"Get them out, Cameron," Juliet urged quietly, trying to mask the depth of her concern for Shawn and Gus.

They had been stuck in the bank with a gunman for over an hour now…

An hour without any contact, apart from one brief phone call with Shawn that had involved more talk about her new boyfriend than his predicament…

Boyfriend…? She thought dully as Cameron placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back.

Is he really my "boyfriend"…?

That just sounds so…official…

She shook her head, as if clearing away unwanted thoughts.

Why was she even thinking about boyfriends, anyway?

She tried to look into Cameron's eyes for some reassurance, but they were obscured by his dark aviator sunglasses.

"Don't worry," he assured her confidently when he saw the worry etched across her forehead. "We're getting everyone out. I have a man on the roof across the street. He's going to take the shot as soon as he gets it."

A voice suddenly crackled over the radio pinned to his belt loop. "I have the shot, Sir."

With one hand still on her back, Cameron grabbed his radio. "Take it."

She turned back to the bank, squinting to see what was going on inside. The gunman, who at first glance seemed too small and timid to be much of a threat, was standing by the large, picture window. She saw the brief flash of the red laser scope cross his forehead, and she knew there were only seconds left.

He was going down.

She started to close her eyes and turn her head so she wouldn't have to see the sight, but as she did, she saw something else…

A familiar blue streak flew in front of the window just as it shattered with the bullet's impact. It pushed the gunman to the ground a split second ahead of the deadly shot.

Her heart stopped as her eyes snapped back open.

Even from that distance…she recognized that blue streak.

"Shawn!" she gasped, her hand clapping over her mouth.

Cameron didn't hear her outburst, however, as he was already back on his radio. "What the hell happened?" he was shouting into it.

"I don't know, Sir!" the sniper replied. "He came out of nowhere! What the hell was he doing?"

"Did you hit the hostage?"

"I…I think so, Sir."

"Damn it!"

He kicked the tire of the SWAT truck angrily, for a moment not even noticing that Juliet was still staring in pale, shocked silence at the broken window.

The gunman had stumbled to his feet now and was staring down at the floor, trembling. He looked out the window, his eyes immediately locking with Cameron's, then he looked down at the floor again.

A moment later, he was gone back into the bank where they couldn't see him anymore.

Juliet continued to stare intently at the window, waiting for Shawn to get up…to grin and wave and screw everything up again…

But he didn't.

Her heart was pounding so hard now she didn't even feel Cameron's hand on her shoulder this time.

"What the hell was he thinking?" he demanded, softly squeezing her shoulder in something that was either comforting reassurance or accusatory anger.

At that moment, she did care which it was.

Juliet shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around what she had just seen.

It wasn't possible…

It just wasn't possible.

Shawn didn't push the gunman out of the way.

Why would he do something stupid like that?

"I don't know," she croaked, her hand finding his, deciding he was being sympathetic. "I don't know what he was thinking."

She could barely get the words out through the lump in her throat. Her fingers laced through Cameron's, searching for some kind of gentle comfort.

Something to tell her that Shawn would be okay.

A moment later, the phone Cameron had set-up to establish communication with the bank rang. He grabbed it, releasing her hand from his firm grip.

Juliet could hear the entire conversation.

"You tried to kill me!" the gunman accused before Cameron could say anything. "You said I was looking at the bus, and then you tried to kill me!"

"What happened to the hostage who pushed you out of the way?" Cameron asked, ignoring the accusation. "Was he hit?"

"Yeah…in the chest. He's bleeding. A lot."

Juliet closed her eyes, trying not to hear…

Trying not to know…

But she couldn't erase the image from her mind.

Shawn…laying on the floor, covered in blood…

No…she told herself firmly, refusing to believe it.

It's not possible…

"Is he still conscious?" Cameron pressed on, his voice cool and professional, as if he was talking about just some plain, ordinary hostage.

Except this wasn't some plain, ordinary hostage.

This was Shawn.

"I don't know…I'm in the vault now," the gunman was saying. "We're all in the vault now. All the hostages. And we're staying in here, too! You're not taking me down!"

"Right now, I'm just concerned with getting that hostage medical attention," Cameron assured him. "That's my one objective. If he dies…it's not going to end well for you."

"It won't end well for you!" The gunman returned. "You're the one who shot him!"

Cameron's jaw clenched.

He didn't have a response to that one.

"Look…" he continued a moment later, his voice still detached and even slightly affable. "You're holding a lot of people hostage in there. You're not getting out of this without a lot of jail time as it is…that's just a fact. But I promise that the DA will take your cooperation into account if you let me send a couple of paramedics in there to take care of the victim. If you don't…"

"Paramedics?" The gunman sounded hesitant as he repeated the word, and yet Juliet could tell he was considering it.

"It'll give you time to figure all this out," Cameron told him. "As long as I have a hostage in there bleeding to death, I don't have a choice. I have to push you. I have to take you down. If you let me send two paramedics in and they take care of him and get him out if they need to, you'll have more time. The ball's back in your court."

There was an eternal silence on the other end.

Juliet tried not to imagine Shawn slowly bleeding to death while the gunman made up his mind.

She tried not to picture his face when he'd found out about Cameron…

She tried not to, but she failed.

Juliet didn't even realize she was holding her breath until the answer came crackling back and she finally exhaled.

"Fine. Two paramedics."

She looked up at Cameron as the agreement was made, determination brimming in her eyes. "I'm going in, Cameron."

He pushed his aviators up on his head, looking at her as if she had just told him she was going to fly to the moon. "What?"

"You're sending me in," she told him quietly but firmly, trying to control the timbre of her voice.

She knew it would give her away.

"Why would I do that?" he demanded.

"Because I'm a trained cop," she explained quickly, her eyes meeting his. "Because I'm a girl and if you send me in with a guy paramedic, he won't expect me to be the one to take him down the second his back is turned. Because I know how to handle myself and I can get everyone out of there alive."

Her voice rose as she pressed on, a mental picture of Shawn lying in a pool of blood flashing through her mind.

This time, she didn't even try to control her timbre.

She was too busy picturing Shawn…and that look on his face when he found about her and Cameron…

"And because it's my friend, Cameron. He's hurt. I have to go in. I have to."

"I'm not sending you into a hostage situation!" he almost shouted, but she wasn't to be deterred. Her eyes hardened and her jaw set firmly.

"Yes. You are."

He sighed, suddenly hearing it in her voice.

He didn't have a choice. She was going in whether he let her or not.

A look passed between them, and she knew that he knew.

Even through the dark aviators he had pulled back down over his eyes, she could tell he knew.

"Grab a uniform," he told her sternly, his voice even. "If you're going in, you're doing it right. And you're wearing a vest."

She nodded, quickly running to the ambulance to find a paramedic uniform.

It only took her two minutes to get dressed and to get a quick briefing from Cameron on what to do once she was inside.

"Don't do anything unless you have an opening," he warned her. "Don't force it. Your priority is to get the hostage medical attention. Keep him alive."

"I know my priority, Cameron," she snapped, turning to the real paramedic who was going in with her. "You ready?"

"Yeah," he nodded, checking his medical kit one last time. "I'm ready."

They crossed the yellow police tape together.

She didn't look back at Cameron once.

She didn't dare to.

The gunman pushed the door open and yanked them inside, his trembling gun pointed at them.

The hostages were lined up against the counter now, all sitting barefoot on the floor. Juliet quickly scanned their faces until she saw Gus.

He was shaking.

His eyes widened when he saw her, but he didn't say anything or give her away.

"Just help him," he mouthed as she passed him.

"He's over there," The gunman barked, motioning at the window with the gun. From where she was standing, the view of the floor in front of the window was obscured by a large counter. She quickly went over to the window, her heart in her throat as she stepped around the counter and Shawn came into view.

Shawn was lying completely motionless on the floor, surrounded by a rapidly expanding pool of red.

She bit her lip to keep from crying out when she saw him.

Suddenly, she didn't feel like a cop anymore.

Suddenly, she was just a girl who watching her best friend bleed to death.

"Keep moving," the paramedic whispered, nudging her forward.

She nodded stiffly and pressed on, forcing herself back into cop mode.

Finally, they were by Shawn's side. She knelt on the floor next to him as the paramedic quickly opened his medical kit.

"Shawn…" she whispered, her hand automatically stroking his hair as the gunman stood over them and watched. "Can you hear me?"

She couldn't help herself. She knew she wasn't supposed to let on she knew the victim.

She knew it broke every rule of protocol Cameron had told her. But she didn't give a damn.

It was Shawn.

He moaned quietly, his eyes fluttering open.

"Jules…" he whispered back, his voice hollow and weak. His eyes were glazed as they stared past her, as if not even aware she was there.

"Yeah," she nodded, keeping one eye on the circling gunman.

"Jules…what are you doing here…?" Shawn asked, trying to sit up.

His blue shirt was covered in the sticky, red liquid. Her hands were already stained with it as she gently pushed him back down, trying to keep him still while the paramedic went to work.

The paramedic suddenly looked confused as he knelt on the other side of Shawn, starting the search his chest for the wound, but Juliet didn't notice. She was watching Shawn struggling to breathe.

"I'm here, Shawn," she replied gently. "That's all that matters."

"I know…"

Her fingers tensed around his as she tried to smile down at him, tried to let him know it was all going to be okay…

But there was so much blood and he was fading fast…

She knew she was lying. But in that moment, the lie was enough.

"Just hold on, Shawn." she murmured, her voice cracking almost imperceptibly. "I'm here."

"Don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Jules…" he coughed, every breath a struggle.

"What?"

He hesitated, taking a deep breath and steeling himself against the pain before pressing on.

"You…never answered my old man boobie question," he burst out finally, his eyes suddenly sparkling with mischief.

He fought back a quiet laugh, but remained sprawled out on the floor as if wounded. He lifted his arm, flashing her a quick thumbs-up as he winked at her.

She stared down at him, for a moment completely thrown for a loop by his sudden recovery.

Finally, she dropped his head from her lap, still struggling to maintain her composure as the gunman stopped circling and seemed to be watching them more carefully now.

"What the hell…?" the paramedic was muttering, glancing up at her. "There's no bullet wound!"

"Shawn!" Juliet hissed furiously as she realized it was all an act, fighting the impulse to smack him and smack him hard. "What's going on? You're not really hurt?"

"I needed to get you in here," Shawn whispered, lifting his head off the floor. "When they tried to kill me, this was all I could think of…Listen! Stubbins isn't the guy you're after…trust me. There's another bad guy in this bank…a bad guy who has a gun. He set this whole thing up. He kidnapped Phil's wife. You have to take him out before they shoot my buddy Phil."

Her hands were trembling as she blinked back livid, relieved tears.

"I thought you were dying!" she exclaimed, straining to keep her voice down.

"That was the point!" he returned. "And keep it down! The hostages don't know!"

Juliet looked back at the gunman in stupefied silence. He nodded in confirmation.

This time, she gave into her impulse and smacked the top of Shawn's head.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Jules!" Shawn hissed, rubbing his sore head. "Are you going to help me or not?"

She sighed, the relief flooding through her body replacing the anger at the cruel trick.

"Who is it?" she asked. "Who's really behind all this?"

"One of the hostages," Shawn told her quietly, still not moving from his supine position on the floor. "But I don't know which one yet. That's why they had to think I was dead, too."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked quietly. "I didn't bring a gun, Shawn. I couldn't. He might have searched me. All I have is my vest."

"Then take Phil's away from him," Shawn whispered. "Pretend to take him down. He won't fight back."

"Are you insane?" Juliet hissed.

"Why would you ask that?" Shawn blinked innocently, wiping his hands on the thick, gloppy blood that covered his shirt. "Anyway…it's a perfect plan! Whoever set this up wants the diamonds in the safety deposit boxes. They're not going to leave until they get them. If you take down Phil and it looks like it's over, they're going to have to do something to keep the situation going. You take down Phil, and I'll watch the reactions. Someone is going to try to keep us in here."

Juliet nodded slowly, comprehending the premise of the plan perfectly. "Okay," she agreed finally. "I'll do it."

Phil nodded, taking a step towards her. She quickly stood up and grabbed for the gun, sweeping her foot behind him in the neat, perfect sweep-kick she had done so many times before. He groaned as he hit the floor on his back, hard.

"Damn, Jules," Shawn chuckled quietly as she snatched the gun from the incapacitated Phil. "Take it easy on the poor guy! He's had a rough day!"

As soon as Juliet had stood up, the hostages on the other side of the room had been able to see her again. They gasped as Phil hit the floor and Juliet snatched the gun.

As soon as the gun was in her hand, a large hostage suddenly stood up, whipping out a gun from a hidden pocket inside his jacket.

Gus saw him first. "Jules! Look out!" he shouted, not even standing up before tackling the new gunman around the knees and bringing him down to the floor. Juliet whirled around, seeing the man on the floor. She grabbed the radio off the paramedic's belt.

"Move in!" she shouted into it, standing over the man with her gun aimed down at him. "We took him down."

They could hear the sounds of SWAT team mobilizing outside. Gus jumped up and ran to the counter, looking down at Shawn, who was grinning back up at him.

"Hi, Gus!" he greeted, waving at his friend, sitting up and wiping his red hands off on the floor. "I hope this stuff doesn't stain. Who knew carrying a tube of fake blood in your back pocket would actually come in handy someday? Usually, I just use it on Halloween."

Gus' eyes narrowed bitterly at his friend. For a moment, he was too furious to even speak.

"Shawn!"he shouted finally. "If you ever do anything like that again, I swear I'm going to shoot you for real!"

Shawn and Juliet stood next to each other outside, watching as the SWAT team led the hostages out of the bank.

She couldn't help herself. Her eyes eventually drifted to his shirt, which was still covered in fake blood. She could feel the lump in her throat forming again as she remembered the sight of him lying on the floor, pale and bleeding.

She smacked him in the arm.

Hard.

"Ow!" he yelped, turning to her as he rubbed his bruise tenderly. "What was that for?"

"For coming up with the stupidest plan in the history of stupid plans!" she shouted, feeling her cheeks flush in a combination of rage and sheer relief that he was alive. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know…" he shrugged. "It was kind of ad-libbed. I sure as heck wasn't going to jump back up once I got Phil out of the way. I didn't want to get shot by the sniper! The rest…just kind of happened."

"If you ever make me think you're dead again…" she started to threaten, her jaw tensing as she lifted her hand to smack him again.

"What?" he asked, closing his eyes and wincing at the anticipated blow. "You'll shoot me for real, too?"

She lowered her hand, laughing despite herself. "Damn straight I'll shoot you myself!"

He opened one eye again when she didn't hit him. "I'm sorry, Jules," he said quietly. "I just knew you'd come in if you thought I was hurt. I knew you were the only one who would listen to me. I needed you in there with me. I didn't know what else to do."

"You could have just asked! You didn't have to play dead with me! It scared the hell out of me, Shawn!"

"Really?" Shawn grinned, an evil eyebrow arching. "You were scared?"

Juliet's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "Yes," she admitted finally. "The thought of losing you scared the hell out of me. You're my best friend, Shawn."

"Am I?" Shawn blinked in feigned surprise. "I thought Mr. Man-Boobs--"

"Shawn!" she snapped, slapping his arm again, the tender moment gone as quickly as it had come. "Stop calling him that!"

"Hey," he raised his arms defensively. "I'm not the weirdo who's attracted to creepy old guys."

"He's not a creepy old guy!" she insisted stubbornly. "He's a consummate professional."

Shawn laughed, subtly stepping closer to her. "He almost got a hostage shot," he murmured, his eyes locking with hers.

"That was the stupid hostage's fault," she retorted, her voice softer now than it had been a moment before.

"I'm not a stupid hostage," Shawn snorted, bringing his face inches away from hers. They were so close she could feel his sweet, musky breath on her forehead.

"Yes, you are." she insisted, tilting her head up so she could see his eyes fully, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

"I'm a consummate professional hostage," he murmured, his eyes half-closed as his hand gently brushed a strand of hair off her forehead.

She stepped back from his touch, shaking her head. "I'm meeting Cameron later tonight, Shawn. I have to go. I can't do this…not now."

She turned on her heel and started to walk away, but didn't get more than two steps before she heard Shawn's voice.

"But you promised you weren't leaving, Jules."

She turned back around. "I thought you were dying!"

Shawn stepped towards her again, all joking gone from his eyes.

For once, he was being completely sincere.

"But you still promised."