It had been four hours since gunmen had stormed the Metrocourt, enclosing a handful of Port Charles' favorite residents in the lavish lobby of the plush hotel. Dillon Quartermaine had been upstairs at the time, arguing with girlfriend of several years. It had been more out of habit than anything, going through the motions of pretending to care about something that didn't really matter anymore. She had spouted her usual line, trying to declare her independence. The truth was, she knew she had already lost him. She had lost him the summer before to the troubled blonde Spencer girl, and had never been able to get him back.

As soon as the elevators had become jammed, Dillon immediately feared the worst. Anyone who had been in Port Charles a few years ago couldn't help but remember the fire at his family's hotel. And if they hadn't remembered, his mother had reminded them with her panicked rant to Edward and Monica. When Lucky had shown up and explained the situation, trying to find out whether Elizabeth had been inside, Dillon felt his world stop.

"Lulu is in there," he whispered to himself, fear pulsating through his body. Tracy exchanged a look with her son, a similar thought having crossed her mind. "Lucky, Lulu is in there."

The handsome detective looked at him with a stricken face. Not only were his wife inside but also his sister, brother and best friend. Suddenly, so much more was at stake. "We're going to get them out," he said aloud, trying to reassure everyone. He was trying to make himself believe it as much as everyone else. "I have to get them out."

"I want to go in," Dillon muttered, raking his fingers through his hair. "I have to get her out of there. I shouldn't have even let her go down there. I should have gone down myself."

"It's not your fault," Tracy murmured, resting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. She could see the fear in his eyes. "Lulu is a fighter. She is going to get through this."

"You don't know that," Monica sneered, her own thoughts focused on Alan.

"Yes, I do," Tracy replied, praying that she was right. She knew that Lulu would do everything in her power to make it through, but even Tracy wasn't sure that it would be enough.

"She has to," Dillon said. Life without Lulu was unimaginable to him. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her. Not now, not after everything that they had been through.

Lucky looked between the mother and son, taken aback by how worried they were about his little sister. "My dad is back in town, Tracy. Someone should tell him once you guys get out of here."

"I'll do it," she volunteered, patting her cell phone in her clutch purse.

"Lucky, we have to get them out of here now," Cruz called as he helped Edward and Monica filed into the stairwell. Tracy was next with Dillon and Lucky following closely behind.

Half way down, Dillon stopped Lucky. Once the others were a flight ahead of them, he looked at the policeman square in the eyes. "Tell me the truth, how bad is it?"

"It's not good."

"Lucky, dammit, how bad is it?"

"It's bad. If we don't get them out of there, they could all die."

"They can't die, Lucky," Dillon insisted. "She can't die."

That was all either of them said before bounding down the stairs after the others. Once they caught up with everyone outside, Lucky jogged over to join Mac and the others who were in the middle of negotiations. Most of the Quartermaines were asked to leave, getting into a limo sent to retrieve them from the hotel under siege.

"You need to evacuate," a nameless cop shouted at Dillon.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied firmly.

"Come on, Dillon, we should really leave," Georgie retorted as she slipped beside him.

He shot her a dark look, lacking the patience to deal with her calmly. "You leave, I'm staying."

"I know you have family in there, but there isn't anything you can do," she pointed out.

"Lulu is in there," he muttered as he leaned forward, scanning the crowd for his mobster cousin.

"Of course, Lulu, I should have known."

"Are you serious? You're going to do this now?"

"Georgie, what are you still doing here? I told you to leave," Mac declared as he appeared next to his daughter. The police chief looked worn and visibly worried. With Maxie and Robin both inside, he had a lot at stake personally as well.

"I'm just trying to get Dillon to come with me," she answered.

"Dillon, you need to go too," Mac stated.

"I'm not leaving."

"Dillon…"

Dillon whirled around, hot tears stinging his usually gentle eyes. "Lulu is in there! I am not leaving without her. I won't leave while she is still inside. I have to know she is safe."

"Look, I know you're worried about her, but she would want you to be out of harm's way."

"She'd never leave me here," Dillon shot back. He knew that she wouldn't leave him. She'd be the first one to want to come inside, trying to find the loophole that would get her inside the hotel. She'd do anything she had to do to save him.

Georgie glared at him, knowing that he was right. She wondered if he would fight this hard for her. At one time, she knew that he would have done anything for her. These days, his life was filled with Lulu Spencer. She had tried to understand, especially during the abortion. But all of her kindness had long evaporated, almost like the love that had once been so strong between her and Dillon. Now, she was only left with an empty shell – a pale comparison – of the bright girl she used to be.

"I have to get back to work," the cop announced. "Georgie, you need to go home. Go stay at Bobbie's, and I will call you as soon as I get word."

She nodded understandingly and hugged her father tightly. "Be careful, Dad," she pleaded through the tears. "I love you."

Kissing her forehead absently, Mac thanked God that at least one of his girls was safe. "I love you, too."

"Please, Dillon, come with me," Georgie begged one last time.

Dillon wouldn't dare look at her. He knew that she would see into his eyes and know. "I can't," he declared with a note of finality. "I won't leave here without her."

Lucky lifted the binoculars and listened to his boss rattle off a list of orders to the newest group of men on duty. Beside him, Cruz was scribbling a list of names into a notepad from his shirt pocket, trying to get as many details from the few witness as possible. Trying to push thoughts of the people inside out of his mind, Lucky prayed that this somehow would find a peaceful resolution.

"Robin's been shot!" he heard someone shout as Mac came bounding toward the telephone. The police chief started hurling orders and insults at the man inside, but everyone knew that it would do no good. Elizabeth, Lulu, Nikolas and Emily were all inside, and Lucky didn't know how long it would take before he would see either of them again.

He wished that he had been there on time, silently cursing himself for putting anything before Elizabeth. If he had been just a few minutes earlier, if she hadn't been waiting in the lobby… There were so many what ifs to the situation, but he knew that none of them mattered. As a policeman, the only thing that mattered was the facts.

"Cruz, do we have any ideas on who is in there?" Lucky asked harshly as he started to pace back and forth. A true Spencer, a plan was already formulating in his mind. His partner read the list of names again.

"We have a hostage on the phone," Mac announced. "She's asking to talk to Lucky. She can't identify herself."

Lucky brushed past everyone, praying that it was his sister or wife on the other end of the line. As the two men exchanged the slim black phone, he felt an overwhelming desire to throw up. His nerves were shot, and panic was racing through his veins. "Spencer."

"Lucky, it's me," a small, familiar voice said.

"Em." No voice had ever sounded so good to Lucky before that moment. Her soft, gentle tone was enough to reassure him that everything could still be okay. Hope filled his heard. "How are you?"

"Grape," she said, giving him a clue that only he would be able to decode. It was a reference to their days as children, eating snow cones on the pier. "I have their list of demands."

"You're doing well, Em," Lucky reassured her, motioning for a notepad. "Okay, go ahead. Tell me everything." He listened intently as she told him each of the requirements. Handing the piece of paper to Cruz, he clutched the handset in his hand. "I'll take care of it."

"I have to go," she said, her voice suddenly fearful. He imagined the lanky brunette with a silver gun pressed against the small of her back. Wincing, he begged silently for just a few more words from her, not wanting to end his connection to the inside. "I'll be okay."

The line went dead, and Lucky slammed the contraption against the hood of the car. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath, a single tear threatening to escape from his hooded eyes. "I have to get in there."

"Now, we're talking," Luke announced quietly as he stepped next to his son. "I'm going inside. Are you with me?"

Lucky looked at his father, both surprised and happy to see him. "They won't let you."

"Let me? I never planned on asking for permission."

"I can't."

"Your sister and brother are in there. Nikolas is in there."

"And Em," Lucky retorted. "Emily is in there." Thoughts about his family and best friend were enough to convince him. "Alright, what's the plan?"

Lulu sat as close to Nikolas as she could, praying that she could just stay as quiet as possible. So many things made her want to fight, to yell out. With her brother's strength to draw on, she just kept repeating little stories in her head. She thought about her mother and Lucky and her father and Spencer. And Dillon. Of course, Dillon.

"Alright, we're going to play a little mix and match," One announced, yanking on her brother's arm. "The little blonde here is going to stay here, and you are going to come with me to watch over the pregnant nurse."

Nikolas looked at his sister and nodded slightly, giving her the little support he could without making a scene. As he disappeared out of the hallway, another masked man yanked Emily across the room and planted her next to Lulu.

"Ow," Emily muttered as she rubbed her elbow absently. Her mind was a mess. Half focused on her father and still half focused on her conversation with Lucky, she wasn't sure what to do. Lucky had sounded so close, and now, she could feel his strength in her heart. It had been a long time since her best friend had given here that.

"How's Lucky?" Lulu whispered under her breath.

"Fine."

"I just want to see him," the younger woman sobbed silently. "I want to see my brother."

"Me too," Emily mused. What she wouldn't do to be sharing a snow cone with him on the pier right now. "We will."

"I can't die tonight. There are still things I need to say."

Emily looked at her out of the corner of her eye. The conversation might keep both of them occupied at least for a few minutes, and maybe they wouldn't be quite as panicked. "Like what?"

"I need to tell Dillon that I know."

"You know?"

"I know that Dillon loves me."

"Nikolas!" Elizabeth exclaimed as they threw the dark prince into an empty room. She tried to reach over to help him break his fall, but she wasn't fast enough. His body crashed next to her, a muffled cry escaping from his lips. Neither of them said anything until they were alone again. "Are you okay? What's going on out there?"

"I'm fine," he insisted as he sat up. He scooted until he was sitting next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He pulled her next to him and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "How are you holding up?"

"The cramps are getting worse."

"Just hold on, Liz, we're going to get out of here," he promised. "And when we do, you and I are going to eat an entire pan of your brownies. I can already taste them."

"With ice cream and nuts," she added.

"And chocolate sauce and whipped cream."

"And a cherry on top," she finished. "Cameron hasn't had enough of my brownies."

"We're going to get out of here," he repeated, taking his hand in hers. She squealed as another pain pressed against her abdomen.

"And if we don't, Nik, I'm glad I'm not alone."

"I'm right here with you, Elizabeth," he murmured as they leaned against each other. "I'm with you."