"So is Rania gonna make it?"

"Yeah, you got her in time, man."

Sam sat at the rear of the ambulance in a daze, starting to crash after sustaining a head injury during the initial blasts in addition to the adrenaline rush that comes from working a high-pressure call while worrying about whether he'd be mourning the loss of a teammate. He felt some relief at Steve's update on the formerly trapped civilian, Rania.

Steve. The paramedic. And the ex of his current flame. It was a testament of the maturity and professionalism of both men that their personal lives in no way impeded their ability to focus on what was needed from them today. Together, with a little assistance from Raf, Tony and Spike, they succeeded in extracting the stubborn woman from the debris who, as it turned out, would be okay.

It was then, he felt the familiar, gentle touch of his aforementioned current flame while Steve shared his assessment of Sam's state.

"You uh…you gotta get him checked out at Emerg. It could be a concussion."

He inwardly rolled his eyes and cursed to himself. Sure. He'd agree he was likely concussed, but was a trip to Emerg necessary?

"Jules, I'm fine." His weak attempt at putting up a fight while shooting some side eye in her direction was futile, he knew.

"Come on, I'll take him. Come on." She affectionately admonished Sam as she helped him to his feet. Her right arm stretched across his shoulders, and she wrapped her left arm around his waist to offer support and comfort, remarking on the craziness of everything he'd endured.

Five Weeks Later

It was the end of another shift and Sam, Spike and Jules were settling in at a high-top at The Goose for some serious unwinding. The death of Spike's father was still very raw, so Jules and Sam made every effort to put in extra facetime with their honorary brother.

"Man," Spike exclaimed, "if I never have to crawl into a full dumpster behind a fast-food restaurant to diffuse an explosive again, it will be too soon."

The trio laughed. "Yeah," agreed Jules, who leaned over to take a whiff of Spike, "did you even take a shower after debrief? Cuz, eau de burger grease is not going to help your luck with the ladies."

They shared another laugh as Spike replied with mock offense. "Shut. It. Besides, it won't even matter when I have Sammo here as my wingman." He clapped his hand on Sam's back, confident that the blonde SRU officer would indeed step into that role.

"Oof. Are you sure about that? Mr. Golden Boy has a busted lip and the beginnings of a black eye. He has degenerate and reprobate written all over him." Even though Jules delivered this assessment with a smirk and a wink, it wasn't far from the truth. The new lip and eye work he was sporting came courtesy of an overzealous subject he apprehended during the day's hot call.

"Hey," Sam directed a sly, half-smile back at Jules, "Everyone knows women are suckers for a bad boy." He offered his left fist to Spike in a show of solidarity, who returned the bump in kind.

Jules rolled her eyes, "Spare me, please." She chuckled while taking a sip of her beer. At this, Spike and Sam joined in with her laughter, clinking their beers in a toast and sipping in synchrony.

Preoccupied with their good-natured ribbing, none of them noticed the auburn-haired female who approached the threesome at the table.

"Sam, it's you." The woman's face lit up with the recognition of the sandy haired, blue-eyed man and she took a step closer in his direction.

Sam sat in silent surprise, his brain cycling to place the woman who so clearly knew him. Jules and Spike sat back, darting looks between Sam and the woman before exchanging glances, asking if the other had any clue who this rando was. A small shake of the head from Spike and a muted shoulder shrug from Jules confirmed said rando was unknown to either of them.

Then, click. His brain recalled the memory and lined it up with the woman standing before him and his companions. He set his beer down on the table and a warm expression slid into place on his face.

"Rania."

"Clear this room now. You're being evacuated!"

"For another fire drill? No way!"

"I'm not asking you, ma'am."

"Good, 'cause I'm not agreeing."

"Okay, Rania? Yes? I'm gonna put some fluids in you, okay?"

"You've done this before?"

"Sure, army trained, in the field. Soldiers though, they're not as tough as you are."

"You're doing great."

"Sure I am. You wanna dance?"

"Sense of humor. That's a good sign."

"Okay, let's go."

"Hey…Sam."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for getting me this far."

"You're gonna be fine."

"Rania." Sam repeated. He stood from his seat to greet the woman before he turned to make the introductions. "Jules, Spike. This is –"

"Rania!" Spike finished, having made the connection himself between the woman before them and that unforgettable day. Jules, too, connected the dots. She recalled practically dragging her ex, Steve, from the shaft being used for rescue so that he could talk Sam through those critical life saving measures made on Rania's behalf. When Steve learned of a trapped woman and downed officer, he was relentless in his pursuit to assist them and bring them both to safety. It wasn't the first time she'd seen that side of him. In fact, it was that same relentless pursuit that thrust them both into a hostage situation with an active shooter when they should have been enjoying their day date!

Jules smiled to herself as all these memories came rushing back…the line of thought taking a life of its own. It was that same day when she was confronted with something she'd been denying for so long; she was still, very much in love with Sam Braddock and when she looked at her "big picture" he was front and center.