Hi all!

I'm going to jump ahead to the night of the fire, just because I think the rest of the scenes we have witnessed between Chryed have been pretty self-explanatory, and I wanted to get a feel for what might have been running through Christian's head on the night of the fire.

What did you all think of the fire? I'm soo pleased that Syed got out OK! My heart was in my throat the whole time!

And the little hug was soo cute!

xoxoxo

Christian POV:

I was just starting to drift off to sleep, feeling a little guilty that I was undoubtedly going to be out of it by the time Syed got home, when I was roused from my semi-unconsciousness by the irritating ring of my mobile. My eyes still closed, I felt around blindly on my nightstand for the cause of the irritating sound, finally managing to grasp it and answer it groggily.

"'Lo?" I was surprised I even had the energy to talk right now; I'd had a full day of training sessions, which had taken it out of me a little.

"Christian?" I tired to make myself focus, trying to decipher who's the voice was at the other end of the line. "Christian, it's Tamwar." I sat up immediately, checking the caller ID with some difficulty. Tam was calling from Syed's mobile, which immediately got me wondering what was wrong with Syed.

"Tam? What is it? Is it Syed?" I was already out of bed at this point, grateful that I had been too tired to undress. The thought that something might be wrong with Syed was driving me on, putting my fatigue on the back burner. I was trying to pull my shoes on with one hand while I tried to keep the phone to my ear with the other.

"He's fine, Christian. Can you come to the Vic?" I was already out of the door before he had begun his request. I didn't answer him, ending the call and putting my phone in my pocket as I dashed down Turpin Road, not feeling the coldness of the night despite being in only a vest. As I sped up Bridge Street, the breath was almost knocked out of me by the sight. Fire was tumbling from the windows of the Vic, people were gathered on the street in front, some crying, others comforting loved ones. I was immediately searching for Syed, finally locating him on the floor, leaning against Ian's wall, his family a short distance from him, Zainab and Masood seemingly ignoring him.

"Syed!" His head snapped up as soon as he heard my voice, and I was by his side in seconds, ignoring the looks I was getting from Zainab and Masood. I cradled his head in my hands, my eyes scanning his beautiful face for any signs of injury. I started to relax a little when I saw for myself that Syed was perfectly fine; there were no cuts to his face, it was only a little darkened from the ash. I pulled him in to my side, keeping him tight against me. I pecked his forehead before we both turned our attention to the burning pub. I was finding it hard to believe what was happening, especially since Syed had been so closely involved with the whole thing. When I think that he could have been hurt..a shudder runs through my entire body. Syed and I looked on as the horror unfolded around us. Stacey appeared at one of the upstairs windows begging for someone to help her. I felt the urge to help, but the urge to stay with Syed was stronger; only someone or something really important to me would be enough to make me move from his side right now. We watched as Ryan went to her aid, bringing the baby down with him first.

"Somebody please, do something!" My attention was distracted from the fire when I heard Roxy yell over the sounds of the crowd and the emergency vehicles. I looked back down at Syed, not wanting to leave him during something like this, but feeling like I needed to be there for my best friend all the same. "Please, will someone help me?" The decision was made for me by the desperate sound to her voice. As I made to stand, Syed felt my movements and looked up at me questioningly. As I gave Syed an encouraging smile, Roxy started yelling at her sister. I ran over to her, holding her in my arms and pulling her off her sister. I heard Syed shout my name as I ran to her, but it was as though I was working on autopilot. Roxy started to calm down a little as she felt my hold around her; at least, she stopped struggling to get back inside the building, and I held her while she sobbed. "They're all gonna die in there!" I kept my hold tight on her as Ronnie tried to talk to her, to calm her down some more. All three of us looked on in shock as the doors of the Vic opened and Peggy tumbled out with Billy and Phil in tow. I kept my grip on her as she went to her aunt's aid, just in case she got too close to the fire, or in case she needed to be moved away from the building quickly. I helped move Phil and Peggy away from the building, all of us managing to get the unconscious Phil onto the pavement near the gardens just before something inside the building started to explode. I watched in horror as flames bundled out of the windows, feeling myself get flung back from the force.

Now that I had ascertained that Roxy was going to be alright, I turned my attention back over to Syed, glad to see that at least one member of his family cared enough to make sure that he was alright. Tamwar was kneeling on the floor beside where his brother was sat, and had no doubt been comforting him while I had been away. Just as I was about to get up to cross the Square towards him, Ian and Jane came running across the Square towards Peggy, Ian yelling at Peggy and trying to get her to move away from her burning pub. Jane ran to me, and as she pulled me up from the ground, I realised that my body was flooded with a second wave of relief; with everything that had been going on, I had been unconsciously worrying about her whereabouts, and now that I knew that she was safe, I was relieved all over again. I held her tight for a moment before rushing over to Syed, reaching him just as he got to his feet. He immediately wrapped an arm around my waist, and I locked mine around his neck, holding him close to me, whispering to him that it was all going to be alright. He held onto me just as tightly, and I started stroking his hair as we both glanced at the burning pub one last time. Finally releasing him from my hold, I took his hand tightly in mine and lead him down Bridge Street and back to our flat, thanking whoever was up there that he had been saved; that I had not lost him yet again.

Once we were back inside the safety of the flat, I pulled Syed over to the sofa, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close, as I had done so many times before. I laid my chin on his shoulder, kissing his cheek softly, my legs getting tangled up with his. I didn't know how close I had come to losing him tonight; I didn't know if he had been inside the building when the fire had started, or whether he had already been making his way home to me, but I was more thankful than words could describe to have him in the safety of my embrace.

"Sy, what happened?" He shook his head at me, and I could see that he was clearly frustrated about something.

"I..I dunno...I just remember Peggy shouting about a fire..One minute I was with Tam and my parents, the next, I was on the floor. I think I must've hit my head or something," I had to stifle a gasp. Knowing that Syed was that close to being trapped, to being killed...it was hard to take in.

"So what happened?"

"The next thing I remember, I was on the floor. I was disorientated, didn't know which way was up. I didn't know how to get out of there..Then I felt someone grab my arm, and the next thing I know, mum's dragging me out the front door.."

"Zainab?" I was beyond shocked that Zainab had been the one to help Syed. She had done such a great job pretending that he didn't exist, that I was pretty sure that she'd managed to convince herself that it was true. If Zainab had been the one to help Syed, it just showed that, no matter how wrong she thought our relationship was, however much she was disappointed in Syed, her motherly instincts just couldn't give in and let him die. And, although I could never thank her, I would be eternally grateful to her for saving his life.

"I know, tell me about it. Tam said it was my dad who first realised that I was missing.." OK, this was all getting a little strange. Masood had disowned him, not once, but twice. And yet he still cared whether his son lived or died. I had clearly got it wrong when I thought that the Masoods were terrible parents for disowning Syed the way they did; they clearly still cared for him, loved him even. I would be in their debt for the rest of my life.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, babe. I'm just glad you're OK."

"I thought I was gonna lose you.." he said it so quietly that I wasn't sure that he'd spoken, at first.

"What d'ya mean?"

"When you went over to Roxy...I thought you were gonna go inside.." I almost laughed at him, he was so adorably stupid.

"Sy, I might be a lot of things, but I ain't stupid. You really think I'm gonna do something like that when I've only just got you back?" I laughed, messing his hair up with my free hand. "The only person I would have gone in there to save is you, you stupid lump!" He laughed with me, both of us stunned by the night's events, but both equally as glad that the other was still here to tell the tale.