A/N: MAJOR SPOILERS for 'One Wrong Move'. And yes, a lot that happens in this story did happen to Lewis Young, but some of it didn't. I hope you enjoy, even with the tragic circumstances surrounding the tale.

5 Things That Never Happened to Lewis Young

"Hi, Mom, it's me."

SRU Constable Lewis Young stood quite still in the rock garden, concentrating on the double-threat of the explosive device in front of him and the landmine beneath him.

Best pal Spike Scarlatti had warned him not to move or shift his weight when Lou had sent the message that he thought he'd stepped on the death-trap.

Well, that advice was a no-brainer. When Lou had heard the 'click' of the arming mechanism; felt the sharp points of the trigger's spikes digging into the sole of his boot, some instinct told him he was in dire straits. One false move and he could kiss this sweet life good-bye in an instant; blown to pieces in a fiery explosion. That's what landmines were designed to do, and if Sam Braddock had any say, such devices did so violently and without mercy or discrimination.

But Lou knew had to banish those thoughts; brutally shove them aside and remain calm and collected. If he allowed himself to falter – if he moved his foot – not only would he go, but the resulting detonation would also set off the TNT in the bomb he was there to defuse. If that TNT blew, it would take out the support column of the building it was set against. A number of civilians were yet to be evacuated from that building...

Not gonna happen on my watch, Lou thought fervently. If I'm gonna die today, I'm not gonna let the bastard who set these bombs take more innocent lives if it's the last thing I ever do.

The chatter from his team was disconcertingly non-existent. Lou wondered for a moment why they were being so silent. Perhaps, he mused, they were staying quiet so he would not be disturbed while he tried to figure out which wires to cut.

He hoped that was the reason, but without the back-and-forth conversations, even frivolous talk, Lou was starting to feel very alone; abandoned like a condemned man on death row.

Finally, the voice of his friend, Spike, broke through like a comforting lullaby, soothing his slowly fraying nerves.

They've switched channels on me, it finally dawned on Lou. For a single moment, he felt cut to the heart.

Spike tried to lighten the mood and assuage Lou's fears by accusing him of being a chatterbox.

Me? 'Less-lethal-Lou' – a talker? Lou almost forgot the importance of his statue impersonation by nearly laughing out loud at the absurdity of Spike's mock accusation. But at least it brought a smile to his face.

He could almost cope now, with Spike there. Spike, who was the next to join Team One after he'd been recruited; Spike, who'd become his best pal in the whole world; Spike, who would risk his life for any member of the team…

Not this time, Spike, Lou thought, resigned to the fact that he was not going to be moving without being killed in the process. I'm not going to let you risk your life for me.

With the final wire at last cut, rendering the TNT-packed device inactive, Lou allowed himself a chance to relax, thankful that his tired, aching leg and half-asleep foot had lasted long enough to accomplish this mission.

Lou listened and watched as Spike scampered around the college campus, looking for solutions to the lethal situation.

Let it go, Spike, Lou wanted to counsel his friend.

You can't save me.

If he could have physically prevented Spike from approaching the danger zone, he would have. Being unable to move, Lou watched helplessly as his best friend risked life and limb in an attempt to identify the breed of landmine.

It took every ounce of control for Lou not to scream at Spike; to ward him off the gravel and away from certain death. Nothing he could say would convince the bomb expert that his efforts would be in vain; that his loyalty in this case was foolhardy.

Taking stock, however, Lou knew deep in his soul that had their roles been reversed, he would be doing the exact same thing for Constable Scarlatti.

Hope fleetingly grew wings when Spike declared he would try to re-pin the mine; cut down when he saw the hole had been glued shut.

That was it, then. Anything else would just be an exercise in futility, and Lou knew it. Still, Spike continued babbling on, claiming he had a good idea: Some harebrained scheme about using shields and water and weight-transfer – lost totally on Lou, who was now more certain than ever that his time had come.

Lou's quadriceps and calf muscles were screaming in protest and he was growing weary from the static pose.

It's only a matter of time, now, Lou figured. He encouraged Spike to go; to leave to gather the materials for his 'good idea'. In reality it was a ruse to get his dear friend far away from the destruction that was imminent.

Only one thing left to do.

With tears dripping from his eyes and with a heavy heart, Lewis dialled a number. He ached to hear – just once more – a voice that was most dear to him. It was a voice that, given the choice, would be the last one he would want to hear before he left this life forever.

The phone rang twice before the other side picked up.

"Hello?" came a sweet, melodic, maternal sound.

Lou sighed, and his tears of self-pity and grief were replaced with tears of relief.

She was home.

He would be okay with the prospect of dying, now that he could speak with her.

He collected his wits and cleared his throat, attempting to remove all trace of the desperate emotional turmoil roiling in his gut; emotion he knew would strain his voice and taint his words; emotion that would cause his mother to worry.

Lou didn't know what other words to say; how to explain to his mother that he had just stepped on a landmine and that this would be the last time they would ever share a conversation, so he just said the first thing that came into his head. He took a deep breath and simply said:

"Hi, Mom, it's me…"

END