A/N: I thought the rescue scene between our DD was pretty perfect. But I still sort of wished there was a hug. So here is my alternate version.
Through the smoke and haze he hears her voice, desperate and afraid, calling his name. He calls back to her and struggles to stand up with his hands tied, using the wall as leverage. He looks for her through the thick, burning fog, seeing just her shadow- the outline of her body, and then she's there, opening the gate. The other cops pour in behind her and start untying his fellow hostages, but she only has eyes for him.
She stands before him, smiling as she holsters her gun. It's the most brilliant smile he's ever seen from her. There have been the teasing smiles, the ones that accompany her eye-rolls, the tiny affectionate ones in her little lip-purses that have recently replaced the eye-rolls, the grateful ones when she's told him he's done or said something sweet, the thankful ones when he's saved her life, but nothing like this smile- free and open and shining, looking at him like he's the only thing that exists. She looks down then, uses her clippers to cut his hand ties, and now that he's free he can't help but reach for her.
As he slides his arms around her waist, he meets no resistance from her. Her arms wrap around his shoulders, her forehead rests against the side of his neck. He feels her lips and nose pressed against his collarbone, her warm breaths against his neck are still coming quickly as the adrenaline is still subsiding.
She shifts after a moment, moves her head ever so slightly, and then he feels her nose nuzzle the side of his neck, feels her lips follow purposely- just the softest brush over his skin; an almost-kiss. His arms reflexively tighten around her then, one hand sliding up the short distance from the middle of her back to her neck, his fingers caressing her there.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she murmurs into his ear, pulling back to beam at him once more; relief, affection, and love shining in her face.
And as she moves on to remove his mother's hand ties, he knows things have forever changed.