A/N: Takes place after The Ends. Credit for idea goes to my twitter friend & fellow Pike lover Elizabeth. I haven't forgotten about "Broken Pieces of Yesterday," but my muse insisted on writing this before I updated Broken.

Part I

"Come on, Mike," Paige whispered, anxiously listening in on Mike trying to keep his cover. While Mike's cover as Harold Gairnhart was solid with Sulla and enabled him to buy his way in - literally, Sulla was reluctant to do such a large purchase since Gairnhart didn't have that kind of cash. Carlito's FBI problems were making Sulla overcautious and unless Mike could sell his cover, he would essentially be a hostage along with her girls and a quarter of a million dollars.

Paige motioned to the TAC team, "Be ready to move on my order." The second anything went wrong, they were going in. Even though she knew that was the last thing Mike wanted. He wanted evidence linking Solano and Sulla, but if his cover didn't hold up, Mike and her girls were in danger - all seventy-five of them. She was more than well aware of the fact that Mike was in there without a weapon, and while he could definitely hold his own he was outnumbered against armed men that wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

"What the hell is that?" Paige demanded, throwing a worried look at Zelanski at the muffled sounds, followed by grunts.

"Sounds like someone's getting their ass kicked."

Struggling to keep her anxiety in check, she had to let this play out a little longer before moving in. Had to follow protocol. Had to do what Mike wanted. There was no way of knowing that Mike wasn't the one that hit somebody. She jumped slightly, when she heard a crash.

Mike was fine. Maybe if she kept repeating that to herself it would be true. He survived Bello. Survived Jangles. Survived being grabbed by the Solanos. He could outsmart Sulla. He got a 1700 on his practicals. He could do anything. Only this wasn't Quantico.

Paige heard a gun cock and she was on high alert as Mike tried to talk Sulla into putting the gun away. Trying to assure him that they could settle this without guns. That there was no need to ruin what could be a great partnership. That he knew guys that would pay top dollar for quality product. The longer this went on, the better chance Mike had of keeping this deal alive. Keeping himself alive.

If there was one thing Mike could do, he could keep himself alive. She forgot how many times Bello ordered a gun to his head. There was also that time when Eddie shoved a gun in his mouth after jumping him on the street. If anyone could diffuse the situation, he could.

"Good job," Paige whispered to herself as Mike talked Sulla into holstering his gun.

Her relief was short lived as she heard the next words out of Sulla's mouth, "Shoot him," followed by a series of gunshots.

"Move! Go! NOW!"

The next few minutes were a blur as she and the rest of the TAC team stormed the building. Thankfully, the brief time she spent there gave her an idea of the layout and she rushed towards the space Sulla used to make deals. The team spread out, securing the exits and apprehending everyone while trying to calm down the girls that were running around.

Chaos didn't accurately describe the scene in front of her. Men were being arrested. Girls were running around. Crying. Screaming. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she quickly scanned the room, keeping an eye out for Lina while she looked for Mike. As much as she wanted to be the one to arrest Sulla, her priority was finding Mike. Spotting him slumped against the desk, he was covered in blood and hers ran cold. "Oh God," Paige whispered as she ran towards him. "There's an agent down! Call an ambulance!"

Kneeling next to him, she started assessing his wounds, trying not to panic but she couldn't ignore the fact that his shirt was soaked with blood. "Stay with me, Mike. Let me see those blue eyes."

Mike's eyes fluttered open and he smiled slightly, "I'm okay, I just got the wind knocked out of me. Most of the blood isn't mine."

"Most?" Paige started frantically pulling at his shirt, looking for a bullet would. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. She felt like she couldn't breathe. This was her fault. The only reason Mike was in here was because she threatened him. She'd been so cold to him since he rescued her because they didn't see eye to eye on how to end this. When to end this. If Mike died because of this, she'd never forgive herself.

Mike grabbed her wrist, "Paige, I'm okay. I was grazed. It's barely a scratch."

Paige blinked back tears, letting his touch ground her. "Where?"

"Left shoulder."

Paige nodded, trying to focus. "I should be putting pressure or something. I - "

Mike offered her a small smile as she continued unbuttoning his shirt, "I keep telling you that I'm fine. Stop trying to get me out of my clothes, unless - you have an exhibitionist streak, don't you?"

Smiling slightly at his thinly veiled attempt to make her feel better, she pulled off his shirt and pressed it to his shoulder, relieved to see it was just a graze - but barely. "Maybe some other time, the blood's kind of a turn off." As much as she would love to joke right now, see how far she could push Mike out of his comfort zone, it was hard to ignore the fact that his tank top was soaked in blood. Even if he said it wasn't all his, some of it was. "Mike - "

"Don't, we both messed up. I messed up a lot of things. I - "

"Ma'am, excuse me, I need to - "

Paige stood and stepped aside, letting the EMTs examine Mike. "He's been shot. He - "

"Grazed."

Paige glanced down at Mike, daring him to challenge her. "His left shoulder is bleeding. He probably - "

"We'll take it from here."

Nodding, Paige helplessly stood by as the EMTs checked out Mike. Keeping her eyes trained on his face, she noted every movement that caused him pain. Not that he would cry out. But she noted every flinch. Every hesitation. Every grimace. She wondered if he had any internal injuries.

"Paige, you don't have - "

"I'm not leaving you." How could he think that she would leave him? So maybe things had been strained between them the past week, but she cared about him. He had to know she cared. Or did he think she didn't? What if he didn't want here here?

"I'm not going anywhere right now, go find Lina. Earlier she was in Room 724."

Lina. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about Lina. But Lina was okay. Mike would've told her if she wasn't. "I should - "

"Go find her. I'll be here."

Paige rested her hand on his face, smiling as his eyes met hers. "I'll be back as soon as I find her." Leaning down she pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Don't you dare die on me. No dead rock stars, remember?"