A/N again all quotes are in italics. Also just realised this is my 100th story on this site which makes it extra special which is fitting for my two favourite characters!

As the civilian workers got pushed into the common room, Joe cast a look to his side to see Otis turning his head to keep looking down to avoid eye contact with the two gang members. He gently patted Otis' knee, the only form of comfort he could give, as Herrmann and Mouch were threatened to keep quiet.

There was a tense few minutes with everyone sat in silence, but the tentative peace was broken when the apparatus floor doors began to open. Everyone jolted up in their seats, knowing it meant sixty-one was returning to the House. They were all stood waiting, Otis flinched forwards hearing the gunshot, not knowing who was shot. Joe flung out his arm to stop Otis from moving any further forward, not wanting Otis to rush in and get caught in the cross fire.

They were all ordered back as Severide and a wounded Casey were pulled back into the common room. The two paramedics were missing, Joe breathed a sigh of relief knowing that meant Casey was able to stop them from entering the House. Casey was pushed towards the bunk room where Stella was trying to keep one of the gang members alive. Everyone else was ordered to sit back down.

"Hey, its going to be alright Otis," he murmured to Otis, who, to anyone else would appear calm, but not Joe. He knew Otis was trying his hardest to hide how shaken up he was.

"Uh huh," whispered Otis, his eyes yet again trained on the ground. Joe moved so his shoulder was leaning against Otis'. Running into buildings was one thing, but this hostage situation was unlike anything any of them had had to deal with before. With the cops outside, the tense atmosphere went up another notch.

The sirens outside meant safety, but nobody felt safe inside fifty-one. Joe looked on as Herrmann and Mouch were yet again ordered to be quiet, he began to worry about Herrmann, wondering if Mouch was right and there was something wrong with Herrmann. Otis sat at the table, his head resting on one hand, as he turned his head slightly from side to side.

"Hey," Joe turned hearing Severide's whisper. "That lunatic is back there with Kidd. Second there's a distraction, I need you to cover for me."

"Yeah I got you," he responded nodding. His eyes were still trained forward, anyway he could help he would do it. The lunatic, as Severide called him, was a loose cannon and anyone could be hurt by him. He'd already shot Casey. He was just glad Otis was far away from him.

Joe was beginning to get angry, as Boden yet again urged the leader, Turk, to pick up the phone. He was beginning to think that they would need to take action to get themselves out, because the cops wouldn't come storming in because of the risk of a shootout and innocent people getting shot. At least, not yet. If the hostage situation continued. That might be the cops' last option to end it.

And then, to make matters worse.

"Hey! Who else knows how to treat a gunshot?" called out Turk.

"Why? What happened?" asked Severide, like the rest of them, knowing Stella was supposed to be treating the other one.

"Man, I'm asking the questions alright?" snapped Turk.

Then Otis just had to open his mouth with, "we all know basic life support." Joe could have hit him for saying that. His heart began to pound when Turk stepped closer.

"Good. Then you're up," Turk said while pointing a gun at Otis.

Fury began to boil through Joe's veins. No way. There was no way on earth he was going to let Otis anywhere near the lunatic who had obviously done something to Stella. Thankfully, Boden jumped in before Joe could say anything and possibly make things worse in his anger.

"He doesn't have the training." Joe breathed a sigh of relief, until Boden added. "But we have two paramedics in the field who can walk him through it."

Oh no. Chief don't let them take Otis. Please don't! Thought Joe, his eyes flickering between Boden and Otis. Before he could do anything, Otis was grabbed and forcefully pulled to his feet, his chair scraping back violently with a loud screech. He was pushed towards the kid called JB, and then pushed out of Joe's sight with a gun pointed at his back. Joe clenched his hands into fists, it took everything he had not to protest and just grab Otis back. Boden met his gaze and without a word passed between them, Joe knew that Boden hadn't wanted to send Otis, but as soon as Otis had talked Turk was going to make him go. Better Boden had got the gang to agree to Otis talking with the paramedics, than Otis flying blind with the lunatic near him. However, it didn't mean that Joe was okay with having Otis out of his sight.

He turned feeling a hand grasp his shoulder. "It'll be okay Joe, trust me," commented Severide in a whisper. Joe nodded, with nothing else to do, he prayed and prayed that everyone would come out of this safe and sound.

What felt like hours, but was probably ten minutes at the most, later. Joe was resting his head on his hand, staring at the ground. Please let Otis be okay, please don't let that lunatic do anything to him, please!

Turk's pacing got more intense. He marched back into the corridor with his arms raised up. "What the hell is going on down there?!"

Joe turned and nodded at Severide, he got to his feet and did his best to hide Severide from view. Knowing he was the best chance Stella had and hopefully he'd be able to help Otis and Casey. He sat back down as the door into the boardroom closed with a quiet snip. Turk turned and glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just stretching my legs," replied Joe with his hands raised as he sat back down.

"Don't do that again, you hear?" snapped Turk, Joe only nodded. Glad that he didn't seem aware that Severide was missing.

Just as Joe began to relax, he heard running footsteps coming along the corridor. One of the gang members ran past Boden, ignoring his question of, "what's going on back there?"

He went straight to Turk, "Akeil is breathing again."

"Yeah?"

Just as Joe breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that, at least for now, Otis was alive and safe. But then everything went downhill and fast.

Herrmann was on the ground having a heartache and wasn't going to be allowed to leave. So Joe found himself standing up with his arms raised. "Let him go and I'll get you out of here." Just so long as everyone else at fifty-one would be safe, Joe would willing get in Squad three and drive the gang out of there. His family mattered more to him in that moment, although he knew if Otis ever found out he was offering this, his brother would never let him hear the end of it.

Boden walked up to him, "Cruz. You don't need to do this."

"Yeah I do Chief," Joe replied, he knew that it was the only way any of them were going to get out without the gang firing bullets everywhere.

After the showdown next to Squad three, with the kid JB on the way to the hospital, as well as the other gang member. Joe hated to see Chief with a gun pointed at his head, but at least Chief and JB had ended the situation.

They all watched as sixty-one left on its way to the hospital. They slowly started to walk back into the House.

Joe slung his arm around Otis' shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Nothing happened," shrugged Otis.

Joe pulled Otis to a stop. "Nothing happened? Nothing happened? That lunatic was pointing his gun at you!"

Otis turned and faced him with a knowing look, "Okay. Yes. Having a gun pointed at me was worrying, but having Dawson on the phone telling me what to do, seemed to calm the situation. Like they believed that I wasn't going to kill him, unlike with Kidd."

Joe shook his head, thinking how ironic that Kidd was suspected of trying to kill the gang member, but that guy had been a lunatic. It was very satisfying to see him led out of the House in cuffs, with a bruise on his head from where Stella had pistol whipped him. Thinking of how close it came to the lunatic also injuring Otis in some way made Joe's blood boil. Otis was his brother and he hated the thought of anyone hurting him.

He brought Otis in for a crushing hug, "I'm just so glad that you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if they had hurt you."

Otis smiled, "Same here. Don't think I didn't hear about you volunteering to drive the gang out in Squad three though."

"We're not talking about me," responded Joe with a shake of his head. As they continued into the House he shook Otis' shoulder. "Don't think I'm forgetting you opening your big mouth and being taken to save that guy's life by the way. You scared me to death!"

Otis just chuckled as he shook his head, "I love you to brother."

"You're such a pain to look after," sighed Joe good naturedly, "but yes. I love you brother."

A/N Next chapter will focus on Otis getting shot in 6x15 and its aftermath.