The guns continued to go off for what seemed like an eternity, and as the minutes dragged on, feeling like hours, Erin felt her palm begin to sweat in Alex's grasp. The other woman didn't pull away, though, instead, adjusting her grip so that they were still connected, yet a little more loosely. Finally, though, she felt like she couldn't stand the waiting any longer, and she let go of her friend's hand in order to shake her hand out before wiping it on her cardigan. "Hey."

"I know, give me a moment. I just needed to stretch my fingers for a moment. I don't want to not be connected to you, either." Erin gave her a soft smile before taking hold of Alex's hand once more. Suddenly, all sounds ceased upstairs, and her grip tightened fearfully around Alex's hand once more as her head turned to stare at the door fearfully, knowing that whoever came through that door next would determine if they lived or died. The sound of running footsteps growing closer to them had their hands clutching at each other, and she darted her eyes over at Alex, wanting to assure herself that she was still with them. Then the heavy door was swinging inwards, and she felt all breath sucked from her lungs as she waited for someone to enter.

"Stellina!"

At the sound of her beloved's voice, Erin burst into tears, changing her hold on Alex's hand as she waited for David to appear in the room. It only took a few moments, and then she saw his face, blurry though it was through her tears. "David!"

He rushed over to them, starting to undo the restraints on Erin when she shook her head. "What? You don't want to be free?"

"Didn't Penelope tell you? We're both strapped onto chairs that are rigged with enough explosive material that would blow everything to kingdom come. I don't even think that you can be in this room until it's been cleared by the bomb squad. I mean, that is still protocol, right?"

Alex nodded even as David growled in frustration, leaning in to kiss her forehead softly. "I hate that you're right, Erin. Let me give you one more kiss before I exit the room. We'll wait outside for you to be free."

"You probably shouldn't even do that, darling."

"Yes, but I don't want to let you out of my sight now that I've found you again. So, you're just going to have to deal with it."

Erin rolled her eyes a little as she shook her head. "Fine. But wipe my face clean from tears, as I want to be able to see your face in the doorway as we talk."

He did as told, and Erin sighed to watch him do the same for Alex before leaving the room. He had just stepped across the threshold when Aaron's face appeared there as well, and Erin gave him a small smile. "The bomb squad is on their way, Erin, Alex. Best guestimate is that they're twenty minutes out. It was good that you were able to contact Penelope, and let her know about what was going on, but she was freaking out when you just stopped talking to her midsentence, so…"

He held his phone into the room, and Erin felt a relieved smile widen across her features when she saw the woman on the screen. "Gumdrop! Alex! You're both okay!"

"Define okay, Penny. We're still trapped down here, waiting to be disconnected from these bombs, after all. But we are alive."

"And that's all that matters at the moment, Erin. I'll call Jessica and give her an update, along with letting her know that you'll call her tomorrow, since you'll need to rest for awhile after this. Oh, it is so good to see you, both of you. I was so worried when you just stopped talking. I take it that your battery finally died?"

"Yes, but at least we were able to connect for a short time. And we're talking now. Have Jessie give my children extra hugs in the morning, since I doubt that we'll be home in time to see them off to school tomorrow. And do it now, before it gets too late. Please?"

"Of course, Erin. I can't wait until you're home so that I can hug you, too. And you, Alex. I know that you're not that touchy feely, but you'll just have to suck it up for a few minutes. Okay?"

Alex chuckled as she shrugged. "I suppose that I can live with that, Penelope. We'll see you soon."

The call ended, and Aaron slipped his phone into his pocket as the rest of the team filled the doorway. Soon, they were all chattering away, which helped to calm Erin down a little as she waited for the bomb squad to arrive. It was about twenty minutes later that she heard feet on the stairs once more, and she knew then that their ordeal was almost over.

The leader of the squad ordered everyone to leave, and she waved at David as they left the basement. Once there were only the three of them left, the leader got to work, working quietly and with purpose. The tension rose in the room with each minute that passed and they were still hooked up to the explosives, and she couldn't even find the right words to say to Alex in that moment, since she didn't know what would be good conversation. Instead, they just alternated squeezing their hands in a soft series of almost morse code.

Finally, though, the woman stepped away from their chairs and gave them a relieved smile. "All right, ladies, you are free to go. I know that there's an ambulance up there waiting to take you to the hospital and have you checked out. Let's get you out of this house."

Erin nodded as she stood up from the chair, her legs shaking as she followed the woman out of the room, never letting go of Alex's hand as they made their way upstairs. Once outside, Erin made eye contact with David, giving him a small nod before turning and hugging Alex tightly. "I have to go see my darling. Don't let go of my hand yet."

"All right," Alex whispered as they drifted over to the team's side. Reluctantly, Erin dropped her hand before looking up into Aaron's face.

"Thank you for keeping my husband safe," she said quietly before kissing him. "I love you."

Before he could say anything, Erin had moved over to her husband, feeling another sob rise up in her throat before she launched herself into his arms. "You're safe, Erin. I have you."

"I know, David. Thank you for rescuing me." She nuzzled her cheek against his shirt, breathing in his aftershave. As she continued to cling to her husband, she began to feel the edges of her vision start to darken, telling her that she was about to pass out. "You might need to hold onto me a little tighter. I think I'm going to faint," she whispered mere moments before her vision went completely black and she was lost to the world, safe in David's arms.