THE REPLY

 

"Dad! Dad! She said yes!"

 

Pushing himself away from the desk, the older man looked up, a smile growing on his face. "Hello to you too. Well, who said yes and to what?" His eyes sparkled mischievously. His son rarely came to visit him at headquarters, but he had been waiting for him today. "And son, aren't those the same clothes I saw you in when you rushed past me last night?"

 

The younger man blushed, sputtering to explain himself. "Honest, Dad, we didn't 'do' anything last night." As his dad's eyebrows rose at the last night reference, he continued with a more frantic note to his voice. "After dinner, Jen and I went to the beach and walked and talked for hours." As he paused for a breath, he finally realized his dad was really pulling his leg. He plopped down into one of his dad's office chairs across from his tormentor. "Geez, Dad. Gimme a break! Jen said she'd marry me! That's why I stopped by to talk to Mom before my date. Do you mean she didn't tell you?!" Mike Stoker Jr stopped and stared at his dad in amazement.

 

Mike Stoker grinned at his usually reserved son. "She tried. It took nearly a full box of Kleenex before she could make any sensible comment to me." He sighed remembering how mixed up her feelings were with the announcement. She was happy for him but sad to be losing him but happy it was Jen, and so on. Of course as soon as she could speak coherently, Beth had called Joanne DeSoto to be sure her son would be getting the answer that of course he deserved! They had giggled, laughed, and bawled for nearly an hour according to Mike's calculations. "I'm happy for you Mike. I knew you'd pick a winner, sooner or later. Course I didn't know it would be this much later. Your mom and I figured your nephews would marry before you did."

 

"Ya know, Dad, I think I've compared every girl I ever dated to Jen and never realized it could actually be her. To think if the guys I worked with had been more punctual, we might never have gotten together."

 

Chief Stoker cleared his throat. "About that, son. You've never been quite so slow to catch on before, but don't you think you two got left alone an awful lot? For a bunch of firemen who are almost never late to work, you didn't see anything strange there?"

 

He chuckled, watching his son as realization of what had occurred swept over his face. "Aw, man, Dad! SH-Wait! One time was the 51 reunion picnic for your old crew. How many people were in on this?" Mike Jr sank deeper into the chair wondering if the whole county was aware of his love life.

 

"Well, between Chris and your captain, the DeSotos were delayed an hour. I was convinced to stall your mom, but everyone else knew the plan."

 

"Cap Gage too! Oh no! How could I be so blind?"

 

"Probably cuz you wanted it to happen," a new voice joined in from the doorway. "Hi, Chief. Hi, Michael."

 

"John, come on in and sit. Have you heard the news yet?" Mike asked his former crew mate. John Gage looked down at Michael (his way of keeping the two Stoker's straight).

 

At the look of the mixed emotions on his face, John broke into a huge smile. "You popped the question, didn't ya? And did she answer?" At Michael's nod, John pulled him from the chair for a giant hug. "All right!" He set Michael back and then towered over him, hands on his hips, a fierce look on his face. "Just be sure you take good care of my 'best girl' or you'll have to answer to me."

 

Michael gulped and nodded. "Yessir." He had nearly forgotten that his own captain had that strong tie to his now fiancé. Although the last force to be reckoned with still had to be seen today. Well, time to bite the bullet. He swallowed and asked, "Uh, Dad. Is Chief DeSoto in today?"

 

John picked up Mike's phone after silently getting permission. "He ought to be. We had lunch plans. I'll get him to come on down. That way there'll be witnesses when he finds out what happened last night!"

 

*****

 

A few minutes later, Michael jumped up nervously when Roy DeSoto walked into Mike's office. Roy shook Mike's hand and thumped Johnny on the back. "I thought you were going to meet me in my office?"

 

"Well, now, Roy, I was. But my paramedic here had an announcement for the Chief here and I overheard enough to stick my head in and find out for myself what was going on." Johnny pointed towards Michael, who Roy had managed to appear not to see, even after Michael had scrambled to his feet.

 

Mike and Johnny grinned even more when Roy turned a very serious face towards Michael and gave him the royal once over -- TWICE! The second time, Roy shook his head and turned back towards the other two. "She'll run this poor thing ragged, you know. He'll never know what hit him."

 

Roy turned back to Michael and stuck out his hand. "Congratulations, Michael. I'd say welcome to the family but you're already part of it."

 

Michael shook his hand, trying unobtrusively to take some deep breaths. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, waiting for Jen's father's reaction. "Thank you, Chief."

 

"It's Roy. I think we all should go to lunch and celebrate."

 

*****

 

The bar and eatery was called The Flame and close enough to headquarters to be popular since it had such good food. The owner would help the department with any fund raisers they wanted to perform and he hired off duty firemen whenever possible for as many positions as he could. Most evenings found the place pleasantly full. The lunch crowd had already left and while it wasn't slow, the table that the three married and the one single for now men were at was sufficiently separated from the others as to allow them to talk freely.

 

"I was surprised to find both of you in today,:" Michael said, looking at his dad and his future-father-in-law.

 

Roy looked sheepish. "Actually, I was afraid to stay at home. If you hadn't asked her last night, I was afraid for any male who was in my wife's line of sight."

 

Johnny and Mike shuddered while Michael looked confused. "But I didn't tell anyone I was going to ask her until right before I left last night."

 

Mike laughed at his naïve son. "You've got a lot to learn about women. Your mom called Jo right after she quit crying and I'm betting Jen already knew you were going to ask. Right, Roy?"

 

Roy smiled and sat back. "Oh, yeah. You've been the topic of discussion all week in the DeSoto households. Did Beth know when you were going to propose, Mike?"

 

Mike nodded. "I thought I was so cool. I planned a trip to Catalina, brought soft music, and a picnic dinner. Didn't tell her anything except that we were going out.. Thought I had shocked her! Then on our second anniversary, she shows me in her diary where she wrote the day I asked her out on that date, that she knew I was going to pop the question."

 

Johnny chuckled, "Raelene said she knew too. I don't know how cuz I'm not sure I knew for sure til I did. Course she had me in a jail cell and thanks to my so-called friends," he turned and gave disgusted looks to Mike and Roy, "I didn't think I'd ever get out."

 

Mike tilted his head at Johnny and spoke to Michael. "You think you were slow on the uptake, Michael, look at your captain." At Johnny's questioning glance, Mike continued, "Between the fire department and the police we were going to keep you in that charity cell until you proposed!"

 

Johnny's jaw dropped. He looked back and forth in amazement at Roy and Mike who just nodded, grinning, looking very much like two very wise all-knowing grandfathers. Michael was having trouble staying in his chair, his silent laughter racking his body as he watched his captain appear to be in shock. "Roy! You and Jo were the only ones who knew that I was even thinking of asking her!" Johnny looked accusingly at his long-time friend.

 

Roy held his hands up as if to fend off his accusations. "John, we all three knew you were going to chicken out. Admit it. You were so certain she'd say no. I just asked the shift to help me keep you there for a while."

 

"Then you still didn't ask her and we were close to running out of funds, " Mike continued, watching his son wipe tears from his eyes. "So we went to the rest of the station. Then Chet decided that was enough of this. I swear he called every station in the county and convinced Raelene's partner to do the same with the police precincts."

 

"That is why, John, you still hold the record for the most donations raised to KEEP a person in the cell!" Roy finished, patting Johnny on the arm in a conciliatory fashion. "And it worked! Five hours in the cell and he finally asked her!"

 

"Yea, but it took another hour before she would let me out." Johnny started to look as if he would settle into a pout but then remembered how the two had spent that hour. He smiled thinking back to that afternoon.

 

"How about Mrs. DeSoto, Ch- I mean, Roy? Did she know?" Michael asked innocently.

 

Both Mike and Johnny hooted at that. Roy's face turned a light pink. "Well, uh, I guess you could say she knew," Roy gave up hesitantly. Johnny waited and when Roy seemed to decide not to want to continue, Johnny eagerly took up for him. "Yea, Michael, she knew. She asked him. Seems he bought an engagement ring at a store where a friend of Jo's worked. Four weeks later, this friend, figuring Roy had to have proposed by then, asked Jo how he'd proposed. Of course, the shy guy hadn't gotten up the nerve yet. Jo waited two more weeks then finally told Roy in the middle of a busy McDonald's that she was getting married in three months and she wanted to know right then and there if he was the one she was going to marry." Roy was sliding down in his seat, looking very interested in the designs on the tabletop. Mike was grinning the look of someone who can never hear this tale too many times. "According to Joann, Roy turned white, gulped, and knelt down and asked her right then and there."

 

Mike laughed, "And got a shake dumped on his head for that one."

 

Roy added, "So I went home, regrouped, and arranged a beautiful dinner at the restaurant we went to for our high school prom and asked her again. She said yes and the rest is history." He looked a bit embarrassed but smiled at the memory. "So, Michael, let me tell you what it's like living with Jen." The conversation turned light.

 

*****

 

 

 

Thanks again to Nexxie for her beta read. I truly appreciate the feedback and encouraging words.