AN: A shoutout to Missblueeyes63 and Elise Deschat for their wicked ideas and mad editing skills. Thanks guys!

Chapter 37 - Finally, I Succeeded

Crash Site

Sam stared down the business end of a SIG Sauer P220 about to end his life. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his heart pounded and his mind raced. How are you going to get out of this one Braddock? A grunt from inside the SUV drew Wild Card's attention. Not wasting any time, Sam took advantage of the brief distraction and made his move.

Twisting and kicking out, Sam's foot made contact with the side of the other man's knees, knocking him sideways and a little backward. At that moment, Sam did a kip-up, drawing both legs to his chest, rotating back onto his shoulders, using hip and knee flexion to create thrust he elevated his torso carrying his body into the air allowing him to land on his feet.

Wild Card quickly recovered his bearings, the SIG swung back to Braddock, and glee lit his face. "You're dead and so are the others."

All scenarios presented the same outcome, if he went down Jules and Matt would die. After judging his proximity to the weapon, Sam grabbed the barrel of the gun with his left hand, pushing down, as he struck the man's wrist with his right, intending to disarm him. All would've worked fine as his opponent's grasp on the pistol loosened, but the weakness of Sam's injured left arm caused the weapon to drop to the grass. Sam kicked the firearm away from them as he launched himself at Wild Card. He needed to finish the fight … epinephrine would not sustain him much longer and too much depended on him.

The force of Braddock's impact sent both men to the ground. Wild Card growled and managed to make contact with Sam's jaw as he attempted to retrieve his P220. Sam grunted as an elbow connected with his jaw. Normally this would not be an issue, but after slamming into the dirt, pain radiated throughout his body allowing his opponent to scramble away. Sam reached out in an attempt to stop his opponent from going too far. Grasping a foot, Sam jerked causing Wild Card drop with a thud.

Just before being tugged back, Wild Card succeeded in reaching his weapon. Getting to his knees, Sam jumped on his back and reached for the weapon. Wild Card rolled, ending with him on top of Sam, face to face, and the SIG between them. Both gripped the handgun and struggled for control.

Relief flooded through Jules when her seatbelt finally released. The mechanism jammed in the crash. Jules bent down searching frantically for her husband's Glock. Heading to the hospital, he had removed his weapons and placed them on the floorboard. However, despite her protests, Matt insisted Sam wear his vest until their arrival at the ER. He understood Jules' concerns, it would not be comfortable for his best friend, but as the remaining hostile had not been secured, it remained a necessary precaution. Considering the play being acted out in front of her, maybe Matt had been right. She tamped down her thoughts, ignoring the pounding in her head as her hand roamed under the seats. She needed to locate it before Wild Card killed Sam.

Not finding it, logic kicked in. She gave up searching for Sam's weapon and leaned into the front seat and grabbed Matt's Glock from his holster. Typically Jules would never leave him unarmed but being unconscious he had no need for the Glock.

Jules exited the wrecked SUV to find Wild Card on top of Sam. When a gunshot rang out, Jules' heart skipped a beat. Both men remained deathly still. Jules could not decipher which man had been hit, or if the bullet missed both entirely. In her peripheral vision, she glimpsed two SRU SUV's come to a halt, but her attention remained on Sam and his assailant. Using both hands to steady her weapon she cautiously advanced towards Wild Card.

Ed slammed on the breaks as they approached the scene of the accident. On the way, they received a call from the driver of a minivan who witnessed the wreck. Their plan was two-pronged. Spike and Lew would move to the minivan to ensure their safety while the rest of the team engaged the subject.

The moment Ed shoved the vehicle in park, he swung open the door, jumped out, and sprinted across the grass to where Jules stood pointing a weapon at a man who he assumed to be the one who ran Matt off the road.

Sam stared up wide-eyed as pain radiated in his left chest. Wild Card grinned above him as blood seeped out of the new wound.

"Finally, I succeed." Wild Card smirked before turning around at the sound of someone approaching.

Coming face to face with Sam's wife, and the business end of a Glock, Wild Card slowly stood, arms out, gun down presenting the appearance of capitulation, deception always served him well. As Jules drew close, his stance changed and his weapon began to rise towards the petite woman.

Jules almost fired, he was an active shooter, and he presented a continual threat to her husband. She also couldn't ignore the blood seeping from Sam's upper torso. It took all of her will-power not to shoot the man who caused her family so much anguish. Reasoning and training kicked in, she and Sam needed answers to why this man targeted them, and if there might be others still. Reining in her fury, Jules knew what she had to do … dead men don't supply information. In the moments it took for the hostile to raise the P220, Jules executed a front kick, knocking the firearm out of the man's hand. She followed up with a sidekick which doubled him over and sent him back several paces.

Stunned by the woman's fierce attack, Wild Card stumbled backward and tripped over Sam causing him to fall.

In an instant, Jules was on top of him. Flipping him over, she wrenched his arm high before pressing her full body weight onto his back, her knee between his shoulders.

"I've got him," Ed called out.

Jules turned in the direction of the voice to find Ed by her side. Wordy stood behind, both men ready to assist. A simple nod and Jules allowed her team to take over. Turning towards Sam, Jules felt relief at the sight of Greg kneeling by his side, applying pressure to Sam's wound.

"Sam!" Jules dropped to her knees next to Sam and reached for his hand.

Noting the paleness of his face, closed eyes, and the copious amount of blood pooling around the wound and soaking into the ground, there was no doubt something vital was hit.

"EMS is moments away, Jules." Greg glanced at his rookie, fear evident in her eyes.

The scene around them burst into activity. The fire department, the first to arrive on scene, immediately went to the wrecked SUV. After wetting down the area to prevent a fire they began to assess Matt's condition, and how to extract him from the wreckage. EMS being only moments behind came to a stop at Sam's side.

"Ma'am, we need you to move back."

Jules reluctantly released Sam's hand, rose, and stepped back. Arms wrapped around her and drew her into a tight embrace.

"He's going to be okay, Jules. He's a fighter," Greg offered while praying the soldier survived.

Jules kept a close eye as EMS assessed Sam, put a neck brace on him, and then strapped him to a stretcher. "We are airlifting him to St. Joseph's."

"They have the best trauma team in the city," the second paramedic stated as he helped prepare Sam for transport. "He will be in capable hands."

"Thank you. We will meet you there." Greg turned to Jules and placed a hand on each shoulder. "Come on, Jules. You need to be examined by a medic too."

Jules allowed Greg to lead her to one of the waiting rigs. Her adrenaline now gone, her body sagged and she became dizzy as her vision grayed.

"Help here!" Greg shouted as Jules began to collapse to the ground. He caught her and lay her on the grass as her eyes rolled back and her lids closed.

A paramedic rushed over. After taking her vitals, he spoke to his partner, "She's going into shock." He glanced up at the SRU officer. "Was she in the accident?" Receiving a nod, he called out for a neck brace and backboard.

Greg stayed by her side until they lifted Jules to the gurney. He moved back to allow the paramedics to move her to an awaiting rig.

"Hey, Sarge. We are going to transport the subject back to the chapel. JTF2 will take custody of him there." Wordy came up alongside Greg and placed his hands on his hips. "How are they?"

"Sam is critical. Jules is in shock. Fire and rescue are cutting Matt out of the wreckage now." Greg took in the scene around him.

"Boss, we got here as quick as we could. No sense beating yourself up over something out of your control."

Greg met Wordy's eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

"Wordy, come on. Let's head out," Ed called over the comms.

"See ya later, Boss. We'll meet you at the hospital."

Greg nodded once as Wordy jogged to meet up with Ed.

"Sarge, we have the driver of the minivan. All occupants are unharmed," Spike reported with a smile.

"Good news, thanks, Spike. Take their statements and give them our thanks for calling 911. Due to their quick call, we were able to stop traffic to this stretch of road before things got messy." Greg knew timing had a lot to do with the fact. This road was not heavily traveled at this time of day.

"Will do. You riding with Jules? We can take care of the mop up here."

Taking a moment to consider his options, Greg agreed. He trusted his team to handle the scene. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

Greg drew in a deep breath as the ambulance pulled away. This has been one hell of a day for my team, and the JTF2 unit.

St. Joseph's Hospital - ICU

Six hours later, Jules stood at the entrance to Sam's room in ICU with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She was afraid to go in, afraid if she so much as even touched him she would cause him more pain.

"Jules?" Greg came to a stop beside his rookie.

"He appears so... fragile." Jules turned to meet Greg's gaze. "I have never seen him this injured before and I'm scared."

Greg reached out and pulled Jules into a tight, fatherly hug. "It's never easy when someone we love is injured like this. But you have to believe he's going to pull through. He is young, strong, and determined. Sam has you and Sadie to wake up to, and let me tell you, family alone is motivation enough."

"How am I going to tell Sadie her father almost died today, could still die?" Turning back to Sam, Jules shuddered as she wondered if Sam would remember his father was killed hours before.

"You don't. You tell Sadie Sam is hurt, but he is going to be okay. She doesn't have to be made aware of all the little details."

"She will want to see him."

"Yes, she will. Unfortunately, she is going to have to wait until he at least wakes up. It will be better for her anyway. Sadie doesn't need to observe her daddy on a ventilator." Greg softly said as he rubbed Jules back to offer her comfort. "Wordy, Rollie, and Shelly can stay with her until you're ready for her to come up here. We will make sure she's not alone."

Jules drew in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and quietly entered Sam's ICU room.

"Hey, Sam. I'm here." Jules pulled over the one chair in the room and lowered herself into it. She stifled a groan as all the bumps and bruises from her abduction, and the roll-over made themselves known. Taking Sam's right hand in hers, she wiped at the tears streaming down her face.

Sam lying in this hospital bed with so many tubes, wires, and monitors was a sight she prayed she would never have to see again. But, it also made her wonder how many times he had been in a position such as this over the last five years. She knew about the explosion and the glass shard that impaled him. He had new scars each time he was able to sneak home. But, she never asked, and he never offered the information. Now, though, she couldn't help but wonder.

As she noted the continual rise and fall of Sam's chest, Jules took comfort in the whir of the ventilator breathing for Sam. The constant beep of the heart monitor. Despite the trauma Sam's body endured this day, he was still alive. Greg is right. Sam is strong and capable. I will be here for him every step of the way, and we will get through this together.

ICU Waiting Room

Greg entered the ICU waiting room to find his team anxiously awaiting his return.

"How are they?" Ed stopped pacing and turned to the door the moment his weary friend entered.

"Stable. Sam and Matt are still in ICU. They wanted to hold Jules for observation, but she threatened to sign out AMA. When the doctors realized she wouldn't be leaving the building, they agreed to discharge her. I overheard her doctor instruct one of the nurses to keep a close eye on her though."

"Good." Ed offered Greg a piping hot cup of coffee.

"How were things at the chapel?" Greg took a long drink of the hot beverage.

"Bad. General Braddock is dead."

Greg's head shot up to meet Ed's gaze. "What?"

"Armor piercing round to the chest. He didn't stand a chance." Ed turned and paced three steps each direction before turning back to Greg. "There was a bomb in the basement. A sniper had a perfect vantage into the church. The man we took custody of at the accident sat nearby and observed the whole thing before following Matt, Sam, and Jules from the scene."

Greg dropped his head, shaking it thoughtfully as he peered at the floor.

"That's not all." Ed sank to the table in front of Greg and put his elbows on his knees.

Lifting his head to meet Ed's eyes, Greg wondered what else there could be.

"Winnie Camden was there."

Greg's brows furrowed.

"Yeah, my reaction exactly!" Spike almost laughed as he remembered his response to the news.

"Apparently someone was impersonating Winnie, had been for months." Ed lowered his head to his hand and massaged his temples where a headache was building. "They used the real Winnie's relationship with Pops to convince him to betray Sam and the unit."

"Relationship?" The plot keeps thickening. Greg thought as he took another drink of coffee.

"They were engaged to be married."

The room descended into silence as each processed the events of the last several days, well, months really.

Greg turned his head when the door opened. Four weary JTF2 soldiers entered, and Greg stood to greet Sam's unit.

"They are all stable. Matt and Sam are in ICU. Jules and Suzie are with them." Greg shared their status, understanding the men would be worried.

"Rollie, Wordy, and Wordy's wife Shelly are at Jules' place with Sadie." Ed sighed, stood, and began pacing again.

"Did Jules speak with Sadie yet?" Falcon only slightly relaxed at the news everyone was at least stable. The crash scene they passed was bad, and he and the rest of the guys had been worried. They spied where the fire department had to cut Matt out of the wreckage.

"Not yet." Greg realized he should have insisted Jules call Sadie once she was able. However, Jules needed to be with Sam first, and she was only recently allowed in his room.

"She won't want to leave," Phoenix stated as he sank into an empty chair.

"Maybe she doesn't have to," Spike's head shot up, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What?" Wolverine cocked his head to one side and his brows furrowed as he turned to Spike.

"I mean, we can call Wordy and set up a video chat. Sadie can see Jules is okay, and Jules can see Sadie." Spike stood, his smile growing. "Not the most ideal, but Jules won't have to leave the hospital to talk to Sadie."

"I'll go speak with Jules." Greg rose and clapped Spike on the back. "Good thinking."

"No, I'll go. If I stay with Sam, she's more likely to move from his side." Falcon strode from the room, thankful for the chance to check in on Sam and Matt himself.

Twenty minutes later Jules sat in the waiting room, laptop in front of her. About to chat with her daughter, she worried about what to say and whether or not she could keep her distress from showing on her face.

"Jules." Greg knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Simply be positive. Tell her there was an accident and Sam is hurt, but you need to assure her he is being taken care of."

"She's already been through so much. We haven't even told her about the general yet." Jules drew in a shuddering breath.

"She doesn't have to be told right now. There is plenty of time to sit down with her and hold her while you explain that side of things."

"We're ready when you are, Jules." Spike smiled gently.

"Thanks for this, Spike." Jules offered a bit of a smile before glancing around the room at each person who worked tirelessly to keep her and her family safe. "Thank you, all of you, for everything you've done for us. I don't know what Sam, Sadie, and I would do without you."

"Hey, what else is family for?" Phoenix wore a Spike-like smirk on his face which caused Jules to laugh.

Jules nodded to Spike who initiated the call. Drawing in a deep breath, Jules plastered a smile on her face. Relief flooded through her as her daughters face filled the screen.

"Mommy!" Sadie squealed excitedly.

"Hey, baby girl. How are you?" Jules' heart melted at the sight of Sam's blue eyes staring back at her through her daughter.

"I'm having so much fun with Uncle Wordy and Aunt Shelly. They brought over Twister, and I keep beating them!"

Sadie's excitement was clear to all within hearing range. The little girl was having fun.

"That makes me happy, sweetheart. Listen, I need to tell you something."

Sadie's expression turned serious. "What's wrong, Mommy."

Jules inhaled deeply and exhaled gradually to steel herself. She was relieved when she saw Shelly sit down and pull Sadie into her lap.

"Sadie, baby, your Daddy, Uncle Matt, and I were in a car accident today. I'm fine, only a little sore and tired. Your Uncle Matt is doing well too. He'll get to wear a cool cast for a while, and I'm sure he will let you be the first person to sign it." Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jules took a brief moment to decide how to share Sam's status with his little princess.

"Sweetie, Daddy's hurt."

"Is he okay?"

Jules hated the fact she caused Sadie's tears.

"He will be. Daddy has very smart doctors taking care of him, and he will be as good as new in no time. But, for now, he needs to stay in the hospital so he can get better." Jules watched as Shelly held her daughter as Sadie cried. "Baby girl, it's going to be okay. Your daddy will be better in no time."

"I want my daddy," Sadie sobbed.

"I know, sweetheart. But Daddy is sleeping right now. I promise I will let you come visit him as soon as he wakes up."

"Promise?"

"I promise, sweetheart." Jules swiped a tear away. This was harder than she thought. Watching her daughter cry, Jules questioned her decision to not go home to Sadie, but she needed to be here for Sam. She trusted Wordy and Shelly to watch over her daughter until she could be there herself.

Jules and Sadie spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call. Wordy promised to contact her later and offered their wishes for speedy recoveries for all of them.

Sam's ICU Room

Jules sank to the chair next to Sam and took his hand once again. "Thank you, Falcon."

"Of course." Falcon squeezed her shoulders. "We'll be around if you need anything at all."

Glancing over her shoulder, Jules managed a small smile. "You guys are so good to us."

"Hey, you're family." Falcon left and headed next door to check in with Matt and Suzie.

Jules turned back to the hospital bed. "Your daughter is worried about you. You need to heal so she can come visit you."

Blowing out a long breath, Jules settled in for an extended wait. They now needed to be patient and wait for the doctors to wean Sam off sedation, for him to wake, and for the ventilator to be removed. Until then, Jules would sit by her husband's side and pray for him to pull through.

AN: So, is it safe to pop my head out of my bunker yet?