Author's Note: Hi everyone, just to let you know that the final chapter became very long so I split it into two. Thank you again for your reviews - they were amazing and so appreciated. Also just a quick little note - because I live in the UK and we are slower than a turtle's behind in showing Flashpoint episodes (S4E1 just started yesterday FINALLY!) I cannot read a lot of what you brilliant people have written because they contain SPOILERS. But as soon as I've caught up I will be reading and reviewing like crazy.

WHEN THE HEART STOPS BEATING - PART TWO

Chapter 6 - Deception

With only twenty seconds on the timer remaining: Jules held her breath, placed the cutters over the wire, closed her eyes and cut. There was no explosion. She opened her eyes 10, 9, 8 "Shit, wrong wire". Instinctively she threw herself over Sam's injured body as if she would somehow be able to shield him from the impending blast. Spike closed his eyes and prayed.

Jules and Spike held their breath and waited to die.

"Spike"

"Yes Jules"

"It didn't go off?"

"I know"

"Why?"

"I have no idea"

"You're the bomb guy, aren't you are supposed to know these things?"

"I don't know what to say; it should've gone off"

Sam was at the stage where he had stopped caring whether the bomb had gone off or not. In any other circumstance he would have loved Jules lying on top of him: In this case, however, it was just further impeding his ability to breathe.

Lifting herself up to check on the bomb, she looked at him Sam.

"Sam…Sam". Sam was unconscious. Jules berated herself. She should not have thrown herself on top of him in his state. She took out her cell and dialed 911 while simultaneously checking Sam's neck for a pulse.

"You OK Spike?" Jules said as she checked the bomb still strapped to Spike's chest.

"I'm OK; how's Sam, he's not looking so good Jules"

"He's unconscious; his pulse is a little rapid - paramedics are on their way".

Jules checked over the device carefully before unstrapping the harness at the back of Spike.

Spike was staring at the bomb.

"So why didn't it go off?" Jules asked Spike

"Because it's a dummy, that why" Spike answered.

The SUV carrying Wordy, Ed and Greg was speeding towards Spike's apartment. The SOS message had been received from Sam's phone and they knew Sam was in trouble, but it was Spike's apartment, so Spike could be with Sam. They had been unable to contact Spike. Ed was worried. They were all worried.

The SUV pulled up at the same time as EMS paramedics were running into the building.

"That cannot be good" Ed said to Greg as they raced into the apartment building.

Everyone stopped momentarily when they saw Jules leaning over the unconscious body of Sam while the paramedics began to work on their injured colleague.

The team was stunned seeing Sam lying on the apartment floor; and even more surprised to see Jules.

"What the hell happened here?" Ed said as he glanced a worrying look over at Sam.

"Coulson is what happened. He has beaten Sam pretty bad. I arrived back about an hour ago, saw Sam wasn't home; guessed he would be here so came over to surprise him and found Sam like this and a bomb strapped to Spike."

"What?" The team said in unison.

"It was a dummy; a freaking clever dummy though: Everything about it looked real, scared the crap out of me?" Spike said.

"Why would Coulson strap a pretend bomb to you? - it makes no sense" Ed said.

"Nothing Coulson does makes sense; everything he does is hinky" Greg said.

"It gets worse; Coulson has Spike's mom" Jules said

"Coulson has your mom?" Ed shook his head trying to take in all the information.

Spike nodded desperately trying to remain in control; but everything was taking its toll and the team could hear the anguish in his voice. He told them Coulson was already hiding in the apartment when he arrived home. Coulson had tied him up and told him he had his mom. Coulson told Spike to call Sam and get him to the apartment. He then strapped the bomb to his chest.

Spike looked over at Sam an asked the paramedics how he was doing. He hoped Sam would forgive him; but knew he would never forgive himself for what Sam had gone through.

"He's hanging on, but we need to get him to hospital as soon as possible". One of the paramedics answered.

Jules was holding Sam's hand. She didn't want to let him go to the hospital without her, but the team needed her; Spike needed her and they still needed to catch the bastard who did this to him. Jules kissed him gently; "I will see you very soon baby. When you wake up I will be there with you".

The paramedics carried Sam out to the waiting ambulance.

Everyone was worried about Sam, but he was in safe hands now; they had to prioritize and Spike's mom had to be their main focus.

Jules instinctively ran her hands through her hair and tied it into a ponytail. She was back in work mode.

"What about Coulson's house, where he had taken Jules? Wordy suggested

"It's a good place to start looking" Ed said.

Greg called Winnie and asked her to get a forensic team over to Spike's apartment. He told her they would be heading over to Coulson's address and to have EMS on standby just in case.

Jules was adept at suiting up on the run; and even more adept at changing in front of the guys without them even noticing.

"Wordy, try all the cell numbers we have for Coulson; let's see if he wants to talk to us." Greg asked. This request would normally have been directed to Spike but Greg knew Spike had bigger things on his mind.

"All cell phones are going to voice mail" Wordy reported.

It took fifteen minutes to reach Coulson's house. It was in darkness and it looked like no one had been there in quite a while.

"Stay alert team, just because it looks deserted doesn't make it so" Greg advised.

As head of tactical Ed took over the operation. "Jules, Wordy take the rear; Greg and I will take the front entrance. Be careful people; watch your backs. Spike you need to remain in the vehicle".

"Ed, I need to be with you, my mom could be in there" Spike said pleading with his Team Leader.

"If your mom is here we will find her".

The team headed to their respective positions when Winnie's voice came over the com link.

She informed the team that Spike's mother had been dropped off at the SRU headquarters. She was shaken up, but appeared otherwise unharmed.

Greg advised Winnie to get EMS to the barn and have them check out Mrs. Scarlatti. Winnie confirmed that EMS was already on route and she would look after Spike's mom until the team got back. A very relieved Spike spoke to his mother briefly to reassure himself she was OK.

"What now?" Wordy asked.

Jules suddenly knew where Coulson was and what he was planning. "Oh my God, No" Jules exclaimed. "This is what Coulson wanted".

"What was?" Spike asked

"All of this has been a ploy - the bomb, your mom, Spike all of it. He just wants Sam; he's going to be at the hospital waiting for him".

The rest if the team knew Jules was right. They had effectively handed Sam over to Coulson.

"He knew we would probably check out his house" Ed said

"And we're now at least a thirty minute drive from St. Simons" Greg said.

Greg called Winnie and asked where teams 3 and 4 were. Winnie told him both were out on calls; but Team 3 was on route back to base. He told Winnie to redirect Team 3 to the hospital, top priority; they needed to protect Sam.

Jules was worried. She should have known; this was always what Coulson had wanted. He didn't care about Spike or Jules or any of the others; he wanted Sam, and only Sam. He had told Sam he would make him suffer before he killed him.

Greg checked on the status of Team 3 and Winnie advised they were on route to the hospital, their ETA 25 minutes.

Greg knew he couldn't warn the hospital - not until the SRU were at the scene and could neutralize any potential threat and that wouldn't be for another twenty minutes.

Although Ed was driving at top speed it still wasn't fast enough for Jules. Every minute that ticked by was a minute more Coulson had with Sam; her mind in overdrive imagining what horror Coulson had in store for the man she loved, her fiancé.

Jules knew Coulson had deliberately stopped short of killing Sam: He wanted him injured and vulnerable. They were on their way; Team 3 was on their way, but no one was there yet. Sam was alone and injured and Coulson was ready for him.

Coulson was laughing: His plan could not have gone any better. The kidnap of Spike's mother; the bomb and getting Sam to the apartment. It was all working out perfectly. And now for the finale, Coulson said to himself as he walked through the glass doors of the emergency room of St. Simon's hospital.