A/N: This chapter is very intense. As my fingers flew across the keyboard, I kept thinking, "OMG!"…these two have led us to a critical point in the story…please don't kill the messenger…the final chapter has been penned (out of sequence) because I just had to remind myself that GSR will prevail…but somehow, when I read this, even I wondered if we'll ever get there…all mistakes are mine…fasten your belts, readers…this ending had me gasping for air…you have all been so terrific with your reader support and reviews…this one hurts, but it IS darkest before the dawn…more as soon as possible…-Kathy

--

As the patrol car sped up the one lane gravel road towards the cabin, Brass almost failed to contain his anxiety as he barked, "Can't this thing go any faster?"

The younger officer tightened his grip, his hands expressing what his training warned him not to, as he replied, "Just a few more minutes, sir."

Jim was about to argue when from the backseat Logan's low moan focused the car's occupants on the scene unveiling through the leafy canopy.

An squad car with its lights flashing was parked near the fork in the road, effectively blocking off travel to the right turn off where an ambulance's lights made a sickening contrast to the leafy beauty surrounding the clearing ahead as dusk loomed close by.

Brass was out of the car before it fully stopped, easily circumventing the blockade on foot as he raced the last few yards to the cabin.

Logan waited for Lillian and then guided her by the elbow to follow the detective at breakneck speed.

As Brass scaled the last few steps of the incline, he could hear the sheriff barking orders to the EMT who stood blocking Jim's view of the stretcher.

"I don't care if this fella refuses to be transported!

I am telling you that I take full responsibility and I am ordering you to get this man to the hospital before he bleeds to death!"

The young EMT was visibly shaken, being newly assigned to this area.

As he moved to push the stretcher through the bay doors, a weak protest resounded through the quiet surroundings.

"I. Said. I. AM. NOT. LEAVING!"

By now, Jim had closed the distance between him and the characters of this drama, which would have been amusing if the stakes weren't so high.

"You're going. Get him loaded up," the detective said flatly, as he leveled Gil with a enigmatic glare.

"Sara-" Gil began to protest, but found himself without the strength to argue.

The sheriff began to interject in an official tone, but Brass was pulling out his I.D. as he raised a hand for the lawman to stop talking.

He continued to stare at Gil as he moved to the front of the stretcher to guide it through the doors.

Once loaded, he hopped into the rig to look down on his wounded friend.

"Gil…you need help…NOW…no more waiting…"

As if to head off any protests, he rushed to say, "I'll take care of her…I won't stop until we find her…"

Waning strength caused weary eyes to convey their hopelessness, causing Brass to grab Gil's hand to say, "I promise."

Whether the words were truly enough, or the loss of so much blood was taking its toll, Grissom just closed his eyes and nodded weakly.

Within moments, the ambulance was on its way down the hillside towards the local emergency room which had already been alerted to its impending arrival….

--

Meanwhile, as Brass had been making plans from the air, after leaving the Justice of the Peace Nick decided a celebratory dinner was in order.

Despite her protests, Nick decided a small Italian restaurant overlooking Lake Mead seemed the perfect place for their first meal as man and wife.

Sara hobbled after him, refusing his attempts to help her.

She knew he was annoyed at her independence, but right now she didn't care.

Her whole world seemed like it was crashing down around her, the feeling stronger and felt deeper than at any time in her troubled life.

As she sat at the linen-covered table on the side deck of the small bistro, she felt like a condemned prisoner having her last meal.

But her thoughts returned to Gil.

He's all alone in that cabin.

I hope he's still asleep, he won't feel any pain from his injuries.

Please, let him be alright.

I hope Nick will keep his word and let him go.

Gil will be better off without me.

He'll never understand…how could I have been so stupid?

How could I have forgotten-

But her thoughts were interrupted by the tug of Nick's hand and the sultry placement of his lips on hers.

Instinctively, she pulled back, but seeing the fire in his eyes beginning to erupt, she batted her eyes slowly and said, "You…surprised me."

Never taking her eyes off his, Nick seemed to accept the answer.

To make her prove her point, however, he grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her hard, his hands painfully revisiting the sites of his earlier bruising grip.

Sara blinked back the tears as she joined in the kiss – anything to save Gil from Nick's wrath.

He ordered for them, but she did nothing more than push her food around her plate as Nick continued to chat on about the place up north, and how they would make use of the solitude to cement their new marriage.

When he brought up the subject of the "patter of little feet", Sara found herself on her own feet and on the way to the ladies' room.

Nick smilingly dismissed the waiter's concern, citing "newlywed jitters" as Sara's problem.

Inside the stall, Sara tried to calm her nerves and the impending nausea that threatened to bring her to her knees.

Tears flowed.

He'll never understand.

How could I have been so stupid?

How could I have forgotten something so important?

Just then, Sara was brought out of her musings as the main door to the restroom opened to the sounds of happy travelers needing to freshen up.

Sara flushed the toilet to cover the sound of her gulping back her sobs, as she worked to compose herself enough to leave the protection of the stall and head back to her husband.

My husband.

Nick is my legal husband now, no matter how Gil and I feel about it.

We had finally found our way to each other, but now…

I never signed those papers.

The marriage was never legal.

Our honeymoon night…none of it was real…

He's better off without me.

He'll find that out in time.

As long as he will be safe…

It's all I can hope for now…

Her concern about Gil's condition caused Sara to take a deep breath and head back to the table to urge Nick to return to the cabin.

--

Nick's car made its turn up the mountainside towards their cabin just as two police cars were moving out of the way of an ambulance as it blared its sirens to alert him to abandon his planned route.

To give the ambulance room to pass, Nick shot up the left branch of the roadside which would take him to the partially cleared lot behind the cabin.

Knowing immediately that Grissom had somehow been rescued from the cabin, Nick's anger had reached new heights.

He pulled into the clearing and shut off the engine.

Through the wooded area which provided them with some semblance of cover, both Nick and Sara could see figures moving.

Nick cursed when he saw Brass circling behind the cabin, apparently unaware of his proximity to the objects of his search.

As the detective moved towards the front of the cabin, Nick could hear an engine start.

Smiling in triumph, he noticed a squad car that had arrived a moment before was now turning around and descending the steep driveway towards the lake.

Nick heaved a sigh of relief, then looked over at Sara who sat unmoving.

Grabbing her hand, he almost whispered, "He's gone now, Sar. We can finally be alone."

A lone tear escaped her eyes as she refused to look at him, only nodding slightly.

He's gone far from here.

He'll be safe now.

It was all worth it.

It will all be worth it…

So involved in repeating this last mantra to herself, Sara was almost unaware as Nick moved towards her door, opened it, and scooped his bride up into his strong arms.

He moved them effortlessly through the clearing, thinking that in a few more feet they would begin their married life by crossing the threshold and giving themselves willingly to each other for the first time.

His shock was so complete, he almost dropped Sara onto the marshy surface below his feet.

Having come within ten feet of the backdoor, just then Lillian had come around the corner of the cabin.

Their eyes locked, and she could see that he was having trouble comprehending what had just happened.

Nick was shaking his head, making a shushing motion with his lips, pleading for his mother to remain calm and quiet.

Lillian looked at Sara, noticing the rings on her fingers.

Nick followed her gaze, then looked up smiling into his mother's eyes.

Sara at that moment could only whisper, "Please…Lillian…"

But the parent/child bond prevented her from understanding Sara's plight, delighted as she was that Nick looked happier than she had seen him in a long time.

Blowing him a kiss, Lillian turned quickly and moved back around the front of the house.

Neither Brass nor the sheriff noticed anything different as they came out of the cabin, heading towards the sheriff's car to continue their search in the town surrounding Lake Mead.

But Logan had known his wife too many years to not notice the subtle change in her demeanor.

Before Lillian could raise her eyes to speak, Logan was already turned and moving slowly away from the group, ostensibly to continue to look for any clues as to where Nick might be.

"I'm going to check in this wooded area to the left here," he said loudly enough for any ears that might be listening.

And with that, he moved away from the scrutiny of the search group.

Now inside, Nick left Sara on the broken bed and move swiftly to softly click the locks on the front door.

Turning to her, Sara felt his eyes on her and immediately felt the bile rise in her throat.

"Sara…darlin'…" Nick began moving towards her, convinced the intruders would be gone in a moment, he being so eager to start their happy future together.

She turned from him, nausea almost overpowering her.

Nick became incensed. He was so sure the marriage ceremony would have changed her attitude, now that Grissom was gone.

Grabbing her forcefully with angry motions, he forced her to look directly at him as he spat, "I. Am. Your. Husband.! You are going to love ME!"

As he closed the distance, Sara protested loudly before her sounds were stifled by his insistent lips, "No!"

It was short, but her declaration was enough to alert Brass of her location.

He whipped around and saw Lillian's hand covering her mouth.

He spun her around to look into her eyes – and Jim Brass figured out the truth.

With an angry push, he freed himself from her company as he drew his gun and shouted, "Nick!

Nick Stokes!"

At the sound of his ranting, Nick stood straight up and moved to the window.

Cursing, he crossed the distance to the bed, yanking Sara forcefully by the arms and moving her as a shield before him.

Seeing Sara's frightened face faintly through the small cabin window, it was Brass' turn to swear.

Raking his hand through his well-groomed hair, he spun around to the sheriff who was about to call for reinforcements.

"Okay," Brass said in low tones, "but they stay off this mountain until we call for them."

Nodding in agreement, the sheriff finished the instructions for the two squad cars as Brass turned his glare to Lillian.

"She gets hurt…you're going up… for aiding and abetting…" he growled before turning his attention to the window.

Lillian immediately sought some protection from Logan, but noticed he was no longer in sight through the wooded area adjacent to the cabin.

"Nick! Let Sara go. Let me help her. Let me help you."

"Get the hell out of here, Brass. Leave us alone!" Nick wailed, his fury obvious to Sara as he increased his possessive hold on her.

"No can do, son. Nick, it's over…just let her go….let me help you, Nick," Brass pleaded, for it had become obvious to almost everyone that he was in need of a great deal of help.

"Never! She's my wife! She stays with me!" Nick countered, anxious for everyone to leave him alone with the object of his obsession.

"Nick! She's married to Grissom! Sara and Gil are married!" Brass tried again, earning a blazing retort from Nick.

"No! She married me! Her name is Sara Stokes now!"

"No, Nick-"

"Wait! Ask her yourself!"

He spun Sara around and suddenly she became frightened for him. Nick's eyes were almost unseeing in their panic, and she realized he was losing grip on reality – making him even more dangerous and unpredictable.

Not one more person is going to die…Not because of me…Never again

"Hey, Jim?" Sara called as calmly as she could manage, never taking her eyes off Nick's.

"I'm…I'm okay….it's true…Nick and I were married just today…"

She saw the almost pleading look in his eyes, and she smiled sadly.

"Gil and I…were never legally married…"

The look of relief on Nick's face was palpable, his eyes focused solely on Sara as a small smile crossed his lips.

"Sara! Honey, are you alright?"

Her eyes trying desperately to calm Nick, she called, "I am fine. Please, Jim, just leave us alone. Please go back and take care of everything back in Vegas."

Brass knew she was referring to Gil, but her meaning was lost on Nick who now was cupping her face with one hand.

Sara's heart broke for this wounded soul, whatever caused this emotional upheaval was clearly taking its toll on this man she had always known to be a gentle soul.

"Brass…please…just leave….now…" Sara pleaded, hoping she would be able to care for Nick in such a way as to get him the help he obviously needed.

"Not without you, darlin'," Brass said, spinning around in hopes of commandeering Logan to help convince them to come out.

Puzzled as to the judge's absence, Brass continued to concentrate on Nick and Sara.

Meanwhile, Sara suddenly saw a change in Nick's behavior.

His eyes glassed over slightly as he pulled forward and kissed her forehead softly.

Leaving her for a split second, he scooped up the knapsack from its forgotten position on the floor, digging inside it in a singular motion.

When he pulled out the handgun he had used to inflict Gil's injuries, Sara knew her luck had run out.

Pulling her towards him, she yelped softly in pain as he spun her to face away from him, allowing him to whisper behind her ear.

"Sara, I love you.

They are never going to let us leave here.

But we can be together, darlin'.

You and me. For all time.

We can leave this mess of a world and move on to heaven. Together."

Sara's heart pounded in her chest, and unable to contain the bile that rose in her throat, she lurched forward in his tight grip and spewed vomit at her feet.

"Easy now, darlin'. It won't be hard at all.

One bullet for you. Then I promise one for me.

It will be painless, I promise.

Then…then we'll be together…forever…"

His use of that word caused Sara to shiver uncontrollably.

Gil will be better off without me.

But…I hope…I just hope he will remember how much I really loved him…

She heard Nick curse softly as he opened the gun chamber to find it only had one bullet at the ready.

Releasing Sara, she fell to the floor, unable to fight any more.

"Sara?!" Jim called, worried about the quiet interlude, ready to force his way into the cabin to rescue her.

"Jim-" Sara started, as Nick whipped his head towards her.

Content that she was not trying to run away, Nick popped the last bullet into the now-full chamber, closing it.

It was time.

As Nick moved towards her, a tear escaped down her cheek as she spoke loudly, "Jim?"

"Sara!"

Nick placed his well-toned arm under hers and yanked her strongly to her feet.

"Jim - please…remember I love you so…please…please tell him I love him…forever…"

Not liking the implications of her message, Brass stormed the front door, only to be barred by the heavy security lock that was chosen for its strength against forced break ins.

Banging wildly, both he and the sheriff were now kicking at the door as their adrenaline kicked in.

"Sara!"

Nick was now holding Sara tightly to his chest, his calm another indication as to his complete emotional breakdown with reality.

"Sara, darlin'. I love you so much. Thank you for marrying me."

He raised the gun level with her head, kissing her soft brown locks a final time before whispering, "I love you, Sara…forever…."

Sara heard the click of the barrel before the gunshot shattered the quiet of the cabin, and everything went black…

--

Sofia shuffled down the hallways of the lab, noting that there was a skeleton crew at work.

Grissom's cell phone clutched in her hand, she was scouting out the object of her lust, hopeful he would be receptive to finishing what they had started the previous evening.

Heading towards Grissom's office, she glanced around before trying the door handle. Finding it unlocked she moved into the room quickly, closing the shades and locking the door behind her before switching on the lights.

As Gil had instructed over his shoulder on his way out of the lab, Sofia's phone lay directly in the center of his desk.

Worried that she might come looking for it, Gil did not want Sofia tipped off to his plan for rescuing Sara, concerned that she would in turn let Nick in on the plan.

Sitting in Gil's desk, Sofia swiveled slowly, taking in the ambience of the room that told so much about the puzzle that was Gil Grissom.

After a few moments, however, she tired of the inactivity and decided to take her phone and scrounge up something, or someone, interesting to do.

Moving towards the AV lab, she noticed Archie slumped over his computer screen. Standing in the doorway, she said seductively, "What's up?"

Flicking his gaze towards her, the tech called on all his reserves to muster a smile and say, "Just some research. What's up with you?"

Every bone in his body reacted in disgust as she moved towards this current source of attention.

"Just here to reclaim my phone. Gil left it at my place last night," she answered nonchalantly, running her finger absently over the desktop before her.

Glancing at the SMARTBOARD map of Lake Mead, she queried politely, "New case?"

One click of the button and the screen switched to the Las Vegas desert.

"Not really, just trying to tie up some loose ends on an old homicide possibly linked to this location," Archie lied, hoping Sofia would forget about the Lake Mead map if she spoke to Nick.

He didn't want to hamper Gil's attempts to get Sara back safely.

"Well," sighed Sofia, already bored with this conversation, "when you see Gil, tell him I returned his phone to his office."

Stopping her exit at the door, she leaned in and said, "Have him call me when he gets back."

"Oh, I will,don't worry, Sofia," he smiled and as she moved down the corridor, Archie felt compelled to finish, "I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon…"

--

When Brass heard the shot, he cursed wildly.

He and the sheriff finally kicked in the door after shooting out the locks.

When the door swung open, the sight before him almost brought him to his knees.

There lay Nick, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Sprawled out before him lay Sara, face white, eyes unseeing, the barest hint of movement to indicate her shallow breathing.

At the opened backdoor stood Logan, Derringer pistol still aimed at the fallen duo, obviously shell-shocked, incapable of movement.

The sheriff rushed to the judge, disarming him easily but unable to make the tall figure of a man move from his position.

Behind him, Brass heard Lillian scream, "No! Oh my lord, no!" before running out the door into the early twilight.

But Jim Brass was only centered on one person.

"Sara," he wept as he pulled her slowly away from Nick's body, cradling her against his heaving chest.

"Please, honey…please, Sara…oh my god…" his tears continued to fall.

The rocking motion, the salty tears falling onto her cheeks, Lillian's screams from just outside the cabin – all these factors caused Sara to stir from her unconsciousness.

Just as she had heard Nick's gun click, Sara had resigned herself to her fate.

Everyone will be better off now.

No one else will have to die…because of me…not ever again…

I'm so sorry, Gil…

Sorry I couldn't have been worth the risk…

I have only ever brought pain to anyone who loved me…

But I will always love you, Gil…forever…

Forever…

Forgive me…

Then there had been the blast.

Logan had to make the hardest decision of his life.

Save Nick…or save Sara.

In the end, Logan could not stand by and watch Sara die.

He loved Nick, but he knew he would never be able to stand by and watch his only son on trial for kidnapping, or worse – murder.

No, it was time to put an end to his suffering.

I love you, son…enough to do the right thing…

A bullet from Logan's gun ended Nick's anguish as it entered his brain painlessly, immediately stopping his life force.

Fired at such close range, Sara felt the bullet as it exited Nick's frontal lobe and seared painfully into her left side near her ribcage.

Now, as Brass rocked her gently, the pain shot through her sternum, but she felt little blood seep from the wound surrounding the impacted shell.

"Sara! Thank God! Are you hurt?" Brass scanned her bloodied sundress, wrongly assuming that all the blood was from Nick's wound.

"I'm fine," she whispered, feeling drained…and very much alone…

She needed Gil.

But she knew he would never want her now.

She had to get away.

Outside, Logan moved towards Lillian who was screaming at him.

Both Brass and Logan watched as one of the squad cars came and forced Lillian to return to the station to wait until the crime scene was released.

Logan's last sight was of Lillian's shaking form sobbing uncontrollably in the back of the police car.

Turning towards the sheriff, he cleared his throat and then asked, "So…what charges am I looking at, sheriff?"

The sheriff turned towards the grieving father, confused at the question.

The judge began again, "I'm a lawyer, sheriff…I'd like to know the exact citation of the charges so that I can advise my attorney."

The two stared at each other for a long moment.

"Sir.." the sheriff began, not being formally introduced.

"Sir…you acted in protection of a life…I don't know what the law's like where you come from, but here, we don't put heroes in jail…we say, "thank you", for saving that young lady's life."

He moved back into the house to check on Sara, leaving Logan out in the cool night air.

Looking from his spot under the moonlit stars, Logan watched as Brass helped Sara to sit up slowly.

He noticed her bruising, the swelling of her ankle, the distress in her movements, the lack of emotion on her face.

Tears started to fall as he remembered reading the report from his initial investigation into this stranger named Sara Sidle.

All grown up now…but it's deva ju, isn't it, Sara?...

Now Logan stood in the darkness, tears continued to fall in waves as he grieved,

-for his dead child, his only son,

-for the torment Sara was experiencing,

-for the heartache his wife was enduring,

-for Gil –

Logan shook himself to clear his thoughts.

Someone needed to check on Gil, to tell him Sara was alright…

Logan turned and wiped his face with both hands, almost running towards the other police officer.

Inside the cabin, Brass and the sheriff conversed while the policeman covered Nick's body with a bedsheet and Brass held Sara firmly in his arms.

But Sara was not in this place.

Outwardly, she displayed no emotion.

Deep inside her quiet place, her internal refuge when the emotional pain became too much to bear, Sara was allowed to weep for the loss of a happily ever after with the man she loved enough to lay down her life for.

In this personal solitude, she hugged herself closely as she cradled the new life just beginning to grow within her as she cried, "Oh, Gil…"