"And the countdown has begun. 10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1 Happy New Year everyone!" the TV blasts.

Auld Lang Sine plays

Taylor and Walsh are enjoying a bubble bath and champagne.

"Happy New Year" Walsh tells Taylor

"Happy New Year to you too." She smiles as they clank glasses to ring in the New Year *~*~*~*~*

There is a building that is fully engulfed in flames. The squad and buses pull onto the scene. Bosco and Faith push onlookers back.

"Get back!" Bosco yells at the crowd. "Give them room!"

Jimmy, Taylor, and DK are sent into the building to search for occupants. They are greeted by thick smoke and flames.

"Whoa!" Jimmy yells as debris falls around them

They head for the stairs and cautiously make their way to the next floor.

"Can anybody hear me?" Taylor yells

"Fire department" DK yells trying to find any occupants of this office building.

"Someone help me!" a woman's voice screams

The three firefighters rush to the sound and look in horror as they reach the woman who has been badly burned.

"Have a backboard ready, we've got a bad one up here." Jimmy radios to the outside *~*~*~*~*

Kim and Carlos grab a gurney and prepare for when whoever is coming out the door carrying the victim. Moments later out comes DK carrying the young woman.

"Get her on oxygen now." Carlos exclaims to Kim

She carefully slips the oxygen onto the young woman's burnt face. The cops watch as the woman is loaded onto the back of the bus.

"That has got to be terrible." Bosco says

"Yeah. I don't think I could handle being a paramedic." Faith replies as debris falls around them. *~*~*~*~*

Back inside the building Taylor and Jimmy continue their search through the smoke and flames. There is a slight shift in the building.

"Did you feel that?" Taylor asks

"Yeah." Jimmy replies

"Think we should get out of here?" Taylor asks

"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea." Jimmy replies as the building shifts a bit more *~*~*~*~*

The Captain is outside the building talking with Lieutenant Johnson

"Get the firefighters out of there. That building could go at any minute." The Captain instructs

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Johnson replies and signals for the sirens call *~*~*~*~*

"Hey Sully." Davis begins

"Yeah?" Sully responds as he places a ticket on the windshield of a car

"Why are we out here in the cold writing tickets?" Davis asks

"Because there is a meter maid shortage." Sully quips

"Oh, so we're meter men now?" Davis laughs

"Afraid so." Sully laughs

"That's what I was afraid of." Davis replies *~*~*~*~*

"You hear that?" Jimmy asks

"What, the sirens?" Taylor questions

"No." Jimmy pauses, "It sounds like."

Before Jimmy can complete his thought a ball of flames bursts into the room, knocking the pair to the ground. The building shifts even more. Taylor is the first to recover from the blow.

"Jimmy, we gotta get moving." She says putting her helmet back on her head

"Yeah, let's go." Jimmy says

The radio breaks in.

"Taylor, Jimmy, get out of there now!" Lieu's voice billows

They get back to the stairway and find that it is blocked by debris from the floors above. They look at each other with a semi-panicked look.

"There's gotta be another way out." Taylor says

"Yeah." Jimmy agrees as they prepare to search for a new route. *~*~*~*~*

"Are all firefighters accounted for?" The Captain asks Lieutenant Johnson

"I still got two in there." Lieu replies

"Haven't you told them to get out?" The Captain asks

"Yes." Lieu replies

"Then why aren't they out?" The Captain demands to know

"Taylor and Doherty are the best I got. There has got to be a reason why they aren't out yet." Lieu replies

"I want them out of there now!" The Captain demands

Lieutenant Johnson radios again "Jimmy, Taylor, get out of there! The building could go at any second."

DK, Walsh, Doc, and Nicole all look at each other, worried that something may have happened. Bosco and Faith look on wondering why the pair hasn't immerged from the building yet. *~*~*~*~*

"Jimmy, I don't think that there is another way out of here." Taylor says

"There has to be." Jimmy replies "I don't think that there is." Taylor says as the building shifts more

"We really have to get out of here." Jimmy replies

There is a loud cracking sound. Jimmy and Taylor look at each other.

"Let's get out of here." Jimmy says as they head back for the blocked stairwell. *~*~*~*~*

"Jimmy, Taylor where are you?" Lieutenant Johnson radios

"I don't like this one bit." DK mutters

"Me either." Walsh replies

"I guess you wouldn't." DK responds *~*~*~*~*

Jimmy attempts to radio out to Lieutenant Johnson. "Lieu, we're stuck on the 3rd floor." But the radio just crackles

"Well. Looks like the radio's shot." Jimmy says

Taylor is looking down over the railing of the stairs, which are blocked by debris and filled with smoke.

"I think that our only way out is up." She remarks

"I'm thinking so too." Jimmy says as they start up the stairs

The building shifts again, this time walls begin to collapse.

"Go go go!" Jimmy yells to Taylor as they begin running for the roof.

"The door's jammed!" Taylor yells as she throws her shoulder into it, trying to get it open.

"Let me try!" Jimmy yells as he hits it with all of his might but the door still doesn't move. "Okay, on the count of three we both hit the door and pray to God it works!"

"Okay." Taylor replies

"1.2.3!' Jimmy yells as they both hit the door it flies open and they fall out onto the roof.

Jimmy rips off the mask and rushes to the side. "Someone get us down from here!" he yells down the 6 stories to the street below.

DK looks up. "Lieu!"

Lieutenant Johnson looks up to see Jimmy and Taylor leaning over the edge of the building. "DK, Walsh. Get the ropes and get to the top of that next building." He instructs

"You got it Lieu." DK says as they grab the ropes and rush into the next building over. *~*~*~*~*

"So, how about some food?" Davis asks as he and Sully get back into the RMP

"Sounds like a plan." Sully smiles

"What are you in the mood for tonight?" Davis asks

"How about some good old diner food?" Sully asks

"Sounds good." Davis laughs *~*~*~*~*

DK and Walsh reach the roof of the other building.

"Okay guys. We're gonna get you over here." DK yells as he and Walsh search for a place to secure their end of the rope.

"Hurry up!" Jimmy yells as he feels the building shift again

Walsh throws the rope across the 12-foot gap between the buildings.

"Okay, now come on!" Walsh yells

Jimmy hooks the harness on Taylor.

"Ready?" Taylor yells

"Yeah." Walsh replies

Taylor takes a deep breath and slides off of the edge of the roof, swinging across the gap where she is caught by another firefighter who has taken position in a window below. He pulls her in.

"Thanks." She says as she sends the harness back out the window.

Walsh pulls the rope back to the roof and throws it across to Jimmy. Jimmy harnesses himself in. He looks down at the airbag in place below as he finishes hooking himself in. He prepares to slide off of the roof when the building starts to fall.

"JIMMY!!!!!!!!!!!" The firefighters yell from the next building over.

Those on the ground watch in horror as Jimmy falls from the roof. The rope pulls taught and he swings across. Taylor grabs his coat and pulls him into the office she herself was pulled into.

Moments later they immerge from the first floor of the building where they are greeted by Nicole and Doc.

"We need to take you in so that you can get checked out." Doc says

Taylor and Jimmy nod, knowing that it isn't such a bad idea after their ordeal. They climb into the back of the bus. Doc pulls off. *~*~*~*~*

Kim and Carlos are filling out their run sheet when Jimmy and Taylor walk in with Nicole and Doc. Nurse Proctor leads them both to rooms.

"Are they okay?" Kim asks concerned about her ex husband and her best friend

"I think so." Doc replies, "Just more of a scare than anything." *~*~*~*~*

DK and Walsh sit in the kitchen at the firehouse.

"You okay man?" DK asks

"Yeah why?" Walsh responds

"You haven't said much since Taylor got sent to the hospital." DK replies

"I'm just a little upset." Walsh says

"Hey, Taylor is tough. Nothing is going to stop her from being a firefighter." DK says

"I know. I was just a little scared when we didn't know where they were." Walsh says

"Hey. They are okay, that's all that matters." DK says

Walsh gets up and heads up the stairs. DK only watches. Moments later Jimmy and Taylor walk up the stairs with the medics.

"Where's Billy?" Taylor asks

"He just went upstairs." DK replies

"Thanks." Taylor returns as she heads up the stairs.

The others stand and look at each other. *~*~*~*~*

Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx plays

"Hey." Taylor says in the chilly January air

"Hey." Walsh says from his position at the edge looking down on the street below.

"You okay?" Taylor asks

"Yeah." Walsh replies

"I'm okay." Taylor adds

Walsh turns around and takes Taylor into his arms; tears begin to flow from his eyes.

"I was scared." He cries

"I know. I know. I was too." Taylor replies

"I was afraid that I was gonna lose you in that building. When you weren't responding to the radio, when the building started to collapse." he chokes up

"I'm here. I'm okay." Taylor cries back as she wipes the tears from her fiancée's face.

Walsh pulls her closer to him. "I can't lose you. I can't."

"I'm always going to be with you. I'm not going anywhere." She cries back

The song ends and the scene fades