He would come every night, around the same time—sitting by her bedside, holding her hand, telling her about the events of his day. Sometimes he would read to her. Sometimes he would just sit beside her quietly, holding her hand.

He remembered that night, so clear in his mind like it was yesterday. The disagreement they'd had about her going. It was storming, and the lightning and thunder were terrible. But she wouldn't listen to him, putting the horse's need before her own safety.

Finally, he'd given up and let her go on her own, staying to help Georgie with Phoenix. He blamed himself, the thought still plaguing him.

He had gotten accustomed to the machines and their noises, not really hearing them anymore, except for the respirator—the one that kept her breathing.

It would be two years tomorrow. For two long years, he hadn't seen her beautiful blue eyes or her smile. Two years without hearing her voice or feeling the touch of her hand on his cheek. Two years without the taste of her lips. But he would never give up on the one true love of his life.

The blow to her head and the fall to the concrete had caused massive trauma to her brain, putting her in a coma. The doctors feared she would be blind when she awoke, if she woke up at all.

After a year, there was talk of removing her from life support, but Jack wouldn't hear of it. He could not give up on his granddaughter. Ty was thankful; she was the love of his life, and he would wait an eternity for her.

He and Amy would have been married by now, enjoying their life as newlyweds. But with each passing day and no change, his hope of seeing that dream become reality grew dim.

She had been moved to a private facility that handles long term care patients. The prince paid for her medical bills. He felt responsible for the accident that put her life on hold. But after so much time had passed, even he had moved back to his country, the Miracle Girl of no use to him anymore.

Everyone's lives had moved on. Lou and Peter were separated now. Lou spent a lot of her time back in New York. Georgie still lived at Heartland, and Katie was being shuttled between her parents. Tim had been traveling with Casey on her rodeo circuit. Jack and Lisa were still living separate lives, her in France and Jack permanently rooted at Heartland.

Heartland was a cattle ranch now, with the Miracle Girl no longer there to work with abused or traumatized horses.

Ty had moved to Calgary to be closer to school and Amy. He would be graduating from vet school shortly. He wasn't sure what life would hold for him after that. Everyone had tried to persuade him to move on with his life. But for Ty, there was no life without Amy.

….

Amy floated aimlessly through space, caught in a void between life and death, unaware of the world around her. She heard voices sometimes but didn't realize who they were or where they came from. But one voice stood out in the darkness. It was a familiar voice, belonging to a man. It was reassuring, somehow making her feel safe.

Sometimes his words made sense, and she would try to recall the event he spoke of. Other times it was just words, rambling on about nothing she could relate to. But it would bring her closer to the surface and reality. The touch that came with it sent tingling through her body—a pleasant feeling that she was connected to him somehow.

Ty had had a rough day, finding out he'd failed one of his exams. He thought of going to the bar for a drink and not going to the hospital. But his routine was so embedded in his brain that he ended up at the hospital anyway, being drawn to her.

He entered her room, walking over to her bed. He stared at her face, so calm and beautiful. His eyes filled with tears as he collapsed in the chair. His hands shook as he reached for hers before resting his head on his hands and letting the tears fall.

"Amy, I need you. I can't go on without you. I love you so much. Please come back to me. Please!" he sobbed.

His voice pulled at her, his words desperate, pleading. He was crying, and it tugged at her heart.

The machines started beeping louder, making Ty look up. The air in his lungs left him as he saw her eyelids flutter slowly.

The words caught in his throat, his eyes glued to hers. "Amy, Amy!" he whispered

She heard her name, her eyes blinking from the lights. She felt his hand squeezing hers as he came into view.

Their eyes connected for the first time in 2 years. There were no words needed; the connection between them was still so strong. Ty felt her hand moving ever so slightly in his.

He was trembling as he leaned in to brush a kiss across her cheek. Her eyes closed for a second as her brain struggled to reconnect with the present. Finally, she recognized his touch, his scent. He couldn't see much of her face with the respirator tube, but he saw the corner of her eyes curl up, his heart skipping a beat as Amy rejoined the living.

Ty's eyes never left hers as he pushed the call button, knowing the room would be a flurry of activity shortly but wanting to make sure she was in no danger. He wasn't going to lose her now.

He was forced out into the hall while they attended to her. His body slid down the wall as the adrenaline high subsided. Emotions ran through him like an electrical current.

"She was awake. Amy was awake!"

Jack answered the phone, Ty's word hitting him like a fist to the gut.

"Jack, Amy is awake!" There was silence on the phone.

"Jack, did you hear me?" Jack nodded, suddenly realizing that Ty couldn't see him.

"Yes Ty, I heard you." Ty heard the phone drop and knew what Jack was experiencing. He prayed that the old man could tolerate the barrage of emotions he was about to experience.

They finally allowed him back into her room. The doctor explained what had taken place and everything they'd done up to this point for her. He really didn't hear much; his eyes were glued to Amy.

The tube was gone from her mouth now, and she was breathing on her own. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow and steady. He needed to touch her, to see her eyes open again. The doctor asking if he understood, and Ty nodded, not sure what he was responding to.

He made his way to her side, reaching for her hand. It was soft and warm. He bent down and pressed his lips to hers softly, savoring the taste.

"Amy, I'm here. Please open your eyes."

She heard his voice and felt the touch of his lips. Her throat was dry and raw from the tube, but she had to try. "Ty."

Her voice was just a whisper. Her hand tried desperately to reach up and touch his face. Ty guided her hand to his cheek, closing his eyes and sighing. The familiar touch of her hand sent shivers down his spine.

"Hey, I love you so much!" His eyes filling with tears.

A hint of a smile curled the corner of her mouth. Her blue eyes focused on his. The familiar words came back to her. "I love you more."

He stayed with her that night, not wanting to leave. Lying on the hospital bed, his arms carefully wrapped around her, pulling her into his body. He rested his head on hers and breathed in her scent.

He awoke the next morning to the feel of her hair tickling his face. Suddenly he remembered the events of the night before. Looking down at her, he smiled. Her head was resting on his chest, just the way she'd always done before the accident.

"Amy," he said softly, brushing her hair off her face.

She stirred, raising her head slightly, her eyes focusing on his. "Ty. You're here. It's not a dream!" Her smile lit up her face.

He blinked back a tear, his hand gently rubbing down her back. "Yes, I'm here, Amy." He kissed her forehead.

With all the strength she had, she raised herself up, her lips landing softly on his. Ty sucked in a breath as the realization that she was kissing him took his breath away. He held her weight, not wanting her to overdo it. Finally, he broke the kiss and let her rest on his shoulder.

He felt her body quiver and held her tight. He could only imagine how she must be feeling. He could tell she was overwhelmed with emotions.

"Amy, it's okay. Let me call for the nurse." His voice full of concern.

Ty pushed the call button, not wanting her to move too much. The nurse came in, making her way over to Amy's side of the bed.

"Morning, Amy. What a nice surprise. How are you doing this morning?"

Amy turned, recognizing the voice. "Carol?" she said.

"Yes Amy, it's me. Nice to see you awake." Carol took her blood pressure and checked her pulse.

"How do you feel about taking this nice and slow and sitting up?" Carol gave Ty a nod.

Ty lay still, concern showing on his face as Carol moved slowly around Amy, putting her in a position to push herself up. His smile spread as he watched her determination. A sigh of relief escaped him as Amy managed to get herself halfway up, Carol helping the rest of the way.

Her back was toward Ty, her body a little shaky from the effort. Carol motioned for him to sit up behind her and support her back. He swung his long legs around her sides and slid in behind her. His arms rested on her thighs. Carol winked, seeing Ty sit forward to support her.

Carol pushed the tray table over in front of Amy, sliding the hidden drawer open to reveal her comb and brush.

"Amy, I know you're weak, but I would like to see if we can get your muscles to start working again. Can you manage to brush your own hair this morning?" She handed her the brush.

Amy took the brush from her hand, looking in the mirror. Her nose wrinkled up in disgust. Ty stifled a laugh, knowing she was displeased by her looks. She slowly moved her arm up. The higher it went, the worse it shook. Ty tried hard not to reach out to help until he was asked.

Amy managed to do one stroke before her arm gave out and her head went down.

"Hey, it's okay, Amy. Cut yourself some slack," Ty said as he took the brush from her hands and ran it down the length of her hair. He tried not to pull too hard. She relaxed, resting her hands on his legs, as Ty brushed her hair until it shone.

He leaned around to kiss her cheek. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

Amy smiled, looking back at him through the mirror. "Thank you, but I'm anything but beautiful," she answered, giving him a raised eyebrow.

His heart melted, his arms embracing her. "Amy, you're so beautiful, and I love you so much."

Carol slowly backed out of the room to give them some much needed time alone. She returned later with a tray of food—mostly liquids for Amy, not wanting to upset her system. She also had a plate for Ty with ham and eggs and some coffee. Amy ate her broth, pouting while watching Ty eat her favorite foods. Finally, Ty gave in, letting her have just one taste.

They spent the morning talking, Ty answering all her question as best as he could. Her memories of what had happened to her were sketchy. She had no idea how long she'd been in a coma.

While she slept, Ty held her, not wanting to leave. Sometime later, Carol came in, checking her vitals and asking Ty some questions. She instructed him to go slow in filling Amy in on the details. Her mind would need time to absorb and process the information. She also told him they would be starting her on physical therapy in the next day or so. Ty asked how involved he could be in her recovery, wanting to be there with her.

The week went by quickly, Amy regaining more strength with each therapy session. They hadn't had her stand yet but were working on stretching and strengthening her leg muscles. Ty was her cheerleader, encouraging her every step of the way.

The day finally arrived when they felt she could try standing. Ty was excited but nervous. He wanted this for Amy; she'd worked so hard to get to this point.

"Ok, Amy. You have one more thing to accomplish before I let you rest today."

Amy gave Carol a questioning look. "What's that?"

"I want you to try and stand up," Carol said.

Ty watched her intently as she said, "Okay, let's give it a try."

With a nurse on either side, Amy slid slowly off the edge of the table. Her legs reached for the solid footing of the floor. She took a deep breath and pushed up, feeling the support from the nurses. Her legs were shaky but managed to support her weight.

As she stood grinning from ear to ear, the door opened and Jack walked in.

His eyes filled with tears as he saw his granddaughter standing. He rushed over to her, scooping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly.

"Amy, honey." He buried his face in her hair.

"Grandpa!" Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him tight.

Carol smiled. "Sorry, Mr. Bartlett, but I need you to put Amy back on her feet for a moment."

Jack slowly lowered Amy to the floor, releasing his hold on her and giving the nurse a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that." He stepped back and watched with awe as Amy stood on her own two legs for the first time in over two years.

He smiled through his tears, seeing her bright blue eyes sparkling. It was amazing to see her awake and now standing on her own. Jack found it hard to keep his composure.

She stood for what seemed like an eternity to Ty. Finally, she gave him a smile that conveyed she needed him to come over and sweep her off her feet.

Ty carefully picked her up, pulling her close and feeling her arms wrap around his neck. In that moment, it was just the two of them, lost in each other's eyes.

Jack cleared his throat, bringing them back to the present and the others in the room.

Ty smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Carol smiled. "I totally understand. It's a big accomplishment."

Ty lowered Amy to the wheelchair and stepped back while Carol finished up, giving Amy strict instructions not to get up on her own and to press the call button if she needed anything.

When everyone had left her room, Amy motioned for Ty to crawl in bed beside her. Removing his shoes, he lay down next to her, pulling her body into his. Her head snuggled into his chest, and he heard her sigh as she relaxed against him.

They kept her there for a few more days, letting her walk further each day. She was doing great and looking like her old self again. Her weight was back to normal, and so was her appetite. Amy was ready to go home.

The doctor granted her wish, but not without some limitations and she was discharged the next day. The ride back to Heartland took about an hour, and she sat quietly watching out the window at the passing landscape. Ty was a little concerned by her mood.

When they made the turn into the drive and his truck went under the Heartland sign, she lost it, the tears running down her cheeks uncontrollably.

He stopped the truck, reaching over to pull her into his arms. "Hey, it's okay. Why the tears? You're home."

"I know, but all the time that's passed since I've been here just kind of caught up with me."

Ty smiled, pulling her chin up to meet his eyes. His thumbs brushed softly across her cheeks as he pressed his lips against hers. "Welcome home, Miracle Girl."