Love From the Ashes Chapter 1
None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people. The city that the characters live in is also fake.
This story may contain some adult language as well some hints of sex or sex. I cannot promise that there will be sex in each chapter, but if you find my writing to be offensive or distasteful in any way, you're visiting the wrong website and need to move on.
Copyright - 2017
***
Love From The Ashes
Chapter 1
Fire Rescue
It's 5:00 am on a Wednesday morning and Jamie Best has three hours left on his shift. It's been pretty slow so far, but that could change at any time. Luckily, there is always stuff to do around the station, so he's never bored. If he isn't cleaning the station itself, he's checking on the equipment and sometimes, he even gives tours for school or cub scout groups. His favorite thing to do is truck maintenance and maintaining the equipment. It's a job that he takes very seriously but he does his best to leave work behind when he goes home. There are things that are harder to leave behind; there have been calls that have led him to seek out counseling. There have also been calls that have touched his heart and made him a better person. Still, it's a job and it pays the bills but it's his dream job and he'll stay with it until he retires. He doesn't want to change anything about his job or his life, well maybe his love life. Here at work, he can let himself go, forget that he's gay, forget that he's single, and just focus on work. Work is all he has and that works for him at least for now. Jamie's biggest asset on the job is his biggest asset in life, his heart. There isn't a lot of time to feel sorry about himself, which is another reason for loving his job. He also loves the fact that while there is always something to do, there are also chances for quiet reflection.
***
In a quiet moment, Jamie goes out to his car, unlocks it, and grabs his planner. He wants to record something, something that matters, that he can work for, and hopefully accomplish some goals in his life. Walking back inside, he sits in the dining room and starts to write in it.
"Next year, I will take more college courses. In two years, I want to be in a relationship with my soulmate and then adopt dog. Five or six years later, I want to adopt a kid."
One of his co-workers sits down next to him and he closes up his planner. After some conversation, he walks back out to his car, replaces his planner. As he heads back inside, he glances at his phone to check for any messages. He would like to be alone and write but sometimes privacy can be an issue, so he lets it go and then goes inside to watch television. The goals that he wrote down are still burning in his head. At least, he was able to get something written down in the planner, and later he can go back in and make smaller goals and then he can work through them, so that he can get the larger main goals taken care of in a timely manner.
***
As he is sitting at the table, his phone rings and he glances down at the screen. Rachel, his sister who is 27, is calling and hopefully she has a dinner invitation for him. He wastes no time in accepting the call.
"Hey Jamie are you free?"
"I wouldn't be talking to you if I wasn't free, so what's up Rachel?"
"Victor and I want to invite you out to dinner. Are you free tonight?
Like many guys, he will pass never up any free food. In addition, he gets to see his little nephew, Hadrian, who is 2 years old.
"Yeah, I'm free. What time are we eating?"
"We'll be ready by six o'clock so if you aren't here by then, it's just too bad."
He laughs to himself for a second or two before responding to Rachel.
"I'll be there, no problems."
"I'm hoping that nothing gets in the way, otherwise, I will see you later."
"Love you Sis."
He will be there just as he promised at 6:00 pm unless something does get in the way. He can't wait to sit back and enjoy a meal with his sister's family and to spend time with his nephew. There is nothing like seeing his nephew smile and hearing him laughing at him as they play. They both enjoy each other's company so any time together is good. Jamie likes to think that time with Hadrian is time well spent. He has a niece, named Jasmine who is three, and when Richard, his brother, gets married, she will be officially his niece. Everyone in the family treats Jasmine as if she was born into the family, and that is the way it should be.
***
His family loves him and someday, they'll love whomever he ends up falling in love with when the time comes. When the day comes, his boyfriend won't have to worry about anything expect what time dinner is going to be eaten. Tonight will end on a good note, and not in flames or at least that is what he's hoping. After a long day, it's nice to have a wonderful night.
***
As they are sitting down for a hearty breakfast, a call comes into the firehouse. An attention tone is followed by the news that there is a structure fire in the city. It's a building that luckily is abandoned, so they shouldn't have to worry about people being in it. Course, there could always be homeless people taking shelter inside or any number of squatters. It doesn't take long for the guys to get to their trucks and head out for the fire. The ride to the fire takes just a few minutes. Upon arrival, they immediately go to work fighting the blaze from the outside, and then when the time is right, they start work on the inside. It's a good-sized building with lots of room for a fire to spread and burn, so they have lots of work to do. They're making good progress and Jamie starts entering the building and slowly heads for the heart of it, fighting the fire as he moves through it.
***
As they move through the structure, they call out in case anyone is in the building and they also fight the blaze internally too. The smoke is thick in the building and without their equipment; one could very easily get lost in the darkness or succumb to the smoke. They carefully check each inch of the building as they move forward. Jamie couldn't live with himself if the unthinkable happened, they accidently missed someone, and they died in the fire unnecessarily. He cannot imagine what it must feel like to die from a fire. Knowing what he knows about fires, it's more than likely that a person would die from inhaling the smoke long before the fire got to them. Still, it would be scary, not to mention painful; extremely painful. Yes, in his time on the force, there have been lives lost to fires, but usually it's because they couldn't be reached in time or because the smoke overtook them. It would appear that the building is clear of people, but they continue forward anyway fighting the fire and searching.
***
While the building is clear of people, there is something that isn't quite right. A minute before they are ready to make the call that the building is clear; another call comes across the radio.
"We have animals; we have animals, NW corner"
Jamie immediately heads towards the NW corner of the building. When he reaches the location, he calls his co-worker for the exact location. He reaches the location and finds four puppies. He picks up the puppies, while his co-worker tries find the mother. Jamie can tell that the puppies are not doing well. They are all showing signs that the smoke is getting to them and it's not good. Jamie rushes the puppies outside wasting no time. There have been other animals rescued from fires before, but every fire is different and every rescue is different. Immediately the puppies are treated by both Jamie and the other fire fighters to get their lungs clear or at least help them breathe. As they are treating the puppies, they confirm that there are two females and two males. There are still firefighters trying to locate the female. Sadly, they find her a couple of yards from where the other puppies were found. Along with her there is another puppy found near her head. They bring the mother and the other puppy outside and place a cloth over their lifeless forms. As with all fatalities, human or animal, the loss gets to firefighters, Jamie is not alone but that gets put on hold until they are back at the fire stations.
"Cap, we need to get these puppies to a vet."
Captain Allison walks over to the EMTs standing by the ambulance, talks with them, and then signals Jamie to come over the vehicle. Jamie carries the puppies over to the ambulance, but he can't ride with them. It's close to end of his shift and so it's back to the fire. Until the shift ends, Jamie will do his job and then he'll go out to the clinic.
***
At the end of his shift, Jamie quickly cleans up, finds out which clinic the puppies were taken to, and heads out for it. When he gets inside he walks up to the front desk, where he inquiries about the puppies that the EMTs brought in some time ago. One of the ladies at the desk goes into the back and when she returns to the front she's accompanied by the vet assistant.
"Hi, I'm Cameron, the vet assistant, I'm truly sorry but three of the puppies are in really bad shape. Doctor Dillion says that they aren't responding to treatment, but we will continue and hope for the best. The other puppy is responding much better to treatment, which is a mystery as they were all together. Doctor Dillion is confident that we can get her breathing properly and running around in no time."
Jamie is upset that the other puppies may not make it and that hurts him. It always hurts to see anyone or any animal die from their injuries. He isn't sure why this one puppy is stronger than the others are, but that is okay. Everyone behind the scenes is doing what they can for those pups.
***
Jamie sits and frets about the puppies, but when he first saw the vet assistant, somehow the world brightened up a bit. With the vet now working with the puppies, he's thinking about this random guy who is also acting alongside the vet, to get the puppies back into good health. When this guy looked at him with his brown eyes, Jamie was trapped, and when he spoke Jamie was entranced, and when those eyes twinkled, Jamie knew he needed this guy at one level or another. It doesn't matter that this guy is smaller than him. Under different circumstances, the vet assistant would never have caught his attention, but today the firefighter is all about this guy.
***
Away from the waiting room, Cameron Lockhart is working alongside Courtney Dillion to get the puppies, that the firefighter brought into their clinic, back to health. He too is feeling an attraction tonight, but in his case, he's feeling the pull towards the handsome and sexy guy in uniform. Maybe it's his tattoos, the fact he wears a uniform, or that he showed true concern for the puppies, or maybe it's his muscles, but Cameron is hoping that maybe he can get his number. At some point, he'll bring it up with Courtney, but now isn't the right time, not when there are lives still in the balance. For now, he will have to dream of being in the firefighter's arms.
***
In the treatment room one, four lives were in the balance, but just minutes ago, three of the puppies gave up their spirits leaving one of their sisters to fight. Cameron comes to bring the firefighter back into the treatment room.
"Is there a problem?"
"Doctor Dillion has asked that you come back to the treatment room. She would like to talk to you."
"What's happened?"
Cameron doesn't answer but Jamie can somehow feel the pain in Cameron eyes, and he knows that there is something wrong with the puppies. A brief moment of eye contact tells him that some or all of the puppies have died. He doesn't know for sure what happened until he gets into the treatment room. There is something happening between Cameron and Jamie and they can both feel it. Cameron leads him back to the room, and then once Jamie is inside the room and Cameron leaves the room to check on the other animals that are at the clinic. Doctor Dillion glances down at the paperwork in front of her, and then looks at Jamie.
"Mr. Best, first I want to thank you for bringing in these puppies. I do have bad news for you though; three of the puppies have died. I can't explain why because they were all exposed to the smoke. This puppy is a fighter."
"Do you...do you think the puppy will...make it?"
She looks at him and smiles at Jamie, because she believes the puppy will get better for him.
"Yes, I do believe that she'll make it through the night. I am not sure where the next 24 hours will bring, but she is a fighter so I really think she'll pull through."
Now that he is in longer in work mode tears are forming in his eyes as he looks at the three dead puppies.
"Would you like some time with them?"
He nods his head as Cameron looks on to see how Mr. Best is doing with the news. He watches as Jamie is petting each puppy and talking with them. His actions are both gentle and heart-warming, and it makes his attraction just a little stronger. When he turns to the surviving puppy, he's a little closer to the door.
"Hi Princess, how are you? I'm sorry about your brothers and sister, and I promise you that I'll find a way to keep you. I'm so...so...sorry, little princess."
He is stroking the little puppy's fur and a few tears are dropping onto the puppy's fur. The puppy is still under treatment, but her little tail still wags her tail, and whines a little.
"You are a beautiful puppy, little girl."
He continues to stroke her fur. He then sits down in the chair that's in the room and begins to cry. Hearing the sobs, Cameron finds himself torn between wanting to comfort him or just letting him have his moment, but he finds that he can't take it anymore. He knocks at the door hoping that the client won't mind him coming into the room.
"I'm really sorry about the puppies. I really am."
Jamie looks up at Cameron; his eyes are red and puffy. Hearing the vet assistant's voice causes him to jump a little but it also feels good to hear his voice.
"Thanks, I...I...really...appreciate everything you're doing."
"You're welcome. I should let you go. If you have any questions you can call me."
They exchange phones and the guys enter their contact information into the phones, and then they exchange phones again. Jamie doesn't know if he'll ever call Cameron, but the fact that he can feels good to him. As Cameron turns to leave the room, Doctor Dillion steps into the room.
"Okay, you've been here for almost an hour, and I don't know how long you were at the fire, but I'm guessing that you're tired, so go home. I will call you if anything changes or in the morning whichever comes first."
Jamie doesn't want to leave Princess alone, but Doctor Dillion is right, he is tired.
"What about payment? I'd like to take the survivor, if she makes it."
"I am going to ask for $100.00 tonight and then when you pick up the puppy, I'll give the total price. I just don't want to charge you too much, because if I need to do something else with her. I'll let you know the full price when you pick her up."
"Do you have an estimate the total price?"
She looks over some notes in her hands before answering the Jamie.
"I am looking at, at least $400.00, if nothing else happens."
"So do I pay up front?"
"Yes."
Jamie gives Princess a little stroke and then he leaves the room and, he heads up front to pay. He takes out his checkbook and borrows a pen so he can write out his check. He's ready to walk out but he isn't ready to walk out on the vet assistant. He wants to talk to this guy, to that amazing, caring guy.
***
Jamie manages to make it outside and then he gets on the phone to call Brayden. He feels no attraction for his friend but the one thing he loves about Brayden is his honesty. There is nothing that his friend wouldn't do for him and no topic that Brayden and Jamie haven't talked about in their time as buddies.
"Hey Jamie, how are the puppies?"
He doesn't know if he can tell his fellow fire-fighter about the fate of the other puppies.
"Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but three of the puppies didn't make it, but one of them, a female, is doing better but if it's okay with you, I'd really like to keep her. It's kind of a promise to her, I know it's silly, right?"
Brayden feels down by the death of the puppies, but he knows his friend could use someone at home, even if that someone is a puppy. Brayden already has one dog and the puppy would only serve as a friend to his dog, Max.
"It's cool; do you have a name yet?"
"Yeah Princess, because she is going to get spoiled."
"You're going to make a good daddy."
"Thanks!"
This conversation is about to become serious in just a few seconds.
"Hey Brayden, can we talk for a few minutes? Something unexpected happened at the clinic and I need to sort it out."
"Yeah, I've got time to talk dude."
Brayden has no idea where this conversation is going to take him.
"So we took the puppies to the emergency clinic."
"Yeah, I know."
`Wish, you didn't interrupt me.'
"Can I continue?"
"Sure dude."
"So anyway, there was this guy there, the veterinary assistant, I don't know why but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His smile is amazing dude; I mean the kind of smile that lights up the room."
"Hold it a second, you mean to tell me that a nice guy has managed to break through to your heart. Does he have a ton of muscles?"
"No, he really doesn't have a ton of muscle."
"I'm surprised dude."
Even Jamie is a bit surprised that he's attracted to the vet assistant.
"Yeah, I don't get it either, but I'm telling you, this guy is the definition of cute and handsome, and I bet he's the cuddle type."
"I didn't' know you liked to cuddle. I thought you were all about the earth-shattering sex?"
Jamie isn't what you call a sexual addict, but when he does have sex, it's usually hot and heavy. He loves it but there is something about this guy that makes him want to slow down and breathe. What it is, he doesn't know and that scares him.
"I'm not and that is what scares me. I don't like to cuddle, but I want to hold him in my arms and not let go. Why I don't know exactly."
"Did you get this guy's number? Please tell me that you did, because any guy that is making my best friend feel like this needs a chance at a date."
"Yes, I did."
"Then call him and talk to him, plan a date."
He is admitting that he wants more than sex with this guy. He's feeling a little scared, this guy is making him feel things and think things that he's never felt or thought of before in his life.
"I want to talk to him so badly, and yet I can't, because honestly I'm feeling a bit shy."
"You are being shy?"
He never thought of himself as shy before, but he is more reserved around the vet assistant.
"Yeah, isn't that strange?"
"It is strange for you."
Brayden cannot get over what his friend is telling him. It's hard to believe that his best friend is practically changing over the phone. He's surprised that he's feeling like this over a guy that he's just met, normally Jamie will talk to anyone.
"The big question is, are you going to talk to him?"
He plans on talking to this handsome guy, but he doesn't know when exactly. Calling Brayden is his way of figuring out if he wants to talk to him again. Will it happen, Jamie hopes it will happen, but first he has to get the courage to make the move. It's usually simple, he approaches a guy who takes one look at his body, and said guy then flirts with him, and then they end up in bed together.
"Yeah, I'm going to talk to him. Hey, can you pick me up?"
"Yeah, I don't live that far away from the clinic. I can be there in ten minutes or so."
"Thanks man, I really appreciate you doing this for me."
Brayden has no problem picking up his friend from the clinic.
"See you in a few."
Brayden ends the call and Jamie puts his phone away. He walks back inside the clinic while he waits for his ride.
"Back so soon!"
The lady behind the desk smiles at Jamie.
"Yeah, I got a lift to get here, (his own car was locked in by others, he was usually last to leave). I'm just waiting on a friend to pick me up."
She smiles as she goes back to work behind the counter. He never sees Cameron again though which sucks. True to his word, it only takes Brayden ten minutes to get to the clinic.
"Can you tell Doctor Dillion "Thank you" for me?"
"Sure!"
With that, Jamie leaves the clinic and heads for Brayden's car. Once inside, he talks to Brayden about the fire, the puppies, and Princess. When he gets to the station, he picks up his car and drives himself home.
***
While Jamie was outside on his phone, Cameron is watching him from the front desk. As he is looking, Courtney Dillion and Kelly White come up behind him and caught him in the act of watching the nice looking firefighter who is standing outside.
"Cameron, what is going on here?"
Cameron jumped out of shock and turned around to look at Courtney and Kelly.
"I...I...was...was just looking outside."
The ladies know better than to actually believe that, Cam was just looking outside?
"So, you weren't looking at the hunk outside?"
Courtney accusing him of ogling the handsome man out in their parking lot shocks him. His face is red from being caught looking at his fantasy guy.
"Okay, you caught me staring at him. Do you have to make it a big deal out of it?"
Courtney and Kelly nod their heads and smile at him.
"Go out there and talk to the guy, Cam. It's not going to kill you, you know?"
They're making some very valid arguments, but is it enough to make him go out there and talk to the firefighter. The guy out there could easily hurt him without blinking an eye. Cameron is not a fighter and everyone knows it. The guy that Cameron is staring at and dreaming of isn't going to hit him, but he doesn't know that, and it'll take more than some nudging from his two friends to get him out there.
"Going out there may not kill me, but he might hurt me. I would rather look from afar than risk being bashed by some hater."
"Cam get over yourself dude. When is the last time you've been out on a date?"
He just shrugs his shoulders and frowns.
"It's been nearly a year since I've been out on a date with someone."
They are hoping that he can get himself to see why he needs to talk to this guy.
"I can't, I can't right now."
He can't get his image out of his head. Up to now, he's seen hot guys and he forgets about them later, but this guy is dwelling on his mind. No one has ever stayed on his mind for this long, and it's kind of scary. In fact, he's not sure how to handle this attraction.
"You're going to have to face him eventually or it's going to eat at you. You know that I'm right too."
"Yeah, you are right, Kelly."
It's not always easy to work with Kelly and Courtney because they are almost always right, and they are always putting the fact in front of him. They know he's listening even if he pretends to ignore it. He trusts them with his life and maybe even his heart. A car pulls alongside the client and he opens the door and gets inside. Cameron is lost, he didn't want this guy to leave, but oh well. This sexy client is going to be back but he wants more now. Maybe things will get better for him, given time.
***
After being dropped off by Brayden and driving home, Jamie tries to go to sleep but he's restless. His thoughts focus on Princess and it's producing some worry, so instead of worrying he's going to figure out what he needs for the puppy. Getting out some paper and a pencil, he starts making a list of everything that a puppy might need or want. Princess deserves only the best thing that he can provide. He's trying to remember all the things his family had for their dogs, when he was a kid. A half hour later, his list is finished and he's about ready to put it away when he yawns. The fifteen minutes he spent with his pencil and paper was enough to wear some of the worries from his mind. Being prepared is a talent of his that he's always had since he was in junior high. Though his friends might say that he's been like this since he was in kindergarten. Tonight's jump into concern for Princess leads him to sleep. Sleep comes and in the morning he can deal with the other thoughts occupying his mind at the time.
***
Courtney and Cameron are keeping watch over the little puppy in their care. A few times, it was Cameron who was worried that the puppy might not make it out of the clinic. They should be sleeping but instead they are doing what they love, watching over a little life that deserves a second chance. Taking turns at watching over the puppy, Cameron sleeps while Courtney keeps her eyes on Princess and then, Courtney sleeps and Cameron observes her. She is walking a line between being okay and not being okay. Cameron knows that if Princess can make it through until tomorrow morning, then she should start to show improvement. She is fighting though, fighting for her life while Cameron, Courtney and more importantly Jamie is fighting for her even in his sleep. They are counting on the morning to fix everything.
***
In the morning, when Jamie wakes up that cute guy from the vet is on is mind. He needs to decide if that guy is worth reaching for, and he's sure that he is worth every bit of his thoughts. He's not feeling doubt or any other emotion at the moment. He's new to this, new to actually wanting to have someone to love. He thinks that this is what it might potentially lead; he is hoping it leads to love. Would this vet assistant want something more with him? All he can think about is that he wants to know him.
***
Back at the clinic, Courtney is talking with Cameron in the exam room, where Princess is sleeping.
"Courtney, I need to ask you a question. I feel so funny whenever I think about that firefighter."
She smiles as if she knows what's going on in his head. He can see his footsteps leading to that guy.
"I thought you had a question for me?"
He looks at her unsure of how to approach the question. Ever since she hired him, she has been his friend watching out for him as much as possible.
"I do, I...just don't know how to ask it."
"You don't have to; it's written on your face. You want to tell your family about this guy."
She has always known what's been in his heart.
"Yeah, do you think they'll listen to me?"
She puts an arm up on his shoulder as a more serious expression comes across her face.
"They'll listen Cameron. Well, Sophie will listen."
His family has not been supportive since he came out. He doesn't doubt that they love him, but it's hard to talk about what really matters with them. Sophie, his 21-year-old sister, has never turned away from him. She has been there for every stumble and every smile. He wonders what she would say to him and if she would say the same things that Courtney has said.
"Why does it matter to you what they think about him?"
"I'm just nervous after Adam; I just don't want to be hurt again."
She pats him on the back.
"You can't stop living your life because of one bad apple."
"I know that I shouldn't let that experience control me but I can't help it."
"The only person's opinion of that incredibly sexy guy that matters is your opinion."
As she is talking to him her husband, William Dillion, walks into the room.
"How is the puppy doing?"
He gives her a look over, and checks on all the equipment that she is hooked up too.
"She is doing much better. I didn't think she would make it, but she is gaining strength."
"Have you been here all night?
William says as he looks at Cameron.
"Yeah, we have been but she is worth it."
William smiles because he knows Cameron would stay for any animal.
"Go home Cameron, Kelly is due in and we'll be okay. I'm going to send my wife home too as soon as she fills me in on what's happened since I was here last."
Cameron doesn't need to be told to go home.
***
Arriving home, he's about to turn off his phone when it rings.
"Is this Cameron?"
Cameron is surprised to hear from the guy at the clinic.
`Wow does he sound great?'
Cameron can't help but get butterflies upon hearing him talk.
"This is he; would you like an update on the puppy?"
"Yeah, I was hoping for an update."
`I had a rough night and hearing your voice is making me feel so much better.'
Jamie is feeling the same as Cameron and it feels great to hear his voice.
"Last night, she was still in bad shape but she's improving, not sure she is ready to take home just yet but she'll get there."
He wishes that he could tell Jamie more, but he hasn't anything else to tell him.
"Sorry, I can't tell you more. I got sent home this morning, but I expect her to make a full recovery."
He wants to hear that Princess is coming tomorrow.
"So, you really think she'll pull through?"
Cameron knows that Jamie is waiting for Princess to come home.
"I've seen other animals come in with smoke inhalation in worse shape than Princess came in with and they've pulled through, so chances are good that she'll pull through too."
It's the best news, Jamie has gotten since the puppy was admitted to the clinic.
"That is awesome, thanks."
Princess' health is important to Jamie, because he feels as if he is now her family. Family is important to him, and he hopes that Princess will accept him as her family. He cannot imagine a youngster not having family around them.
"I had better let you go; I have some shopping to get done before that puppy comes home."
"I'll have Doctor Dillion contact you if there are any changes in her condition."
Jamie likes this guy; maybe they could develop some kind of connection."
"Thank you Cameron, talk to you later."
They end the call and both guys pause for a second to take a breath.
***
Cameron was true to his word, and spoke with Courtney. She was quick to update Jamie on the exact condition of Princess. It helped strengthen the desire to someday face Jamie. They set up a time later in the day for Jamie to stop by and visit with her patient. He was hoping to get her home today, but Courtney and William both agree that she needs another day before she leaves the hospital just to be on the safe side. Tomorrow, maybe around noon, was her best guess as to when Princess could leave the hospital. Cameron needs to be here when Princess' owner comes to visit. All Courtney has to do is arrange for him to be here on his day off. Perhaps, this stranger will be enough of a draw to lure Cameron out.
***
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