MILO stood outside the hotel for hours. He couldn't feel the cold and could barely hear the noise of the chaotic scene all around him. All he could see was the blacked out windows. All he knew was that the people he loved- his friends, his brother, Lulu, dear God, Lulu- were inside that building.

And Milo could not go home, could not go on, if they did not come out of there safely.

XXXXXX

LULU shook as Spinelli punched in the code to open the vault. The next few minutes were madness. There was no way to get out of there in time. But there was no choice but to try. Time slowed down and Lulu sucked in one last breath before the screaming started.

XXXXXXX

LUKE hissed, "Hey, you. Stoic One. Hey, kid. You deaf?! Listen to me. Hey, don't you work for Sonny?"

Milo finally glanced at him.

"You think you can get me out of these cuffs?" Luke asked "My daughter is in there and I have to get to her. She's a baby. Eighteen, man. Eight- teen. I could pay you."

Milo took his key ring and tossed it to Luke, he carried handcuffs and the key to uncuff them everyday for his job.

He looked back at the hotel. Nikolas came running out holding someone.

"Lulu!" Milo yelled but as he got closer he saw it wasn't her. He pushed past the throng of cops and was halfway to the building, with Nikolas and Luke right behind him, when it exploded.

XXXXXX

SPINELLI grabbed Lulu's hand and they ran as Craig denoted the explosives, but instead of hitting fresh air,

blackness smacked against her face and then she was losing her grip on her friend and falling, falling...

Lulu believed she was dying. Right before everything went dark she thought "But I have never been in love."

XXXXXXX

MILO was steps behind the cops going into The Metro Court. Everything was in shambles, smoke filled the air, people pushed at him in their attempts to get out of there.

And the voices calling out for their loved ones were something he would never forget.

"Carly, wake up. Come on." Sonny said

"EMILY!"

"Wake up, damn it, Carly. I am not raising those boys alone."

"Anyone seen my daughter? Maxie! Are you here?"

"Sonny, we're still alive? Where's Jason?"

"Elizabeth! Liz! Liz! Hey, baby, where are you?"

Milo went one way and Luke went the other as they combed the wreckage for Lulu.

"Someone help me!" yelled on unknown voice from the darkness "Oh my god he's dying!"

Milo spotted his brother, who was just making his way to his feet. "Are you all right? Have you seen her?"

"I'll help you look," said Max

XXXXXXXXXX

SPINELLI woke up, coughing, his body aching. He propped himself up and started clawing at the building materials and saying her name over and over and over. "Lulu, Lulu. Lulu."

He could see her dress and slowly he uncovered her, repeating her name like a mantra, like that would save her life.

Carly was still crying, "Jason. Where is he? No, I am not leaving here without him. Get off of me. JASON!"

The scream was primal and enough to stop everyone in the room for a second, but then they were all moving again, fighting to survive or find the ones they loved.

"Emily, baby, I'm going to get you out of here."

"Liz! Answer me!"

"Get me a doctor. He's dying. Can anyone hear me? This man is dying!"

"Lulu."

"Lulu!"

"LULU!"

"LESLEY LOU SPENCER, this is your father. You need to answer me now."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jason dashed into the elevator, shielding Liz and her baby from the blast. He turned to go back and the doors slid close, they started to fall.

He beat on them "No!!!!!!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Alexis scanned all the faces in the crowd. Where was he? Shouldn't he be out by now?

Paramedics carried people out on stretchers. She didn't want to look, didn't want to know if it was true, but she had to.

She had to.

But Sonny wasn't there. He was still inside.

XXXXXXXXX

Milo, Max and Luke reached Lulu at the same time.

Spinelli, looking shell shocked, glanced up and said "She can't be gone."

Milo felt his heart stop when he saw blood oozing from a cut on her head. "Oh, God, no."

Luke dropped to his knees and tried to find a pulse.

Spinelli said, his voice clogged with tears, "Don't die on me, Blonde One. I need you here. This is The Jackal. Can you hear me? It's ...the ...jackal...Lulu."

Crash. A support beam tumbled to the ground. The screams were horrific.

"JASON!"

"Carly, we have to leave."

"LIZ!"

"This place is about to come down on top of us." Max said "You have got to get her out of here."

Milo scooped Lulu up and ran for the door.

Luke grabbed Spinelli, who was limping, and threw the kids arm around his shoulder, physically dragging him out of there.

Max crossed the room, his eyes on Carly. Sonny was ordering her to stop moving the wreckage in her attempt to find Jason. But she didn't seem to hear him.

"Just hold on, Jase. Hold on, okay? Deal?" she was saying desperately as she searched for him.

Max bent close to her and whispered in her ear, "I'll bring Jason home to you. You go see about your boys. He would want that."

Carly looked at him, her eyes were bloodshot, "I just can't leave him here."

XXXXXXXXX

MILO carried Lulu through the crowd. He spotted a doctor pulling a sheet over a man who had just died.

Setting Lulu's body down he ordered the doctor, "Save her."

Luke and Spinelli came up behind him.

"Take her over to triage, right over there, and have the nurse assess her condition." Dr. Ford ordered and started to walk away. His protocol was to treat the patients with the red toe tags first.

Spinelli placed his head on Lulu's chest as Luke was cradling her head and murmuring, "Come on, little girl, open those eyes."

Spinelli said "I don't think she is breathing!"

Milo pulled out his gun and pointed it at Ford's back. "I said save her."

Ford turned around and his face registered shock at the sight of the gun.

Milo added, "And do it now!"