SpiritoftheBlackRose: Thanks! This one's early, just for you.

The explosion silenced the whole convention center, probably everyone watching on TV. Everyone stopped screaming and yelling for a few seconds, in total disbelief at what had happened. A single thought traveled all around the stage, the audience, up to the TV booth.

What the heck just happened?

Morningside had been knocked to the ground, and Frank just stopped, staring at the stage in total disbelief. Eric threw the bastard aside and leapt to the stage, sprinting and dodging through the ladies and the security guards. He shoved a finally silent Stan aside. The closer he got, the more blood and incredulity he saw. Vic got to her first, gently cooing and calming the trembling, bleeding, sprawled Miss New Jersey. Her dress had torn, and the deep scarlet staining the pale lavender fabric.

"Gracie…" Vic held her hand, and Eric fought his urges to lift her head. If her neck was broken… Her face was pale, blood dribbling from numerous cuts and etches in her skin. Both arms were soaked in blood. Her chest was shredded and sliced open, a pool of blood in each rip in the skin. Nothing in the book, even the last time he'd looked at it, described this. He took off his jacket, and motioned Vic to do the same. Grant and Jensen both ran up, followed by McDonald.

"Ah, shit, Hart…shit, shit, shit!" The normally impassive assistant director stared down at the open body while Eric covered the wounds, as best he could, with strips from his and Vick's jackets.

"Get Morningside…both of 'em!" Eric yelled, not caring who listened. The last thing they'd need was for the perpetrators to get away. The three men ran to the other side of the stage, leaving him and Vick to tend to Gracie's wounds. The other girls, the ones who Gracie'd sacrificed herself for all huddled around, staring in disbelief. They were murmuring to each other, whispers of "Whoa, what happened?", "It was a bomb!" and "Gracie!" surrounding them. Two paramedics showed up with a stretcher. They carefully lifted her and buckled her in. Eric followed them out to the ambulance, holding Gracie's hand. Vic trailed them, silent.

"Are either of you immediate family?" The short female asked as the stretcher was lifted into the back of the EMS vehicle.

"Tell me as soon as you find out…I'll tell the others." Vic told Eric, his voice quiet. Eric turned back to him, standing at he curb.

"Vic…"

"Go on, get up in there."

"Vic-"

"Get in there- she'd rather you than me."

Eric sighed and climbed in. There was barely enough room, but the paramedics let him sit over her and hold her hand. IV's had already been inserted into her arms. Gauze pads and Ace bandages were wrapped around her abdomen, arms, and covered her face. She had beat him, quite painfully, only a few hours before; now she was the one on the stretcher on her way to the ER. Something so strong and powerful, now wrapped in bandages and on the brink of-

He couldn't think it.

'C'mon Gracie, you can do this…I'm right here…" He didn't know what else to say. The sirens went off, and they sped to San Antonio Memorial, while the Morningside's were off to the S.A.P.D.