I'm glad you all liked the conclusion of the hostage crisis. Thanks for all the reviews last week!

And now we can slowly wend our way the the ultimate AMC happy ending I've been promising all this time - which I hope you will enjoy (Unless of course my muse side tracks me again).

SPOILERS - this week - Everyone finds different ways to recover after the siege, and Griffin and David come to a truce.

...

"Stand down, stand down." Brot shouted as he rushed through the clearing smoke. He had seen his bullet drop Ricky and the guy looked in no state to get up again. The rest of Alpha team followed, guns lowered.

Brot stepped past the hostages to the fallen body and kicked the scalpel from Ricky's unresisting hand. The bullet had struck him in the stomach and the murderer was gasping for air like a landed fish. Brot then noticed the needle sticking in his neck.

He looked sideways to see Bianca staring at him, she was slumped against the wall her daughter clinging to her like a life jacket.

"Is he dead." she whispered.

"Not yet." said Brot.

…

Griffin watched Ricky fall. It was over.

But he was still a doctor. He still had a job to do.

Firstly he checked on Jackson, checking that his assumption was corrected and he had only fainted and it was nothing more serious. He put him in the recovery position and left a distraught Erica stroking his hair.

Then Griffin struggled to his feet, his ribs still aching from the fight, and moved to treat the last patient he wanted to deal with. Ricky was no longer gasping and his face was ashen grey. He could see the needle in the guy's neck. The bullet wound in his stomach was bad but his immediate problem was that the adrenalin had stopped his heart.

Brot was standing over Ricky his gun still drawn.

Griffin needed his help.

"Get that." He said pointing to the resuscitation trolley in the hallway.

"You're going to help him?" asked Kendal, watching from across the room.

Griffin looked her in the eye.

"It's my job."

"But…" began Kendal.

"…But it's probably already too late." finished Griffin taking Ricky's his pulse.

He looked Kendal in the eye once more.

"But I'm a doctor and I have to try; if only to prove that I am a better man then he is."

Brot came back with the trolley as Griffin pulled open Ricky's shirt. He turned on the machine and applied the electrodes to his chest.

"Clear." order Griffin as he pressed the button.

Ricky's body jolted but there was still a flat whine coming from the heart monitor. No pulse. Griffin turned up the charge to 200 and waited for the machine to warm up again.

"Clear." He said again and once more Ricky jolted but the whine from the heart monitor stayed the same.

"Once more." He said, "Clear."

This time Ricky didn't even spasm.

Griffin checked his pulse and then checked his watch.

"22:12. Ricky Torres is dead." He announced.

"Ding, dong…" said Kendal a slow smile spreading across her face, "…The son of a bitch is dead."

Griffin sighed. The nightmare was truly over but he still had one more patient to deal with; Bianca Montgomery.

…

As soon as she saw her girlfriend was awake, Marissa hurried to her side; covering both Bianca and Miranda in relieved kisses. AJ was there too, trying to include everyone, his mom, Binks and Miranda in his embrace.

Bianca was leaning into every kiss and every hug, but her arms hung limp at her side and she wasn't really moving any more than necessary. Something was wrong.

"Bianca." said Griffin. Marissa watched as he approached

"Hey." said Bianca a weak smile on her lips.

"How are you feeling?" Griffin asked reaching for Bianca's wrist to take her pulse.

Bianca took a moment to answer.

"I'm awake." she said.

"You are." confirmed Griffin. "Are you in pain?"

Again Bianca took a moment to answer, and this time there were tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

"Yes." she sobbed.

"Oh baby." cried Marissa, pulling her girlfriend tighter against her chest, her own tears threatening to fall.

"Kids." said Griffin putting his hands on the children's shoulders. AJ pulled back but Miranda didn't move. "Miranda, I need to examine you mom."

Miranda shook her head and clung on harder.

"Sweetheart." whispered Bianca. "You need to let go."

"No mommy." cried Miranda, "Never again, I'm never letting you go ever again!"

"Oh honey… my little miracle. Please." Her last word was a sob barely holding back the pain she must be feeling.

Bianca looked to Marissa in an unspoken plea.

Marissa nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around Miranda's middle. She knew she would have to physically pull the traumatised little girl away from her mother.

"No!" Miranda screamed, "NO!"

"It's going to be alright." Marissa whispered. "I got you."

"Nooooo!" howled Miranda as Marissa began to pry her grip from Bianca's hospital gown. "Mommy… mommy… mommy!"

Marissa felt her own tears run down her cheeks as she pulled the squirming child away from her mother.

"She's right there. You can see her." insisted Marissa. "We are not letting her out of our sight ever again. But the doctor has to do his work.

"MOMMY!" cried Miranda, inconsolable; bucking in Marissa's grip, but Marissa refused to let go.

"Miranda, your safe now, I got you. I got you…It's going to be alright." she cooed. "We're going to be alright…"

…