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Chapter 61
JW closed the door to the engine, looked on the clock at on the wall that read 2:13pm and walked off towards his locker. Mack walked up beside JW holding his gear under his arm, "Fucking nice job man. That was a good call."
JW shrugged, "It was an obvious call but thanks. You don't have to be all over supportive any more."
Mack raised his eyebrows, "Never was?I will let you know when you fuck up, but right now I am telling you that you made the right call when a lot of other people would have fucked that up."
JW nods head, "Well thank you."
Mack and JW walk up to their lockers, hang their gear up and Mack slaps JW in the back of the head, "No problem."
JW laughs and grabs the back of his head, "What the fuck was that for?"
Mack smiles, "Not making the right call sooner. You said it was obvious so why the fuck did you wait so long?"
JW shakes his head, grabs his shower bag and walks off towards the shower, "Hey Mack make sure you guys get all the tools cleaned up before you hit the shower."
Mack flips JW off and turns to walk back to the engine. JW was only pretending and walked quietly back up to the engine a few seconds later because JW would never leave them to do the work. JW accidentally stumbled onto a conversation between Gary and Chris. JW listened closely and didn't know if he was going to cry with happiness or just start cheering.
Chris was complaining about JW and Gary was actually defending JW, "Chris I don't care what you say JW is the real deal. Yes he is a homo, but let's be serious here. JW is nothing like the any other fag you have met or we know."
Chris laughed, "What about the Captain?"
Gary turned to Chris, "You can fuck-off because Shane has saved my ass so many times I don't even keep count anymore."
Chris tried to joke, "Well I am just saying the Captain is completely different from JW. I mean come on do we even really know about the guy? Like did you know that he had kids?"
Gary had stopped cleaning his drywall hook and looked at Chris, "What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"
Chris hesitantly laughed, "Well? nothing I guess."
Gary shook his head, "Exactly. Now get back to finishing that shit up."
Chris and Gary worked quietly for a few seconds and JW was about to walk around the corner when Chris said, "I just want to know why JW is gay?"
Gary stopped his work and grabbed Chris by the arm, "Why the fuck do you want to know that? Why don't you just do your god damn job and leave the personal shit out of it."
Chris jerked his arm out of Gary's hand, "Fine I was just trying to make a joke."
JW watched Gary closely as Gary gritted his teeth, "Listen dumb ass we rely on each other to save each other's asses. You can't go around pissing people off when you count on those same people to be responsible for your ass and making the decision where you get burned alive or go home. Now JW would not do that but I never want to give him a reason to do it."
Chris angrily spat back, "Bullshit! You're just being dramatic now and why are you all of a sudden defending JW? Is there something going on between you two? Besides what would you know about that? JW has not done shit yet."
Gary leaned in closer to Chris and pointed into Chris' chest, "Remember a few weeks ago when JW grabbed Sean and pulled him out of the way of the dumb bitch who crashed into our accident scene?"
Chris nodded his head stupidly, "So?"
Gary leaned in and whispered, "Well JW saved my ass as well and he should not have done anything for me. I was a fucking idiot and said the exact same stupid shit you're saying right now. JW had my nuts in a vice and choose to release them instead of tighten down. Now remember when we got back to the station and the Captain blew the fuck up and yelled at JW for the rest of the day?"
Chris relaxed, "Ya? What about that?"
Gary leaned back from Chris, "That had nothing to do with our accident but had everything to do with what I said to JW earlier that day. The Captain was standing right there and knew something was going on and he was trying to break JW into telling the truth about what I had said to him. But JW stood his ground for hours when he could have easily done what the department standard ops say to do. JW could have had me fired on the spot and didn't. JW could have let me been smashed and didn't. JW did more for me in one day that anyone else has done for since I started."
Chris stood there stupidly and finally said, "Well I didn't know that. Like I said I was just making a joke. So just calm down."
JW walked around the around the truck to show he was there and Chris looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Gary looked at Chris, grunted and looked over his shoulder and raised his eyebrow in surprise, "Lieutenant I didn't know you were there."
JW shook his head, "Please don't call me that bullshit unless you have too. You know my name! ok?"
Gary nodded his head and the three of them stood there in silence for a few awkward seconds. JW folded his arms across his chest and leaned into the engine, "So Chris you have a question?"
Chris eyes darted around the station, "Um! I don't! I don't think! Oh I don't remember."
JW relaxed his arms, "Mind if I speak freely here?"
Gary looked at Chris angrily and Chris looked down, "Go ahead."
JW sighed, "What is it going to take for me to be accepted here with you guys? I am not nearly as horrible as you make me out to be."
JW reached down into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and grabbed a picture, "These are my three kids. Leah, Kira and Luke." JW pointed at each of his kids and gave their age and something they liked.
JW started laughing as he said, "Luke can hardly walk but he is already catching a ball and throwing it accurately." JW smiled and tucked the photo back into his wallet, "What else do you want to know?"
Chris looked at Gary nervously and Gary spat back to Chris, "This is your fucking monkey. So don't look to me for help."
Gary started to laugh with JW until JW unfolded his arms, "I highly doubt you really want to know why I am gay. So I am going to try and end this extremely uncomfortable conversation with this? if you want to know something ask me."
JW turned and walked away and laughed to himself as he heard Gary slap Chris in the back of head and call him a, "God damn idiot."
JW walked away to the shower and grabbed his phone out of his locker and started to send Marcus a text message "I am so tired of the god damn drama here." JW walked into the shower, turned the water on and stripped down real quick and checked his phone for a response from Marcus but no luck yet. JW climbed into the shower and was stepping out a few minutes later and his clothes were gone. JW walked across the shower and grabbed two towels. JW toweled off quickly and wrapped another around his waist and walked outside into the bays to find his clothes.
JW was expecting to find them thrown on the engine or hanging from the ceiling but JW did not see them in the open. He walked around the corner and met Shane's eyes. Fire shot out of Shane's eyes and JW looked quickly at the other people in the office and saw two women. JW turned quickly, almost slipped and ran back inside the shower. JW desperately looked around the shower and heard a phone starting to ring.
JW dug through a pile of towels and answered the phone, "Son of a bitch! Where are my god damn clothes?" JW heard laughing on the other side of the phone and then they hung up. JW was furious and searched the locker room in a frenzy again. JW's phone rang again and JW answered it, "God damn it mother fuckers! Give me my fucking clothes! I just walked past someone in the Captains office and someone was in there god damn you."
JW's whole body went rigid when he heard Shane's voice, "So that is what happened! Well I will go get your clothes back! Wait a second!" JW could tell that Shane was hesitant when he said, "You might as well come in here now. Just keep that towel on."
JW coughed, "What?"
Shane yelled into the phone and JW held the phone away from his ear, "Now damn it!"
JW walked out of the shower and into the engine bays. Everyone in the station was now standing in the bays. JW angrily flipped off Mack who was holding JW's pants and JW walked back towards Shane's office. Shane saw JW and walked out of his office, "Lieutenant get over here."
Shane pointed at everyone else who was now standing with their arms behind their back while holding JW's clothes, "I will deal with the rest of you later. JW stand right there."
Shane turned around, "This is JW and he is the one you were asking about." JW stood there stupidly, embarrassed to death and flushed red with anger.
JW looked at the two women walking out of Shane's office and noticed the Battalion Chief Jim standing in a corner shaking his head. JW knew there was going to be hell to pay the second these women left the station. JW made eye contact with a short brunette who was in her thirties and JW thought she was very cute. The other woman was probably the same age but was much shorter and very fat. The brunette walked up to JW, looked him over head to toe and then turned around to face the other woman, "This guy shouldn't be to hard to shoot." She glanced up to JW and gave wry smile and a wink of her eye.
JW looked up and frowned at Shane, "Did my ex send them?"
Shane looked confused for a second and then realized JW was making a joke. Shane laughed and then introduced the two women as the photographers with the fundraiser and they were in the area and decided to stop by. JW was now terrified as the two women stared at JW, talked to themselves and it looked like the fat one was taking the towel off with her eyes.
JW stood there for a minute before Shane looked at Mack, "Well I guess you should give JW his cloths back." Mack laughed, threw JW's pants at him and JW's underwear landed at JW's feet. JW rolled his eyes, now about to pass out from embarrassment and quickly grabbed his cloths. The attractive girl named Violet walked up to JW, "You look good in green."
JW blushed again as he picked up his green trunks and stuffed them into his pants, "Thanks."
JW was handed his shirt by Shane and JW stared at him stupidly until JW realized that Shane was in on it as well. Shane walked away with a smirk on his face, "Well I know you have something's to talk about. Why don't you get dressed now Lieutenant and act like you belong on this department." JW scowled at Shane and disappeared into the locker room.
He quickly got dressed, tucked his shirt in and cursed loudly because someone still had his shoes. JW walked back out into the bays barefoot and was met by Jim who was hiding a huge smile under his massive mustache. Jim pulled his arms from behind his back and handed JW his socks and shoes, "It was my idea."
JW's jaw fell open and he grinned, "Protected by the shield. I see how it is." Jim pointed JW towards the two women standing at the front of the station and walked away.
Violet did most of the talking while the fat one just stared at him. Thirty minutes passed and JW walked the two women out of the station, JW shook their hands and said thank you and turned back into the station. Violet called out to JW, "Hold on a second."
JW stopped and Violet walked up to JW and gave him a small piece of paper, "That's my number. You can just call me when ever you want." JW looked down at the paper and saw it had a number on it.
JW frowned and asked stupidly, "I am sorry but why would I need to call you?" Violet blushed and the fat girl rolled her eyes.
Violet looked JW in the eyes, "Well you know! If you ever want to call me." JW could not figure out what she wanted and stood there trying to think of something to say when Violet said, "I could not make it any more obvious, but call me when you get off work and we could go have a few drinks."
JW blushed hard and hid his face with his hands, "Oh my god! I am an idiot, but I don't get off till six in the morning."
Violet ran her hand over JW's hand covering his face, "Well we could always go get coffee tomorrow morning and stop hiding your beautiful smile with your hands."
JW smiled hard, put his hands at his sides and nervously said, "As gorgeous as your are, I am already taken, but thank you very much."
The fat girl called out laughing, "Told you there was no way he was not married."
Violet shrugged, "Well you keep that number because if you're ever single again I would still love to get that drink for you."
Violet turned and shrugged at the fat girl. JW was walking back to the station door when JW looked over his shoulder back at the two women and they were talking to each other, they were looking over their shoulders at JW. JW gave a final wave good bye and walked back inside the station; when the door closed behind him JW yelled, "You mother fuckers."
JW heard someone behind an engine say, "You look good in green though."
JW laughed, "Bet you assholes didn't score a phone number off her either."
Sean poked his head around the corner of the engine, "Seriously? How the hell did you pull that off?"
JW laughed, "She gave it to me."
JW took the small piece of paper, ripped it up and tossed it into the trash as several other men exclaimed, "Wait!.... No god damn it." JW laughed and walked into Shane's office.
Marcus was sitting in his office trying desperately to go over a mountain of emails he had to respond to but JW's text made him worry. Marcus thought to himself and wished JW could only loosen up some and learn to not be so self-conscious. Leah flashed past the office door and Marcus sighed. Marcus heard his phone ding as he got a text message and read it.
Marcus stood up from his chair, "Shit!" The text message was from a friend of reminding him of a dinner this coming weekend and if Marcus was going to bring his new boyfriend. Marcus forgot about the dinner weeks ago and hated to miss this dinner because it was a charity for Aids awareness and Marcus had committed himself to this dinner months ago. Marcus wondered if he should just go alone because of the different types of people that were going to be there and JW was not exactly comfortable around other gay men.
The last time JW was around a bunch of gay men he was completely confused and uncomfortable. Marcus laughed to himself and thought there is nothing better than baptism by fire. Marcus replied to the text and confirmed that he would be there and be bringing JW. Marcus dialed his phone and called the kids grandfather Pete, hoping they could take the girls this weekend?
Marcus sighed in relief as he hung up the phone with Barabra who was more than excited to take the kids for another weekend. Marcus walked out of his office, checked on the kids and asked Leah and Kira to start getting ready for Leah's soccer practice even though it was in a few hours. Marcus walked back into his office and saw his phone had another message; grabbing his phone expecting to see a message about the dinner party, Marcus was surprised to a text message from JW. Marcus read the text message and shook his head and quietly said to himself, "There has to be something I can do for this man."
JW climbed out of the shower laughing at a joke from someone across the locker room. Gary stepped into the shower behind JW and cursed at how hot the water was. JW's shift had been busy and they worked through the night as they had been toned to a large fire at 11:00pm and they remained on scene until 8:00am.
JW took a second and realized that he was actually having a great time right now even though he was exhausted. People were joking, laughing and talking with JW now and for the first time he felt accepted and it didn't feel forced. Someone made a gay joke towards JW but he just ran with it and added fuel to the fire. JW like everyone else was in a hurry to get out of the station and get home.
The drive home for JW was hard as he was fighting hard to not fall asleep. As JW pulled into the garage, turned his car off, closed the garage door and grabbed his bag out of the trunk of his car - Marcus met him. Marcus wrapped his arms around JW, "I was getting really worried about you. I called you like twenty times and you never answered."
JW pulled his phone out of his pocket, frowned and said, "It's dead and I didn't realize it. Sorry but we were really busy the entire shift and we didn't get back to the station till after 8:00am."
JW kissed Marcus and walked inside and saw his kids on the floor, "Leah are you taking care of Kira and Luke?"
Leah smiled and nodded her head, "Sure am. How was work dad?"
JW walked over and squatted down, "What no hug?"
Kira jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around JW and said, "Sorry."
Leah climbed up and quickly hugged JW and then we back to the floor. JW laughed and looked up to Marcus and frowned, "Getting to old I guess."
JW stood up and Luke clapped his hands and climbed to his feet and wrapped his arms around JW's leg. JW bent over, picked up and Luke and talked to him as he walked into the laundry room. JW placed Luke on top of the dryer and stripped out of his uniform down to his underwear and slipped into a pair of shorts. As JW walked back into the living room Marcus called out, "I know you're tired and you're headed to bed soon but we have to get our plans together because we have a lot of stuff coming up."
JW put Luke on the couch, patted Leah on the head and looked at Marcus, "Sounds good but what do we have going on?"
Marcus laughed and told JW about Leah's soccer games and practice, Shane's party, Marcus dinner party, kids starting school next week and a trip Marcus is going to take in two weeks to New York City for business. JW shrugged, "Sounds interesting. I guess we need to get a calendar up going to see what is going on."
JW turned and walked towards the bedroom, "I am exhausted and going to bed. I'll see you guys a little later. Let's go to the gym before we go to soccer practice." JW disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.