeves off Roy's arms, Roy leaned forward until his forehead rested against Johnny's chest. "Johnny, 'm so tired," he slurred.

"It's okay, man, just take it easy. Cap, can you get me the oxygen, too?" Johnny tried to move Roy to an upright position so that he could look at his burns, but Roy resisted. Finally Johnny gave up, and let him rest there until the Captain came back with the oxygen. Unable to resist the urge, he
brought one hand up to caress Roy's cheek. "Everything's gonna be all right, Roy," he whispered, "I'll take care of you, okay? Just hang in there." Roy responded by nestling deeper into Johnny's chest. Then Cap appeared with the oxygen, and the moment was over.

Captain Stanley held Roy upright so that Johnny could put the oxygen on him and treat the fortunately minor burns on Roy's neck and upper back. John relayed Roy's vital signs to Dr. Early, who recommended immediate transport. John left with Roy in the ambulance, and with the fire now under control, Cap sent Chet to follow them to the hospital in the squad.

As the two vehicles pulled away, no one took notice of the tall blond firefighter who had been watching the entire scene unfold. He wore an expression of disdain that twisted his otherwise blandly handsome features into an ugly mask of hatred.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, Roy, you do seem to have the luck of the Irish on your side." Kelly Brackett removed the stethoscope from his ears and smiled down at Roy, resting on the exam table.

Roy smiled weakly and dragged his arm across his brow, wiping away the cold sweat that seemed determined to reform there just as soon as he removed it. "Can I get out of here, then?"

"Sure, go on. Just keep ointment on those burns till they heal, and don't go back into work today, all right? When is your next scheduled shift?"

"Thursday."

"Well, I think you should be okay by then. Be your own judge, Roy. If you feel up to going to work Thursday, you have my blessing. Today, go home and rest."

"Thanks, doc."

"Sure." Brackett patted Roy's arm and left the room.

Johnny helped Roy sit up. "You still dizzy?"

"Not really. Just really, really tired."

"That's to be expected. Those burns hurt much?"

"Nah. I've had worse sunburns."

"I bet you have, paleface. C'mon, let's get you home."

"You can't go home with me, Johnny. Cap will be expecting you back at the station."

"Don't freak out, Roy. I'll drive you home and then go back in. Cap already okayed it." He handed Roy his wrinkled, rank smelling uniform shirt with an evil gleam in his eye. "Make sure you take a shower before I get home, okay?"

~~~~~~

Over his two days off Roy recovered quickly and with no complications. When Thursday came, he was back on the job. The men of A shift were just sitting down to a friendly game of poker when the tones sounded. "Squad 51, child sick, 104 Terry Road, cross street London, one zero four Terry Road, time out, 14:49."

As the squad pulled out, the man sitting behind the wheel of the white Dodge pickup truck parked across the street quickly slid down in his seat, hiding from the paramedics. As soon as the squad was out of sight, he got out of the truck and jogged across the street and into station 51.

Mike Stoker looked up from his book at the man walking into his station's kitchen. He frowned slightly, then his face cleared. "Mark Miller!" Mike put his book down and jumped to his feet. "How the hell are you?" He grabbed Miller's hand and pumped it twice.

"Hi, Mike. Long time no see. How's your wife doing?"

"Oh, she's great, man. Gosh, good to see you. How's everything at 29's?"

"Just great, for now. We're still resting up from that last firebug's job, and hoping like hell there ain't no more of 'em. Listen, Mike, I need to talk to your Cap. He around?"

"Yeah, sure, he's in his office. I'll walk you over." The two men left the kitchen and walked across the bay to Cap's office, the normally reticent Mike Stoker chatting away excitedly. He and Mark Miller had gone through training together, and had worked at the same station for two years.

Mike rapped on the Captain's office door. "Hey, Cap, I got someone I want you to meet." Mike introduced the two men, who exchanged the usual pleasantries. After a somewhat awkward silence, Miller cleared his throat. "Hey, Mike, think you could give Captain Stanley and me a few minutes?"

"Oh. Oh, sure. Hey, no problem." Mike shook Miller's hand again. "Really great to see you again, Mark. Don't be a stranger."

Cap motioned for Miller to take a seat. "How can I help you, pal?"

Miller took a deep breath. "I'll get right down to it, Cap. How much do you know about those two paramedics you got working out of this shift?"

Stanley frowned, somewhat taken aback by the abrupt question. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Miller gestured impatiently. "I mean, doesn't it strike you as a little bit weird that DeSoto moved in with Gage after he got divorced? I mean, they already work together, and now they're living together. I mean, that's gotta strike you as funny, if you know what I mean. It sure did me, from the minute I heard about it."

Cap pushed himself back in his chair, a frown creasing his lean, handsome face. "I don't think I like where you're going with this, Miller. Are you insinuating something about Gage and DeSoto?"

"I'm not insinuating anything! I'm outright telling you, Cap, those two guys are homos!"

Stanley winced at the ugly phrase. "You're way off base, and you're also way out of line, Miller. I won't have you coming into my station and making those kinds of unsubstantiated remarks about my men." Stanley was growing angry. "Even if what you're saying is true, which I don't believe for a minute, why the hell do you care?"

Miller sputtered in disbelief. "Why do I *care*??? Me and my guys have been working these arson fires with your station. We need to know that the guys we have backing us up are dependable!"

Captain Stanley jumped to his feet and leaned forward, placing his hands flat against his desk, his temper finally stoked to the boiling point. Even so, he was careful to keep his voice down. "John Gage and Roy DeSoto are two of the best firefighters in LA county. They are as dependable as they come, mister. Now I think you better get out of here while you can still leave under your own power!"

Cap stared across his desk at Miller, and despite his own anger, still managed to be concerned at what he saw. Miller was enraged. His blue eyes glittered with an almost insane frenzy, his face was flushed and sweating, and he shook uncontrollably. When next he spoke, he sprayed the air with spittle.

"Me and my guys have been talking this over, and we all say it's gotta stop, Cap! Those two guys don't belong in the fire department! They're a disgrace to all of us! If you don't do something about those guys, we will! We already decided! We're going to McConakee! We'll just see what he's got to say about Station 51 letting this kind of thing continue!"

"Miller, get out of my station. And don't come back. If you do, I will have your head on a platter, understand me? You're damn lucky I don't report you to your Captain for this." Stanley stared coldly at the trembling, red-faced man who stood before him clenching his fists. "What you're doing is called 'slander', Miller. Keep doing it, and you'll find yourself in a hell of a lot more trouble than what I can give you. Now get the hell out." Cap fell back into his chair, furious and disturbed.

Miller turned on his heel and almost flew out of the building, passing three open mouthed, staring fire fighters on his way out the door. Mike called to him, but he didn't even slow down. Mike, Marco and Chet exchanged worried glances. What the *hell* had that all been about? Captain Stanley appeared in the doorway of his office. "Stoker, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Mike walked into the Cap's office, still shaking his head in amazement. Before he closed the door in their faces, Chet and Marco heard Cap say, "Tell me everything you know about this guy, Mike."

(2)