"At three PM this afternoon shots were fired at the Metro Bank in the small town of Chichester, which has become the sight of an active shooter situation. However the hostages were retrieved earlier this afternoon. We have yet to know if any officers were injured." A cloud of doom and pent up anxiety settled over the two boys who were sitting at Wills kitchen table waiting for news of Halt and Crowley. The monotone voice really didn't do the situation justice, things like this should be read out the way it makes others feel. Panicked, worried, nervous. Will knew in his heart that this was part of their jobs and sometimes it happened, but that didn't stop him from biting his nails and it certainly didn't stop his heart clenching every time the radio switched to news. There was a knock on the door and Will rose to answer it, leaving a solemn Gilan at the table. The door swung open an d a familiar face stood in the doorway, running a hand through his hair.

"Horace?" Wills voice was small and he looked it, wearing an oversized grey hoodie that engulfed most of his torso.

"Oh my God Will are you okay? And Gil? I heard the initial announcement on the news and got leave from chief Rodney to come over here-" he stoped as he saw his friends still shocked face and pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks Horace, come in." He sniffed a bit as he let his best friend in. Will and Horace had only been friends for a couple of years but he worked at the fire department and they had put their previous grudges behind them when Will had saved his life and Horace had saved Will from suspension.

It was supposed to be a straight forward case, one lead, one arrest. Everyone thought a trainee could handle it, especially Will who was the best of the best already at the minimum age of 15. Will stood watching the burning building and the firemen desperately trying to save it. The man who had stolen the shop jewels was processed a couple of hours ago but as revenge he had somehow got a message out to one of his lackeys to set the precinct on fire. Luckily it was late at night and only the left side of the building seemed to be damage but the fire was still raging. As the water slowly diminished the flames chief Rodney ordered a count, everyone was to check that their friends and comrades were here and no one was stuck in the building. A car pulled up outside all the chaos and out stepped Crowley, Gilan and Halt. Will ran to them frantically blabbering about how he had to transfer the prisoner and he was the only one left in the building as it had caught flame, how he couldn't do anything so he had to call the fire department. Will stopped short when he heard the commander call out. "We're missing a man anyone know who it is?"

"Horace Altman sir, trainee, I have reason to believe that he's still inside." Will ran, ducked under the perimeter tape and made a dive for the burned wreckage of the building.

"Will it's not stable!" Halt called after him.

"Officer Will as your commandment I order you stay here."Crowley had managed to run up behind him and keep a hold of his wrist before he went into the building.

"Sorry Crowley." He broke free of the grip, running towards the burnt structure only pausing once to look back and see his friends being pushed away by firemen, unable to follow him.

He ducked under collapsed beams and weaves in and around burnt objects which he supposed were once desks, now? It was hard to tell.

"Horace!" He called out into the charred mess. "Horace!"

"Hello, Im over here!" Will broke out into a run to where the voice had come from. He found Horace, the bright blue eyes met his brown ones, the relief in them all to clear. His gaze then widened to where his leg was trapped under a broken beam. He lifted it up and Horace scrambled out from underneath it. He let it drop panting.

"This place is close to coming down, can you stand?" He hauled him up off the ground, wrapping and arm around him so Horace could use him for support and favour his non-injured leg. Together they hobbled out of the burnt wreckage meeting relieved cheers as they reached the crowd of firemen and officers. Will set Horace down on the back of a fire engine and immediately he was swarmed by fellow men, tending to his leg and scolding him for getting injured. Suddenly he was pulled into a hug.

"Don't you dare do that again!" Halt said releasing him from the bear hug. "Gave me a heart attack."

"Us to." Gilan pointed to him and Crowley. The red head looked him in the eye.

"Will, you know I'm going have to suspend you right?"

"I know, don't worry." He waved it off.

"Wait Mr Meryton please Sir!" Will turned to face Horace who was walking towards them, albeit slowly, crutch and all. "You can't suspend him!"

"He defied a direct order Horace I-"

"But in doing so saved my life. Who knows what would've happened if Will wasn't there, just please don't punish him for doing the right thing." Will smiled, he was defending him. Horace Altman, his childhood enemy but the man he saved was defending him to his superior officer.

"I'll let it slide." He winked and went forward to hug Will, "you got heart kid I'll give you that and no one can give Halt a heart attack like that so you must be special." He walked back to the car, Halt and Gilan following behind him.

"Come when you're ready," he nodded to his adoptive father and turned to Horace.

"Thank you,"

"Thank you? I should be thanking you, you saved my life Will." He hugged him, or at least as well as he could without putting pressure on his leg. Will had saved Horace from being buried under rubble and Horace had saved Will from a tinted record. They were both 15 now and could put their troubled past behind them, they were changed men.

The radio crackled again as Will poured Horace a mug of coffee. He watched him hug Gilan and sit down in an empty chair.

"What are they saying?" He called from the kitchen. In response the radio was turned up louder.

"We now have the important task of informing all you listening that the shooter has been apprehended and handcuffed." They all breathed a sigh of relief, "However some officers were shot during the process including Commander and Cheif, Crowley Meryton." He felt the world stop to a standstill, all he could hear was his heart beat. Then all of them rushed out the door at once, no words needed to convey the urgency of the situation.

They ran round the block and down numerous alleyways which Will knew very well, cutting their journey shorter by 10 minutes. They arrived panting and breathless at the front desk of Chichester hospital.

"Hi how may I help you?" The lady didn't even look up at them and instead continued to click the keyboard in front of her.

"Crowley Meryton." He was breathing hard now, they had sprinted here at full speed.

"Let's see," it took what felt like years for her to look him up on the system and find out the room number. "Room 201, up two floors and first door on your right." Standing in the lift, everything felt too slow, like the world had gone into x0.5 speed. He needed to know, needed to see him. He tried to think back to the last time he saw Crowley, had they hugged? Had he told him how much he loved him and thought of him as a second dad? If he never got to say that to him… He wasn't aware he was crying until Gilan enveloped him in his arms. He always felt safe with Gilan, like you should with an older sibling, knowing that they're there for you and to hold you when things get tough.

They burst through the door to his room at breakneck speed, startling Halt, who was sitting in the chair beside a very pale, but alive commandment. Horace lingered in the doorway until Halt gestured for him to come in and put a hand on his shoulder, "Thanks for being here." It was unusual coming from the grim faced officer but it was filled with emotion. All four of them sat by his bedside and eventually slept there. Horace sprawled on two chairs by the door and Gilan with his head resting on his arms, which were perched on the bed. Will curled up against Halt, too tired to keep being awake but to anxious to sleep.

"Sleep, being tired will do you no good." So he rested his head against Halts chest and brought his knees up to his chin. His adoptive father just sat there arms around him but eyes trained on his unconscious friend.