This song is Yellowcard believe

Think about the chance I never had to say

Thank you for giving up your life that day

Never fearing, only hearing voices calling out

Let it all go, the life that you know, just to bring us down alive

And you still came back for me

You were strong and you believed

(X)

Ethan was inside the building. The place was black with smoke. The heat was intense. The whole of the downstairs was practically an inferno. He ran in, after a minute he couldn't see the door to run back out again. Fire was all around him. He looked quickly trying vainly to find the stairs to rescue the civilians. He ran and dodged as burning timber fell. Exhaled a huge breath as it exploded into a shower of bright red splinters beside him. He was in trouble here. This was a wooden building. Far too much fuel here to keep this fire raging! It was too hot in here too. His mind ran with accelerants and causes of back draughts. He knew he was in a 3 storey cleaners too! God all those chemicals could explode any minute and if they did he was screwed! He had a feeling he was screwed anyway to be honest! But what else could he do? Leave the people to die? Like hell! Or worse send one of his men in to die? No freaking way! He was the leader and it was his job to take care of his people and the civilians and he would get them out of here! There were no if and or buts involved!

Right Ethan focus on causes of explosions. Safety first Eth! He finally found some stairs. He grinned. He had a chance now! They were rickety but still standing. He ran up them quickly and into the room where the woman was.

"O thank you!" The woman coughed. A child of about 6 at the window.

He took off his oxygen. "Close that window!" he demanded. "If a gust of wind comes it'll kill us!" he warned

The mother slammed the window down. He handed the mother his face mask. "Alternate it between the two of you."

He ran back towards the rickety stairs. Shook his head when he saw them. Decided to try them anyway. Was just about to put his foot on the top stair when they collapsed with a shudder and a scream. Then a almighty boom below as they hit the floor. The fire below crackled happy with the extra fuel. Screw you! He thought. He'd find another way out! The floor shook beneath his feet.

"No No No!" he yelled. Then coughed.

Fire wasn't the only thing that killed. Smoke did too and he had no idea if this was toxic. He took his helmet off for a second and ran his hand through his hair thinking. Backed away from the stair ledge. The fire was creeping towards the room the mother and child were in. He ran back in there.

"Look Miss we need to head for the back stairs. My team have a crane but this floor is gonna go up on about 2 minutes so we can't wait here!"

The floor trembled beneath his feet. He ignored the surge of fear inside him. The fear that was telling him they were gonna die in this inferno! That he'd never see his little girl again. He knew what their odds of survival were if this floor collapsed. Practically zero! He put those thoughts of his mind. Focus Ethan. You're the leader and these people need you!

She nodded again. The mother picked up her child and he again thrust the mask at her.

"Deep breaths!" he told them. "You'll both be fine!"

He grabbed the mothers hand and pulled her through the building. Smoke swirled around them. Fire hissed at them. They arrived at the place the back stairs should have been there was nothing but a huge hole which led to an inferno below. He gaped. Again mind whirling trying to find a solution to this. The only thought in his head is that we are monumentally screwed! They were trapped fire coming at them from all angles. No stairs - no way of heading up! God this so wasn't good! he clenched his teeth in frustration.

The young woman stared in horror at the scene below. "Oh my God!" she whispered.

O yeah say you prayers lady! He thought. No he refused to give up! Knelt down and removed the rope from his little pack he insisted they all carried in a heat proof bag. He made a knot and looked above him for something to latch it to. He could see anything due to the blackness of the smoke. He spied the edge of a banister. He threw it up. Missed. 3 times he missed. He was beginning to lose patience with the fact that fate seemed determined to see him fall on his face.

"C'mon Dammit!" he whispered.

It finally latched and he pulled it taut. Put his weight on it. It held. He exhaled in relief.

"Look Miss if you can go up I'll carry your daughter!" he breathed.

"I'm sorry I can't!" she said terrified. Her daughter just stared at him with frightened brown eyes.

He took his spare rope. Tied her daughter to his chest. She was tight against him.

"Right you'll have to leave the oxygen." He pocketed the important stuff from his pack. Normally he'd never do this but he wasn't sure he could do this carrying the 2 of them. The less weight at the moment the better.

"Oh God!" he whispered. He had no idea if he could do this! Ok, climb on my back. Hang on as tight as you can. And one thing. Don't look down!"

She climbed on his back. He took a deep breath. Said a tiny prayer and made a sign of the cross. He wasn't necessarily religious but he needed all the help he could get! He wrapped his arms and legs around the rope and started the slow climb upwards. He felt the rope giving. His body jerked as he fell a little. NO! The little girl screamed. High pitched in absolute terror. Why was everything going wrong. He refused dammit. He refused to let this rope fall down. Like his sheer human will would keep it attached long enough. His anger spurred him on. This building wasn't going to beat him. LIKE HELL! He climbed faster. His arms burning with exertion. His chest aching with the extra weight. He was so close to the banister. Again his body lurched downwards. That was it he was pissed now. He made a lunge and grabbed the banister. Just as his fingers hit the metal the rope fell into the inferno below. It fell in a circle sort of like a last dance. God that had been too close. that could have been them!

He'd nearly cried in relief as his hands clutched the banister. They hung now in mid air. He had to somehow find the strength to heave the mother and her child over the side. He began to heave….until the young lady looked down and started to panic. Her arms slipped and she gripped his neck lightly. She was choking him felt himself slipping. A picture of Zoey and Lexi flashed in his brain. He refused to leave them. Not by this god forsaken hole anyway! He gave one more last heave with all his strength and might. They tumbled over the banister. The mother released his neck and he gasped. Gulping breathes of air. Unfortunately the air was full of smoke and he proceeded to cough and splutter. He loosed the rope which bound him to the little girl. He could feel the heat intensifying! The hotter it burned the quicker it burned. God if I don't get outta this take care of Lexi and Zoey please. He prayed.

He handed the girl to her mother. A massive explosion scared the child. A ball of fire ran up beside them. He grabbed them and turned his back. Protected them as much he could, his jacket was heat proof. The little girl screamed and ran away.

"No!" the mum bellowed. He grabbed her stopped her from following.

"Go in there. I'll get her. I promise you I'll find her. I haven't let you down yet! Open the window and show my team where you are!" he saw the crane at the window as he passed. "Get on it!" he pressed. "I promise I will find her!" He then left her and looked for the child.

Dammit! He thought as he walked through the house. Shouting for the little girl. He didn't know her name so it was. "Little girl!" he was yelling. He found her in a far room. Huddling beneath a table. Tears streaming down her little face making tracks down her cheeks. "S'kay I've got you!" he promised. He picked her up and made her a little air pocket in his jacket so she wasn't inhaling as much smoke. Carried her to room. Chided himself for his pessimism. They were getting out. They were gonna be fine. Thank God he had got to them! He walked in the room and looked at the window and his heart leapt when he realised the crane was gone. Where the hell was it? The smoke was thicker and the fire hotter than ever. He ran over and looked out of the window. He saw the crane being turned around. The floor shuddered violently beneath his feet. He looked down.

"Get them away!" Ethan yelled to Toby. "They're too close this building is gonna come down!" Pointing down and gesturing away. Toby turning the crane, he gave a thumbs up showing he understood and got on his radio. As his fighters moved away an explosion ripped thought the lower part of the building.

"Come get the girl!" he yelled. "This floor is unstable!"

The crane was inching towards the building again.

He looked at the little girl. "Look I need you to sit on this window ledge for me ok. Can you do that? You won't fall I have you!" Ethan told the child.

She nodded. He lifted her onto the window ledge. God! He thought panicked. This building was minutes away from going up completely.

The floor shuddered and screamed below him "Oh Dammit!" he yelled and grabbed the ledge as the floor disappeared beneath him.

"The floor is gone here! She's exposed." Ethan yelled holding his weight. "Come get her!"

Ethan dangled in the building. The crane slowly coming closer. Not quick enough though. A gust of wind blew and the little girl fell backwards. She screamed and he panicked. He reached and caught her arm with his hand and she dangled. As did he from one arm. He hung in mid air struggling. Dammit he was gonna fall. He couldn't stay like this long, he wasn't strong enough!

"Climb up me!" he said "I swear I won't drop you. I promise ok! Climb up me!" he said strained. The girl hesitated frozen in terror. He couldn't hold her one armed in the air forever. "C'mon kid please!" he whispered. His chest aching. He saw her swallow and she reached and grabbed his leg. He kept a tight grip on her arm.

"That's it angel!" he encouraged. For such a small kid she was being incredibly brave!

She reached his waist and still he held her wrist tightly. She reached his neck. Wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you Mr firefighter!"

He nodded and Toby reached over and lifted the girl into the crane.

The building shook and groaned.

"Hang on 2 minutes boss!" Toby said.

"I ain't goin' nowhere." Ethan said reaching up to grab the ledge with the hand that had held the girl. He heaved a sigh of relief. Grinned in triumph. He had did it. They were safe and he was gonna be too. No one and nothing beat Ethan Bell!

His triumph was short lived however when he heard a rumble above his head. Looked up at the roof the same time as Toby did. Ethan opened his mouth to tell Toby to move the crane away before they got hurt but the sound was drowned out by a sudden crashing. Ethan dropped his head as the roof came down on top of him.

"NO!" Toby yelled. He couldn't do anything. Ethan was already gone. Lost under the rubble. The whole building began to fold in on him.

A/N OMG Poor ethan! :'( is he alive?