Good afternoon and thank you for reading my first attempt at writing for the A-Team fic. Just an FYI. It is not easy! Trying to write the characters as close to the show, but spin your own originality into them…hats off to all of you!

Tania: Thank you so much for your review. Very much appreciate the time you took not only to read, but to offer encouraging words.

Martine1970: Thank you! Well, sometimes tragedy bring families closer together. I hope it happens for Richard and Ellen. ;)

Terri Spencer: Thank you! One of the things that I try to be aware of in character development is making sure the characters have depth. I hope that I am able to make Ellen's characterization more than just one dimensional. LOL!

Toflyaway: Thank you! I was so excited that I think I had this first chapter right…let's see how the rest of the story flow. LOL!

Kim Borowiak: Thank you! I hope you like my characterization of Ellen. ;)

Here is chapter 2. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading.

Chapter 2-Silent Lucidity

Face vaguely remembered Frankie telling him to hang in there. He couldn't tell when that was. Darkness had taken over and he felt going in and out of reality. The concept of time became foreign to him.

Suddenly he heard Murdock's voice, "His pulse isn't right."

Face's eyes flew opened. He didn't know when the darkness would take him again. He noticed a woman holding his hand before turning his attention back to his friend. There was so much he wanted to say, but it was all jumbled up in his head. The only thing that he could manage telling his friend was, "Murdock…it's so… cold. It's so… cold."

Murdock squeezed his friend's shoulder, "It's gonna be okay muchacho," he whispered. "It's going to be alright."

Between the coldness and pain, he felt a hand push his side. He jerked a little and looked at the woman whose eyes were filled with pain and terror. She whispered, "I'm sorry. I have to put pressure on the wound."

Face didn't know how long he could stay awake, "Hurts," he whispered before he felt darkness appear once again.

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The next time Face opened his eyes, he saw the one person who he never thought he'd see again, his sister.

"Ellen? You're…here? Why? Why are…you here? It's not safe…It's not…safe."

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Gina watched the injured man slowly open his eyes. She had been worried for a while. A good ten to fifteen minutes had passed since she heard anything from him other than groans or shallow breathing.

Once he opened his eyes, he called her Ellen.

An old girlfriend? His wife? She noticed that he wasn't wearing a wedding band, so it couldn't have been his wife. He looked worried and anxious.

"I'm not Ellen," she whispered as she held his hand. Trying to comfort him, she gently told him, "My name is Gina. Ellen's safe. She's safe."

As she spoke, Gina noticed that even though Face was looking at her, he wasn't really looking at her. His eyes were distant, unfocused. But he kept talking, "Ellen, I'm so sorry….you…you were right. I'm sorry."

The young woman kept listening as he repeated the words over and over.

Ellen…I'm sorry…you… were right.

Holding his hand tighter, Gina whispered, "It's alright. It's alright. Rest. You need to keep your strength."

Face hadn't heard her, but somehow Gina's request was answered. He closed his eyes. And even though he didn't speak again, he moaned quietly.

Gina kept staring at Face with sympathy. Gently stroking his hair, she didn't notice when the other assailant came close to her. Looking up, she watched as the tall, lanky man with glasses, bent down next to her, "Oh, he don't look too good. What a waste. Some people don't know how to live, some people don't know how to die. A guy shouldn't have to suffer."

The young woman had to turn away, disgusted by the sick bastard.

Suddenly, they both heard a noise. Quickly getting up, the goon asked, "What the hell was that?" just as his leader entered the kitchen. As they went to check out the noise, Murdock walked in. Kneeling down, he quickly whispered to Gina, "Stay alert. We're about to get some help."

Hannibal walked in and before Gina and Murdock blinked, both mobsters were down. The noise brought Face to near consciousness. He thought he heard Hannibal's voice. Hannibal, are you here? He wanted to ask, but the words didn't come out. He felt so cold by now that he couldn't control the shaking of his body or his teeth chattering. The thick darkness covered him too soon and the voices were gone again.

Feeling Face's trembling increasing, Gina looked up at Murdock and the white haired man. Murdock was talking about the younger of the attackers still outside the dining area. After learning that there was still one more assailant, the white haired man asked how his friend was, and Gina quickly answered, "He's losing a lot of blood. I can't get it to stop."

"I don't think he's got fifteen minutes," Murdock replied desperately.

Hannibal looked at his second in command. Murdock caught the worried look. He didn't like it when Hannibal's gaze was one of worry. The Colonel was usually cool as a cucumber, but when concern entered his features, it usually meant the situation was one of great concern.

Instead of focusing on his immediate emotions, the commander and chief put together his plan. Turning to BA, he ordered, "Tie this guy up." Then, looking at Murdock, he said to the captain, "See if you can get him down at this end of the room."

Everything after that happened so fast. All three thugs were down and the team finally took possession of the restaurants. The owner and the patrons all thought the ordeal was finally over. But that's when Officer Thomas Henderson walked in and stopped the celebrations.

XXXXXXXXXX

It seemed like darkness became thicker and then it lighten up at times. Face suddenly felt it clearing, at least enough to hear both Hannibal and Murdock's voice.

"Ten minutes till Leibster gets here," Hannibal voice loomed over him.

"His pulse is almost a one hundred and fifty," Face suddenly heard Murdock's voice. "I can't believe I'm responsible for all this."

No, no, you're not, Face tried responding, but all that would come out were moans.

Hannibal wanted to stop the captain's feelings of guilt, but it wasn't the time. He needed to think of another plan and fast. Looking at Face, he knew his second in command, his friend, didn't have much time. He had to get him to the hospital fast.

"When you get to the dining room, stand by," Hannibal told him. "I think I have a distraction."

XXXXXXXXXX

When BA walked into the kitchen after fixing the alley, he was finally able to observe with more detail his friend lying on the floor. He almost cringed at the sight before him. Face looked pale and his lips began hinting a tinge of blue. That was not good, BA thought with worry, "How's he doing, Hannibal?"

"He's done better," Hannibal answered trying to keep the group together. But, he too had seen Face's pale features, substantial sweating, blue lips and shallow breathing.

Suddenly the bald man came in and began barking orders. They needed to move Face. This was not good. Moving him without assessing his injuries would prove to do more harm than good. But they had to do it.

Picking their friend up, they suddenly heard him gasp in pain. His eyes cringed, but he still maintained unconsciousness.

Sorry man, BA thought to himself as he watched his Face's gestures. The more he saw his fallen friend, the more he knew they had to rush to DC General. Face would not make it past the hour. Moving him didn't take long. As ordered, BA and Frankie gently placed Face on the floor behind the bar. Soon everyone waited for the Attorney General to make his presence.

Murdock, Gina and her father also stood behind the bar as well, watching the door and waiting for all hell to break lose.

As they waited, Gina whispered to Murdock, her voice filled with fear, "They're actually going to get away with this."

"No," the Captain answered as he curtly shook his head, "They won't Gina."

The girl's tears welled under her eyes, "And your friend? What's going to happen to him?"

Looking down at Face, Murdock held his sigh, "He'll make it. I know he will."

"He called out for someone," Gina suddenly said as if holding the whispered conversation would somehow lower the panic she felt. She looked forward for a moment, watching the killers to make sure they hadn't turned around. They hadn't. They were too focused watching for Leibster to walk in. "He called out for someone named Ellen."

Murdock, surprised by the name, was about to ask Gina more when he heard the youngest of the three thugs, "Hey, what's that smell?"

"Check it out. Quick!" the bald man and leader of the three barked.

Forcing his attention back and knowing Hannibal's plan was rolling into action, Murdock got ready. He watched the kid walk back to the kitchen. As he opened the door, Hannibal threw a cigar in the kitchen with such precision that if it hadn't been for the severe situation they were in, the Colonel would have smiled at the achievement.

Within seconds, the kid walked out of the kitchen yelling, "It's gas!"

No sooner had the words come out of his mouth when a blast erupted from the kitchen. The impact pushed the young assailant to the floor. Hannibal, Frankie and BA leaped out of their seats. Murdock used a large tray as a Frisbee and aimed it at the shooter who not only made his night a living hell, but almost killed his best friend.

Gina watched the scene unfold before her eyes. Everything happened so fast that before she blinked, all three thugs where on the floor unconscious and she heard Murdock tell her friend they needed to go after Officer Henderson.

She turned to watch Hannibal and BA head straight to their friend, "He's weak, but we can move him. Get the van BA. We got to get him to DC General right away."

"He'll be there in five minutes," the muscular black man replied as he quickly stood up and ran back to the kitchen to retrieve the van from the alley.

As Hannibal waited, Gina watched the older man gently pat his friend's face, "Come on Lieutenant, don't give up on me now."

Her heart sank. If anything, the man looked worse.