Chapter Five-
She looked at him, on the floor on his knees, waiting for her answer.

"Yes Dean." He cheered, and swept her off the lounge, bringing her close. She kissed him, lost in the moment. He broke off the kiss, and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you Lara." She pecked him on the cheek.

"I love you too Dean Gallagher." He moved his hand down to her swelling abdomen.

"And I love the baby too, and I can't wait to meet him or her." She looked at him.

"Are you going soft Gallagher?" She laughed.

"No," he said quietly. She lifted his chin to look in his eyes.

"You are Gallagher, and that's why I love you." She took the ring out of the box and handed it to him. He took her hand and slipped the diamond ring over her finger. She smiled at him, tears of joy and happiness streaming down her face. He kissed her.

"Don't cry Lara," he said. He wiped away a tear with his thumb, stroking her face. She held his hand, and pulled him up, and motioned for him to sit on the couch. He sat up again, and she leant into his chest. He reclined gently, and stroked her hair. Lara rested on his chest, feeling, for the first time in a long time, that she was safe and secure in her future. Her hand crept down to stroke her baby bump.

"I love you."


"Alright team, we've got a car accident on the harbour bridge; a truck has rolled, and blocked four lanes, and has caused a five car pile-up. Firies will meet you there to deal with the leaking petrol, and any other chemical hazards. Get moving!" Everyone dashed down stairs to the patrols. Dean, Kate and Lara were paired together this time, the goal being that Kate would replace Lara for a little while when she was on maternity leave. As they sped towards the accident scene, Lara put her hand across and gripped Dean's. He smiled at her.

"Ew you two! Get a room," said Kate jokingly. Lara took her hand away from Dean's, and moved her fingers at Kate. She gasped and took her hand.

"When did he ask?"

"Last night," said Lara smugly. Kate ogled the beautiful ring.

"When's the wedding?" She asked. Lara looked at Dean.

"Probably not til after the baby is born," she replied. Kate released Lara's hand.

"So are you moving into his place?" She asked.

"Geez Kate, you've got so many questions today! Yes, I'm moving in with Dean before the baby is born, and you girls are invited to come over after we've cleaned out the spare rooms, and you can decorate." Kate cheered. Dean pulled up beside the burning wreckage strewn across the bridge, and jumped out. Lara and Kate flung open their own doors, and headed for the back of the patrol, taking out gear. Dean headed for Jake Hudson.

"What's the go?" He asked gruffly.

"Two trapped in the blue car, a woman in the red, one in each the green and the black, a hysterical male in the silver, and the truck driver is a suspected spinal." Dean nodded.

"Any other issues?"

"We've got leaking petrol from one of the cars, so no sparks at the moment." Dean sprinted away to his waiting team.

"Lara, red. Kate and Lachie, blue. Chase, silver. Jordan, green. Heidi, black. I'll take the truck driver." They separated. The team was spread thin today, but they knew they could do it. Lara ran over to the red car, no knowing what to expect. The woman inside was crying.

"Hi, my name's Lara. Can you tell me your name?"

"Megan Campbell," she sobbed. Lara assessed her, trying to see the extent of her injuries. All she could see was her head and shoulders, the steering wheel and crumpled front covering her body. Megan's face grimaced.

"Megan? What's going on?" Megan cried harder.

"It's too early, he can't come now," she said, distressed.

"Who can't come now?" Asked Lara.

"My baby. I can feel the contractions. It's too early, he won't survive." Megan was panicking. Lara tried to calm her, but it didn't work.

"Rescue Portable Two to anyone who's available. Can someone come help me here please?"

"Rescue Portable One to Rescue Portable Two, I'm finished Lara. I'll be there in a second." Dean had finished with the truck driver. He had been an easy extraction, and with some assistance from the ambulance crew, had the driver in and ambulance and on his way in minutes. He sprinted towards Lara and her patient.

"What's up Lara?" He called.

"We need a hospital on standby. She's gone into labour." Dean checked her over himself.

"Should be able to move her if we grab a combi-tool." Jordan and Heidi ran over, having finished with their own patients. Lara stepped back, allowing Heidi to attach heart monitors and give the woman oxygen. Jordan went to help Dean with the tools. The two boys returned quickly with the combi-tool.

"Move aside Heidi and Lara." Jordan put a patient-shield over Megan's body. Dean wedged the tool in the doorframe, and prised it apart. They pulled Megan out and onto a spinal board. An alarm told them her oxygen stats were dropping, along with her blood pressure and heart rate. Heidi leapt into action, administering medication.

"Dean, she's bleeding from somewhere, probably internally. I can't stop it." Dean flagged down an ambo officer, who came running. He checked her over, and waved down another officer who brought a gurney over. They transferred her onto it, and her stats flat-lined.

"No!" Cried Lara. She jumped up from her crouching position on the ground, and pushed the ambo's aside. She brought her hands down on Megan's chest, trying CPR. Heidi pulled back Megan's shirt, and noticed the large dark bruise that bloomed there. Dean saw it too, and pulled Lara back away from the woman.

"Lara, it's too late. The internal injuries were too great for us to treat." She let herself be pulled into his chest, and cried. Her emotions felt frazzled. The ambo officers wheeled Megan's body away, and loaded her into an ambulance. Dean pulled out a juice from his pack, and passed it to Lara.

"Drink this; otherwise you'll pass out." She drank it, not realising how thirsty she was. The other teams finished, and packed up their gear. It would be left to tow truck drivers to clear up the wreckage now. Dean held Lara close as they walked back to the patrol. Kate decided to hitch a ride with Chase and Lachie.

"It's alright Lara, it's not your fault," Dean said softly as they walked. She pulled away from him.

"It is my fault. I should have assessed her better, told her what the risks were. I just wanted to get her and her baby out safely." The tears streamed down her face.

"Lara, it's ok. We can't save everyone, remember?" She nodded. He kissed the top of her forehead. She climbed into the front of the patrol.

"Part of me hopes that nothing like that ever happens to you. That's something that scares me the most." She smiled at him.

"Something that frightens the brave Dean Gallagher? Never!" He laughed with her. He pulled out into the traffic, watching her and not the road. Lara glanced up.

"Dean! Look out!"