Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or claim rights, I just wanna write a story.
Rating: I'm gona say PG-13, but it won't have anything too bad in it. I write clean:)
Summary: This is taken from a scene in the book which isn't in the movie...Just before the sex scene(!). But there's no sex in my version. After the car bombs in the city Terry takes her back to her house and goes to his hotel to think, because he doesn't want to be alone with her(forbidden love and all). That's when danger comes a knockin'. Please read and review.
My first Proof of Life fic, and I haven't read any others online, so here goes...
Author: Me, Shana
E-Mail: p.shana@gurlmail.com
Enjoy
A Time of Need

Alice sat on her bed, her hands lay limp on her lap as she gazed out the window of her top floor bedroom. Fire could be seen over the rolling hills and peaks that made up Tecala City. Gun shots were constantly ringing out and she couldn't help but feel a deep pang in her gut as she tried to calm her nerves.

It had seemed like days ago that Terry had left, telling her to let no one in and stay put. She'd gone to the neighbors but they weren't home, and she felt vulnerable outside especially in this dark. The television, when the power wasn't choking, poured out images of dead and wounded, fires, bombings, and gun battles between Military and rebels in the streets. E.L.T. was everywhere.

Her nerves were on edge and she kept checking the doors to make sure they were locked and watching the drive way for Terry. Hoping he'd get there soon. She was walking to the front door when the lights flicked out once again. She paused, waiting for them to spur back on and sighed, a hand on her hip. After a long moment filled only with the sound of gun shots and sirens she moved to the living room where she had a flashlight in a cabinet somewhere. She got it out and clicked it on, frowning at how dim a light it gave off.

She spun, letting the light fall all around her, reasurring herself she was alone and safe. She picked up the phone and tried Terry. The phone didn't even have a dial tone.

She dropped it to the ground suddenly as the dog next door began to bark loudly and snarl against his chain. She rolled her eyes and put the phone back on it's craddle, walking to the side of the house where she could see the dog. Sure enough the large dog was pulling against it's bonds, snarling as he snapped his jaws and lunged in rage. She scanned the yard and saw nothing unusual, same shadows and movements of the vegetation surrounding the Scorpion house.

Suddenly the dog yapped loudly, his noise silenced. She looked up, but only saw it's silouetted form laying on the floor. She froze in terror, the dog didn't move, she knew it was dead. A shadow caught her eyes from the side of the house, it moved quickly, disappearing around the corner. She backed away from the window and rushed up the stairs turning her flashlight off as she ran.

She locked herself in her bedroom and rushed to the phone, holding the reciever to her ear she prayed for a dial tone. She needed him now more than ever, she didn't know what to do and he hadn't left her alone this long before. It met her ears and she sighed as she dialed Terry's number, praying he was alright in all this caos. He might have been hurt in the city, or maybe the hotel was bombed, or he tried to break up a fight and...She stopped, taking a deep breath as she heard the first ring.


Terry Thorne lay on the couch in his hotel room, shirt under his head, phone on the floor next to him and a pistol at his side. He was being torn in more directions than he could bear. His feelings for Alice had grown into a flame that threatened to take him over, a firey blaze that he welcomed. He drapped an arm over his eyes and sighed, he knew that he wasn't playing by the rules. He never should have let his feelings for her grow, she was a married woman. Thinking she was attractive is one thing, but longing to hold her or smell her hair, or touch her hand briefly was taking it too far.

The phone startled him from his thoughts and he prayed Dino was on the line, and not her voice. His prayer wasn't answered.

"Terry?" A quiet yet alarmed voice asked into the phone, he sat up. Muscles tense from just the sound of her.

"Alice, are you alright?" His voice urgent, alreadly pulling his shirt over his head. He'd told himself she'd been safe, that the fighting wasn't near her and he could stay away. For the both of them, it was the best thing. He didn't trust his intentions or how she would react to them.

"There's someone here, I don't know if their trying to get in or if their just out there. I swear to God they killed the dog next door and I saw someone run around the house and..." She went silent and gasped, the bad connection not allowing his to hear what was happening on her end.

"Alice! What's happening?" He asked as she breathed heavily. "Where are you in the house?"

"I just heard glass break, God Terry! What am I suposed to do?" Her voice was paniced and he wished to God he hadn't left her.

"Where are you right now?" He asked as calm as possible, making sure he wouldn't alarm her further.

"The bedroom. I locked myself in." She was whispering, he could tell she was terrified and hated it.

"Stay their and don't move, I'm on my way." He was out the door in seconds, shoes, gun and shirt in his hands.


Alice gripped the phone in her hands and shook, in a cold sweat. She could hear movements downstairs, footfalls that were searching the house. She realized they weren't here to loot, or to rob her. They were looking for her. The E.L.T. most likely. She closed her eyes and wished more than anything that Terry was there with her. Just his presence made her feel strong, safe, a secure.

She waited as she heard the faint noises of footsteps moving up the stairs and towards her room. She heard the door next to hers open and then something being moved, then the footsteps made their way to the hallway again. She closed her eyes and croutched down as she made her way to her closet, closing the door behind her and freezing in silent terror.

Her door handle was twisted, the lock holding. She heard it being giggled and then a thud agianst the heavey door. She gasped, trying to hold herself together or else she would rush out of the closet screaming. The door was still being tampered with and she knew that they would get in and that Terry was at least another ten minutes away. If he were here he'd know what to do, he'd know just what to tell her, and just what to say. And of course he would've beat the crap out of the person now trying to get to her. He told her to stay put, he knew what he was talking about.

She suddenly let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and listened closely. The noise had suddenly stopped. She paused, opening her closet door slightly and trying to catch any sound. Her blood thumped loudly in her ears and she turned her flashlight on. Nothing. Her room was empty and the door was locked still.

She sat on her bed and waited, maybe they were here to just loot some stuff. She gave a sigh, but still remained silent. She heard steps going down the stairs, then to the back of the house. She went to the window, looking down through the currtain, remaining still. She couldn't see anything through the darkness, a thick black blanket of it covered the ground.

Brave. Peter had always said she was brave. She looked at the door and took a deep breath, walking to it she listened to the other side of it. Still nothing. The person was probably long gone and Terry would get here and laugh at her for being scared and reasure her that she was fine and nobody was after her. In all reality they shouldn't be, she was paying the bad guys so they should be staying away from her. The guy was probably some kid who was looting in all the caos, just looking around.

She sighed, taking the lock between her fingers and slowly turning it. She waited as if the door would burst open in any minute and hit her. But it never moved and silence met her ears.

Her senses were still wired but they had been for months. She put her hand on the door knob and turned it, flashlight in front of her. She pushed the door open and stuck her head out, light from her torch pouring into the hall. She saw nothing out of place, and saw or heard no movement. A feeling of sureness came over her and she laughed quietly. Things were different down here, maybe it was normal to have people do that crap in an uproar like the city was in now.

They might be back later though, maybe they were just seeing what they could get once they came back with their friends.

Terry would be here by then.

She walked down the stairs suddenly upset with herself for being to jumpy. When Terry arrived she would laugh it off and just blame her stress and tension. And then he would be here, and he would most likely stay the night to make sure she was safe. And even if they were in a jungle surrounded by guirillas armed to the teeth she would still feel safe by his side.

All thoughts were slammed aside as she turned to enter the kitchen and felt strong arms grab her from behind. Her cry was lost on deaf ears, not a soul could hear her and even if they could they wouldn't care. She felt a hand grip her throat tightly and winced.

"Listen to me." A thickly accented voice rasped as she stiffened. "Two million in cash or Peter Bowman dies, and we send his organs back to you in jars one at a time. Comprendo?" He shook her by the throat roughly and she gave a choke, trying to inhail.

The hand sholved her into the wall and she thudded into it with a shout. She started to turn, moving to the kitchen where she knew she could find something to fight with.

An iron hand closed around her arm and jerked her to face it's owner. She looked up at a face encased in a black mask and struggled.

"And tell dear uncle that if he doesn't close this deal, we take you both out along with the package." He opened his mouth to continue but Alice struck out with her foot and connected solidly with his shin. He roared as his hand tightened on her arm, cutting off the blood flow. His other hand flew up and backhanded her, closed fist connecting with her cheek.

She fell to the ground and her face contorted in pain, her head ringing. She cried out as she was lifted to her feet and his fist connected with her face again, her lip splitting. She covered her bloody mouth and didn't care as she smeared her bloody hand on the wall and on her clothing.

"You do as we say! You're not in control her!" He threw her and she landed against the back of the couch, her momentum taking her over it and she slammed down on her side. She didn't get up, her efforts ending as she tried to bend her joints. She crawled to her knees and looked up, her attacker was rushing through the kitchen to the back door and she groaned as she pulled herself up onto the couch. She got to her feet and held her ribs as she grimaced at the shooting pain in her head and body. She grabbed her flashlight and rushed back to her room, the only room in the house with a lock besides the outside doors.

Falling onto her bed, clutching the flashlight she burst into tears. She wiped at the blood on her face and felt at the bruise forming on her cheek. She let tears cascade down her face as she sobbed. Peter was gone, she was falling in love with the man she hired to get him back and now had been beaten and threatened by a foriegn mercinary. She thought of the horrible things the man had said, and how she'd barely been able to do anything to defend herself. She hated that feeling more than anything in the world. She lay on her bed and cried, waiting for Terry to come. She would give anything to hear his voice at that very moment.

A second passed.

"Alice!" Terry's cry errupted from his throat as he raced inside, seeing the broken door to the patio and the picked lock to the front door. He neared the stairs, going towards her room when he saw a bloody hand print on the wall, glancing around the room, he prayed she wasn't lying there. Hand going to his gun.

"Terry?" Her voice floated down the stairs, in moments he was up them and rushing to her room.

Alice darted out her room at the second she heard him, and when he emerged from downstairs she ran at him. They both clutched at the other as if there were no tommorow.

Terry closed his eyes as he held her, one arm around her back, the other in her hair pressing her to his chest. He pulled her back at arms length and looked her over to make sure she was alright. His face tightened as he looked over her marred features.

"What the hell happened?" He asked as he brought a hand up to craddle her jaw. "Is he still here?"

"One of the E.L.T." She started out taking a deep breath, her crystal eyes wet with tears. "He told me we had to give him two million dollars in cash or they'd kill Peter, and then they'd come after us, and..."

"Did you see his face? When did he leave?" He asked as she shook her head.

"Maybe five minutes ago...he was wearing some sort of mask." She tried to answer his questions knowing this was important, and not to look into his concerned eyes and handsome face.

"Bloody hell." His jaw tightened and he shook his head. "I shouldn't have left you here alone, I wasn't thinking. None of this would've hap..." His words were interupted as Alice covered his mouth with her own, a sudden burst of emotion that couldn't be contained. And he resisted...for maybe a second.
*****
More to Come!
Feedback will determine whether or not I should continue so be honest and lemme have it:)