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Andy Travis stood in the middle of his office, feeling a little lost. This was his last day as Program Director of WKRP. Though there had been many times in all the years he'd worked here that he'd thought about leaving, he'd never pictured it actually happening. Today was it though. Thanks to Scott's and Nick's offer to run the ranch in Glorieta, he'd finally been able to tell Old Lady Carlson what she could do with her money and her station... politely, of course. Even though he'd managed to curb his desire to really lay into her, he did have the satisfaction of seeing the absolute shock and surprise on her face when he told her he was quitting. He guessed she'd thought she would have him at her beck and call for the rest of her life. Maybe he'd thought so too. Maybe that was why he was experiencing this sudden melancholy about leaving everything behind.
Of course, it wasn't as if he was deserting anyone. The place wasn't exactly the same as it had been when he first came here. He smiled to himself as he remembered the absolute chaos he'd created when he boldly changed the format to rock and roll. Those days had been crazy and there'd been times when he'd felt like pulling his hair out, but after all was said and done, the people who worked here had been his friends... and he missed them.
Most of them were gone now. Bailey had left a few years ago to take a job as Program Director back in her home town of Chicago. She was doing pretty well too... a far cry from the shy, shrinking violet she'd been, full of brilliant ideas but too scared to say boo to anyone. Jennifer... well, Jennifer was managing a trust fund for one of her elderly gentleman friends. The last time he'd seen her, she was wrapped in fur and surrounded by a gaggle of photographers. Venus had gone to New York last fall and was working at a small jazz station in the City, finally able to play the cool sounds he loved so well. Andy smiled. He and Venus went back a long way. He was glad his friend was happy... and fairly paid for a change. Andy shook his head. Even Johnny Fever had said goodbye. Now there was a man who demanded so little in life, and Mrs. Carlson had even managed to squeeze his paycheck so tight that he'd finally called it quits and moved on. Last Andy had heard, Johnny was working the early morning drive in Philly.
It wasn't as if the people who'd replaced his long time co-workers were a bad group. It was just hard to replace friends that casually. Sure, Les, Herb and the Big Guy were still around. They'd probably be here forever, but without the others to balance out their little quirks, work just hadn't held the same appeal. Added to that was Mrs. Carlson, who seemed to become more and more demanding and less and less willing to pay for anything.
Andy sighed. There had been a time when he'd felt pretty confident about his ability to handle the penurious station owner. He knew there had been just the barest hint of something sexual in his dealings with her. Even though it had made him uncomfortable at times, he knew he'd used it to his advantage. He had to admit he'd been pretty cocky back then and the fact that a rich old lady like Lillian Carlson was attracted to him had stoked his ego to a degree. That was all different now. Too many years and too many bad dealings lay between them.
He supposed if he thought about it, his relationship with his boss started changing when he married Cait. Funny that the happiest moment in his life had started the gradual decline in his professional contentment. Maybe that was it. Maybe the old bag was jealous. Whatever it was, all Andy knew was that the last six years had been one headache after another.
He shook his head as if to rid himself of his bothersome thoughts. He shouldn't look at this as the end of anything. He and Cait were starting a whole new chapter in their lives... one that was going to ease their financial burden and give the kids a wonderful place to grow up. So what if he was saying goodbye forever to the radio business? It wasn't as if it had been that great anyway.
He moved over to his desk and sat down. He'd already dumped most of his personal possessions into the big box at his feet. It was only about half full. Not much to show for sixteen years. The only thing left to clean out was the junk-filled top drawer. He pulled it open and slowly began shifting through the contents.
What he found were odds and ends: pencils, pens, old telephone messages, contest flyers... things he didn't even know why he'd stuffed in here. He picked up a faded newspaper clipping, a review of the concert given by Scum of the Earth. He chuckled to himself as he remembered what a fiasco that had been. Underneath it was a copy of the police report taken that infamous Thanksgiving Day, when the Big Guy had released all those live turkeys from the helicopter. Andy rolled his eyes as he read the account, still amazed by Mr. Carlson's complete naivete. He tossed the items into his box. He'd need some proof if he ever wanted to tell some of these stories. No one would believe him otherwise.
The next thing he found was a ticket stub. He frowned at it for a moment, having forgotten he'd even saved it. That terrible Who concert was a night he didn't like to dwell on but he knew he would never be able to forget it... or the guilt he'd felt about enjoying himself so much when those young kids had been killed. Of course, he hadn't known about it till the next morning... nobody had. Still he hated to think back on it. He tossed the stub into the box as well... not even sure why he did it.
The rest of the stuff was mostly junk to be trashed. He sorted out the pencils and message pads and then pulled the drawer out completely to dump it in the waste can. After he'd replaced it in the desk, he sat there a moment, looking to see if he'd missed anything. There was only one thing left on his desk. With a sigh he reached over and picked up his name plate. He stared at it for a long time, his mind whirling with memories... some good, some not so good.
He remembered the Ferryman Funeral Home account, and the Wickerman Weight Loss tablets, and the stupid photo session he'd let Mr. Carlson con him into... now that had been a disaster and was the last time he ever let anyone talk him into posing in a bathing suit. There'd been Herb's dancing duck promotion and the unexplainably weird trip to Dayton to try and land the Vicky Von Vicky jeans account. The time Johnny left to go to L.A.... when the Big Guy ran for city councilman... when Herb had killed his daughter's frog... when the C.U.R.B. monitors had tried to censor the station... the time the tornado had struck... the fire... Les's mother....
He smiled and tossed the name plate into the box with the rest of the stuff. The memories would always be there, he supposed. He leaned back in his chair with his hands laced behind his head, letting his gaze wander over the office. He stopped when he caught sight of the small, dark head at the door.
"Shhh!" came a child's whisper. "Get back. We're gonna surprise him."
The head retreated and Andy felt a smile spread across his face at his children's efforts to be secretive. He didn't say anything, not wanting to spoil it for them. He merely waited to see what they had planned.
There were more excited whisperings and then suddenly all four of his children burst into his office, shouting, "Surprise!"
Andy got up and moved around his desk to greet them with open arms. They all threw themselves at him and he had a hard time keeping his balance.
"Well, what's all this?" he wondered. "Did you all come down here by yourselves?"
Trina, the oldest at five and a half, shook her dark head. Her blue eyes were twinkling. "Mommy brought us," she told him.
"She did?" Andy looked around. "I don't see her."
"She's in the lobby," four year old Danny said with a grin. "She's talkin' to Herb."
"Herb said he was gonna miss Mommy," Trina stated. "He looked like he was gonna cry."
Andy tried not to laugh. Though Herb thought he'd kept it a secret, Andy knew very well how much the salesman flirted with Cait. It had only gotten worse after Jennifer left, but Andy knew Herb was harmless.
"Is Mommy going away again?" Shawna asked in alarm. She leaned against Andy's chest, her little face concerned. Her twin brother, Shane mirrored her fear and Andy felt a twinge of sorrow that his children still experienced fright from that terrible time last month when Cait had gone into hiding.
He hugged both of the three year old's tightly. "No. Mommy's not going anywhere," he assured them.
"We're all going away, aren't we, Daddy?" Trina asked.
"That's right, Angel," he answered with a smile. "Remember we talked about how we're going to live at Uncle Jake's ranch and be near Grandma and Grandpa?"
"With the horses!" Danny shouted gleefully.
"You're darn right with the horses," Andy laughed.
There was a general chorus of cheers that went up and Andy winced at how much racket four small children could make in an otherwise quiet office.
"Hey, what's all this noise?"
Andy looked up and grinned as Caitlin came in the door. She walked over and gave Andy a kiss then set about trying to hush the kids to at least a tolerable level. He watched her with them... how patient she was, and once more marveled at how lucky he was. Not only to have married her in the first place, but to have her back with him once more after nearly losing her.
"Daddy says we're gonna live with horses," Shane piped up. "Are we Mommy?"
Caitlin laughed kindly. "Well, Shaney... not exactly with the horses. Is it okay if they sleep in the barn?"
Shane thought about it for a moment then he nodded his blond head. "Okay," he agreed amiably.
Cait turned to Andy. "The kids wanted to come down and help you clean out your office." She looked around. "I guess there's not much for them to do."
Andy saw the disappointment on their faces and he snapped his fingers. "By golly, there sure is," he announced.
"What, Daddy? What?" they all clamored.
Andy waved them over to the far wall. It was covered in bumper stickers bearing call letters from radio stations all over the country. He hadn't really planned on taking them down, but it wouldn't hurt to let the kids have a hand at it.
"See these? I need you to try and peel them off the wall. See how many you can get without tearing them... but don't worry if they do. We'll count half points for rips."
The children started the task eagerly. After a moment of watching them, Cait came over to stand by Andy.
"I'm afraid they'll get tired of this is a big hurry," she predicted.
Andy shrugged and leaned back against the edge of his desk. "That's okay. It's gonna take a pro to do it all anyway."
Cait moved closer to him and he put an arm around her. He reached over with his other hand and patted her stomach.
"How's the little guy there?" he asked. She wasn't far enough along that anyone would know she was pregnant yet. Naturally tall and thin, Cait still looked as trim as she always did.
She smiled at him reassuringly. "He's just fine. The doctor picked up the heartbeat today."
"That's great." Andy hugged her tighter.
"How are you holding up?" Cait questioned softly.
Andy gave her a look a surprise. "Me? Just great. Why?"
Cait's eyes were skeptical. "Because I know this is hard for you." She waved around the room. "Leaving all this after so long."
Andy's face softened a bit. "Maybe a little," he confessed. "But like I told you before... I'm overdue for a change."
Cait nodded knowingly. "That's what you've said, but... leaving the radio business completely... It's got to be difficult."
Andy gave her a slight smile. "Yeah... but you know, Cait... it's not really even the same business as when I first started. Everything's different." He shrugged, unable to explain it exactly.
She reached down and squeezed his hand. "I know," she told him and there was something in her voice that made him turn and regard her quizzically.
She was hiding something. It was there in the twinkle of her blue eyes.
"What?" he asked curiously. "Did I miss something?"
Cait didn't say anything but she smiled happily at him as she reached into her purse and handed him an envelope. Unsure what it was, Andy took it gingerly and opened it. There was an official looking document there and he pulled it out and unfolded it, quickly scanning the writing.
The first thing that hit his eye was the large letters at the top... F.C.C. He stared at it in confusion.
"Cait... this is a broadcast license."
She nodded. "You're right. It is."
He then saw the state and city listed there... New Mexico... Glorieta. He glanced back up at his wife. "Cait... this is a license to operate a radio station in Glorieta," he told her blankly.
"Uh-huh," Cait responded with a smile.
He still wasn't sure what exactly to make of the document and Caitlin finally took pity on him.
"You know you've always complained how you can't get anything clear at the ranch because the mountains mess up the signals coming in from Santa Fe or Albuquerque."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know. There used to be this little station in Glorieta when I was a kid but it never took hold..." He paused, his mind finally cluing in and he felt a smile start on his face. "Cait... you mean you applied for a license?"
She shook her head. "Actually you did. I didn't know the first thing about how to do it. Mr. Carlson helped me and we applied in your name."
Andy was still trying to absorb everything. "The Big Guy helped?"
Cait nodded. "He thinks pretty highly of you, in case you didn't know. He was more than willing."
Andy stared at the paper in his hand. What a kick it would be to start out from scratch... put together a small operation in a place that cried out for it. He glanced up at Caitlin again. "You know, at first... while we're getting the ranch in order... I probably wouldn't be able to do much... but after a while..." He grinned.
Cait put her arms around his neck. "You do whatever you want with it. Make it as big or small as you like."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, then he kissed her exuberantly. "I love you Caitlin," he told her happily.
She smiled and he took her into his arms again. His eyes once more moved around his office, but now he didn't care that he was leaving. Everything that was important to him was coming with him. He had four... no, he corrected himself, make that five, beautiful children and the most wonderful wife any man could ever wish for. Nothing was more important than that.