Note-

The story starts near the last hour of the standoff. I wrote it because I wanted Milo in the mix of things.

I couldn't remember if Two or Six was the female hostage taker, so in this story Two is the woman.

Another difference is that the briefcase does not explode after a certain amount of time if it is not opened.

After a few chapters the story moves out of the crisis and into the aftermath.

A Time of Crisis

Chapter One

"No, no, no, no please," Lulu cried as Four shoved her into the office. He pulled the door closed, leaving her in pitch blackness.

Is this the same office they threw me in before? she wondered Is Alan still here?

She stumbled, gripping at the darkness, looking for the light switch. A low moan pierced the air.

Her body shook, she recognized that voice, though it shocked her that she did.

I know him that well already?

"Hold on. I'm going to find the light," her words were said in a gasping breath, each one shaky and betraying her fear.

"Lulu..." her name was two long drawn out syllables.

As soon as she had the light on, Lulu turned and rushed over to Milo. He was strapped to a chair, beaten and bloody. With trembling hands started to undo the rope.

"Don't," Milo groaned. "They'll be back."

She moved in front of him, crouching down. "We're getting out of here. I don't know how but we are. Look what they did to you," her voice broke on the last word. "Mi-lo."

Their eyes met. This was the closest she had ever been to him. The only time he kissed her, so far, was in her fantasies.

She shivered after seeing the look in his eye, a look that said she mattered to him more than he ever had said.

"You're hurt," she whimpered, her finger brushing over the spot beneath his black eye.

"I'll be fine...but you..." his words were soft, filled with concern for her instead of himself, " you need to stay quiet from now on... when you are out there."

Anger raced through her, at this situation and how helpless they both were."I hate those bastards!"

Milo's voice was low and fierce when he begged her, "Please, Lulu. Don't give them a reason to hurt you."

She looked at him for a long moment, noting the fact he was more scared for her than himself. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Instead she focused on the emotion she could handle easier and spat out, "I think we should jump them. There are more of us than them."

"No!" A tremor went through his body at the thought. "Promise me you won't."

Lulu's lip jutted out.

"Promise," he whispered. "Lulu, come on now..."

"I promise." She stood and walked behind him again, working on the rope. "I won't jump them alone. You are going to help me."

XXXXXXXXX

His body ached. But it was his heart he was worried about. If Lulu got hurt, Milo was sure it would stop beating, just like that, his heart would give up and he would be gone. He couldn't be responsible for her losing her life just because he went along with this crazy scheme.

Before he could talk himself out of going through with it, time ran out. The door was pushed open. In the darkened room, Lulu and Milo lurched toward the shadowed body.

"Ugh, hrmp, uhh," the man moaned and then hit the ground as Milo used a technique on one of his pressure points that knocked him unconscious.

Lulu closed the door and locked it. Milo grabbed the gun the man held, then stripped him of the one in his ankle holster.

"That was great," Lulu said

"That was the easy part, though," Milo told her. "Lets get him tied up."

She flipped back on the light and helped him.

Once that was done, Milo took her hand and pulled her close to the door. Feeling how cold she was, he stopped and used both of his hands to rub hers.

He said, "I'm going to get you out of this hotel. After that I'll come back and see what I can do in the lobby. It might be safer for me to not go in there. At least, not without some kind of back- up. I don't want to be the cause of them setting off those explosives."

Lulu shook her head, no, at the idea of her escaping alone. "You need back-up. You just said it," she told him. " Well, I'm your back-up."

"No way."

She yanked her hands away."Sorry if I'm not your first choice. But I'm all you got, Milo!"

Under his breath, he mumbled "You're my first choice."

Lulu stilled. Softly she said, "Okay then..."

"When it comes to everything but this," Milo added, slightly louder.

She argued, "You might not think I can handle myself but I can. Tell me what to do."

They heard footsteps in the hallway, and then Carly yell out "Leave go of me!"

Milo whispered to Lulu "Get in the closet and stay there."

"No! I'm not leaving you," she hissed back. Her hand closed over the gun, from Four's ankle holster, that he had stuck in his waistband.

His hand went over hers as she took it.

Carly cried out, a lot closer now, "I will see you dead for this!" Then a scuffle could be heard. Milo went to open the door when they heard a door slam and Carly yell "You can't leave me in here!"

"Don't piss off my boss," Six said back to her. "Or you will be the next one shot."

Lulu tried to get past Milo and into the hall. He held her back, pressing his mouth to her ear, "Wait."

After two minutes of standing there like that, with Lulu shivering at the feel of his body close to her back, his breath on her, Milo said "Okay, now."

They slipped into the hall, with Milo raising his gun toward the direction that led to the lobby.

Lulu opened the door across the hall and found the room where Alan was. Carly sat on the couch next to him, muttering, "God, I should have stayed in nursing school." Her hands shook as she loosened Alan's tie.

"Carly," Lulu said, causing her cousin's head to whip around.

"Oh, Lulu." She gave her a look that was half numb, half fighter, with traces of terror that Carly was obviously trying not to give in to. " You're not hurt, are you,? Where'd you get that gun from?"

Carly gasped as Milo walked in and she saw his injuries.

XXXXXX

Maxie couldn't help but smile in the second after she yanked off Three's mask.

"You're hot," she said.

He grabbed the mask back from her and hissed, "You shouldn't have done that." His voice was low and menacing.

Any other young woman would have been shaking in her boots, or five inch high heels. But Maxie Jones was far from average, and she didn't scare easily.

In this man's eyes she saw a myriad of emotions: anger, fear, annoyance, and...yes, it was certainly staring back at her, lust.

"We could die in here," Maxie shot back at him. "And I would like to, at least, know what the guy who gets me killed looks like."

He let out a long breath, darted his eyes away and whispered, "I won't get you killed. You have my word."

"Your word? That might mean a little more if I knew your name."

"Three."

"Even in Hollywood, Three is not a name."

He took a step back and motioned for her to move across the room, away from him."You don't need to know my real name. After those doors open you will never see me again. Just sit down, relax, and wait this out."

She smirked. Stepping closer to him, Maxie put her hand smack dab in the middle of his chest, over his rapidly beating heart, and said "I'm not that kind of girl."

XXXXXX

"This is insanity." Lulu said as she looked at Alan, whose eyes were closed, his breathing shallow.

With pure frustration tinging her words, Lulu added "They can't do this to us."

"Oh, they will pay," Carly said, her tone turning lethal. "Jason is out there. He's pretending to be one of them, Five."

Milo nodded, slowly taking that bit of information in, then said "Good to know. What about Sonny? Is he still with the group?"

"They brought him back a few minutes before they drug me out," Carly said. "He's sitting next to Emily near the door way. Your brother and Sam are close by too. Max is...One made him into a human shield, Milo. His back is against the glass in case the cops start shooting."

"There were six of them, right? Three is in the safe with that hotel worker," Milo said

"Maxie," filled in Lulu.

Milo went on, "Right. So Three is out of the way. We took out Four. And Jason must have gotten rid of Five. So that leaves One, Two, and Six. If we can figure out which one has the detonator then it shouldn't be hard too jump the other two and take back control."

"We need to get that detonator in Jason's hands," Carly said.

"Jason..."Alan moaned. His head moved from side to side but his eyes stayed close.

Carly turned to face him again. She took a quick breath then grabbed his hand. "Hey, Alan, it's Carly. Not your favorite person, I know. But don't worry, my voice won't be the last one you hear. You are going to make it through this...we all are...Jason is going to see to it. I know you believe in him, like I do, so you know I'm not lying. You just hang on. Do not give up. I learned... a long time ago...that as long as you don't give up...it gets better. Jason will make this better."

Carly squeezed his hand, then patted it a few times. She leaned close to him and whispered "Don't stop fighting."

Milo stood, on guard, near the door.

Lulu walked close to him and said, "You're not getting me out of the hotel before it all goes down. So get the idea out of your head. After you left the lobby, One dragged in Spinelli. He was coming here to rescue me."

Her eyes locked on Milo.

With a tone that offered no room to argue, she added "And I can't leave him behind."

"He isn't my priority."

Lulu's eyes softened. "I know he is low on your list. I get that. You have your brother and your friends out there but..."

"You're my priority," he whispered, so soft it was barely audible.

Lulu's heart sped up even more than it was already. She let out a shaky breath.

"And you are not going into that lobby," Milo added.

"I agree," said Carly. "Jason has enough distractions out there already with Sam, and I just know it's bothering him that Robin is hurt. He doesn't need you or me to worry about."

"You are actually going to be able to stay out of it?" Lulu asked, her voice incredulous.

Carly said, "I don't want to get Jason killed. If he is worrying about me then he can't do his job. He could save me or he could save everyone else. I don't want him to have to make that choice. And if you care about getting Nikolas, Emily, Liz, her baby and , not to mention, your hacker friend out of here alive, then you shouldn't want Jason to make that choice either. Because when he chooses me all of them will be left behind with a madman."

XXXXXXXXX

Jason's blue eyes darted around the room. He could feel the fear bouncing off the people in there but, most of all, he could taste his own fear. It sat in the back of his throat like bile.

Carly was out of his sight. There was no way to know how she was doing.

His feet started to move toward the hallway. His steps were unconscious, he just needed to check on her.

Four had been gone for a while now. What if he was doing something to Carly? She would fight but...

One barked out, "Keep focus, Five! Sweet Sam is a wily one. She requires vigilant attention. Because one more demerit for her and Baby's breath Elizabeth is going to have to pay for it."

Jason stopped moving, turning again to look at Sam and then Liz. Neither one knew who he was, he could tell.

Only Carly had figured it out so far.

As soon as he walked in Carly's eyes had moved to his, connected, and she mouthed his name. Her lips had barely moved, he saw it all the same, though.

Carly, he thought now, as he gripped the gun tighter. I'm going to get you out of this.

One barked out, "What is holding Four up? Screw You Lulu better not be giving him anymore problems or else she might have to leave this party, feet first. And mouthy Mrs. Corinthos might be joining her if she gives me a bit more trouble or lip. I will not suffer any more foolishness from you misguided small town do gooders."

Jason let out a breath, full of fear and anger. There was no way he was going to allow One to take away the person he vowed to protect with his life for life.

Jason would get to Carly, and get her far away from here, or die trying.

AN- I recently added a new one shot to the jarly C2. It was written in 2003 by Diction Goddess and it is simply amazing. Really emotional and intense jarly goodness. It is about the day she drove off the cliff.

Sara