I remember.

Grissom groaned inwardly. His memories had been slow coming but they were back now and they were tormenting his soul. He hadn't told Sara that he remembered–in fact, he had lied to her about it only a little while earlier and he felt horrible about it. I made her promise to be honest with me, and I haven't been honest with her. I'm such a hypocrite!

But the memories were still too painful to share and Grissom was having a hard time dealing with them himself. It was all so very vivid in his mind. He could see the harsh, bright headlights bearing down on the Tahoe, he could feel the aching pain in his wrist from when he slammed his hand against the horn and, worst of all, he could hear Sara's frightened cries. Grissom could hear her shouting his name, over and over again and it haunted him. He cringed, trying to lock away that one particular memory. He'd been trying to forget it ever since he remembered those terrifying moments but he wasn't having much luck. It just replayed relentlessly in his mind, until he could remember every single detail about those few minutes before everything spun out of control.

Grissom guided the Tahoe along the rough road, taking each bend with caution. His bright headlights were on, illuminating the narrow path right ahead of them, and easing the strain on Grissom eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he stole a quick glance at Sara, who had been staring out the window for over five minutes, breathing deeply, evenly.

"You okay, Sara?" Grissom asked, wondering why she was so quiet all of a sudden.

"Hmmmm?"

The vehicle hit yet another deep hole in the dirt, jolting Sara out of her reverie. "Sorry," Grissom said quickly, when she spun around to face him.

Sara smiled tiredly. "It's okay." She yawned, shaking herself back into reality. "I zoned out. What were we talking about?"

"Stargazing."

"Right. I think I ended up doing that," Sara replied, laughing lightly.

Grissom nodded. "It would be hard not to on a night like this."

"Yeah but I'm such an amateur," she admitted. "I could only find the Little Dipper."

"Well, you can't be good at everything, Sara. It takes time."

She blushed. "I'm patient–usually."

"Being in a moving vehicle doesn't exactly facilitate the experience either."

"True."

Grissom took a deep breath."If we had more time, I'd stop and teach you some strategies."

Sara bit her lip. "You would?" She seemed surprised, her voice very quiet, very soft.

Grissom nodded but he remained silent. His heart started to speed at the sight of Sara's glowing, rose-coloured cheeks and he wondered what she thought about his offer. He wasn't even sure what he meant by it, really. But he did know that it seemed like a wonderful idea and he smiled to himself. "Hopefully we'll see more nights like this when it's warmer," he said softly.

Sara looked down at her hands, bending her fingers nervously. "Yeah–that would be–" she paused, clearing her throat to keep her voice from shaking. "That would be nice."

Grissom gave the Tahoe a little more gas. "We're running late," he said, changing the topic before Sara could notice his own flushed cheeks.

"They'll understand."

Grissom knew she was right. He eased off the gas pedal, noticing that the road was becoming even rockier. He remembered that particular part of the path from awhile earlier and he realized that they were still a couple miles away from the main road. "Shouldn't be too much longer," he said. "Then we'll be back on track."

"I've got the map ready," Sara told him. "We can double check our location before we head the other way."

Noting the number of trees and boulders that lined the road, Grissom found himself squinting his eyes, trying to get a better view of what was ahead. "That sounds like a good idea," he replied, grimacing. "Everything's starting to look the same out here."

"At least there aren't too many trees," Sara thought out loud.

A flash of light momentarily caught Grissom's attention. "We might be closer than I remember," he told Sara.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Saw a light ahead. Just for a second."

"Could it be another car?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow. "In the middle of nowhere?"

Grissom shrugged. "Could be."

The light came again, filtering through the trees, and this time, Sara saw it too. "Doesn't look too far away," she mused.

Grissom agreed and he slowed down just as the road curved in between a few trees and a larger slab of rock, towering many feet into the air. Grissom took the sharp turn carefully, hearing the small stones from the road slap against the bottom of the Tahoe. Rounding the rock face, Grissom and Sara both saw the light again–but this time, it came in a steady, bright beam.

And the beam was coming straight for them. Rapidly.

"Headlights–" Grissom muttered loudly, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He forced the Tahoe over onto the side of the road, as far as he could go without hitting the trees that lined their side of the path. But the light was speeding towards them and the road was too narrow.

Sara was frozen in her seat. "He doesn't see us, Grissom!" she managed to gasp out. "He doesn't–"

His heart pounding, Grissom slammed his left fist on the horn and stepped on the gas pedal.

"Grissom!"

"Grissom." Sara's strained voice jolted Grissom out of his painful memory. He looked down at her weak, bruised body and he felt sick. She trembled in his arms. Reality isn't much better.

"Sorry," Grissom replied, trying to separate himself from his memories and finding it difficult. "I zoned out, I guess. What were we talking about?"

"You–you were saying something about flares."

Grissom nodded. "Road flares."

"In the–the Tahoe."

There was a little bit of hope in Sara's eyes and Grissom smiled at her in encouragement. Inside, however, he felt his whole body sizzle with anger. His memories had been flooding back steadily and he found himself remembering not only the accident but also that there were certain items still in the crumpled Tahoe that would be of assistance to them. There were road flares in the back of the vehicle and a small package of Tylenol in his glove compartment. He had removed the small package from his first aid kit a few weeks earlier when one of his headaches threatened to become a full blown migraine. He knew the pills wouldn't do much for Sara but he thought they might help a little, perhaps dull the pain for a little while. Grissom clenched his teeth in anger, ready to kick himself for not thinking of those essential items before.

"Will you be okay for a few minutes?" Grissom asked Sara, his tight hold on her shoulders indicating that he would rather do anything but leave her.

"I'll be–" She coughed uncomfortably. "I'll be fine."

"Alright," he told her, nodding reluctantly. He gently lowered her shoulders from his lap to the ground and, after scrambling up onto his knees and checking to make sure Sara's feet were still properly elevated on his field kit, he made his way over to the Tahoe. With Sara no longer in his arms, Grissom felt as if he wasn't doing his job properly. He now felt an overwhelming need to protect her, to hold her, to know that she was safe. He needed to know that she knew that she was safe. It's selfish, Grissom told himself, as he retrieved the flares and the Tylenol. I shouldn't need to feel anything right now.

After placing the flares strategically around the accident site, Grissom returned to Sara's side. He helped her take the pills and then wasted no time before gathering her into his embrace. Together, they both listened to the hissing flares and they talked, for forty-five minutes straight, about food and horoscopes, about bugs and police scanners, about Greg's eclectic taste in music and his specialty coffees, and about other safe things. Then, they discussed, with a considerable amount of caution, their feeling about the shift split, both of them admitting how much they missed their colleagues, their friends. When Sara's face twisted during their careful conversation, Grissom knew that it wasn't only from the pain, and that they were hovering over a very fine line. They were getting closer and closer to the words that really needed to be said–words that Grissom was almost sure he'd never be able to say. He took a deep breath, forcing his heart to stay on the safe side of the line. She's scared and she's in pain. I can't tell her how I feel, Grissom thought wildly. How unfair would that be? He closed his eyes for just a second. How would I even begin to tell her?

Grissom opened his eyes to find Sara looking up at him questioningly, her deep brown eyes bearing into his with an intensity that he didn't expect to see. Grissom was suddenly aware that she was reading his mind, a skill she'd mastered shortly after they first met more than ten years earlier. He had always been able to read her's too and now, he found himself reading right into her soul. She knows. A chill ran through his spine. She knows I'm afraid–of everything.

"What should we talk a–about now, Griss?" Sara asked, her blinking eyes hinting at him to speak.

Grissom felt his whole body stiffen."I'm not sure," he whispered nervously.

"There has to–to be something we haven't talked about yet."

Something? Grissom sighed. We still have everything to talk about, Sara. But he knew that she knew that–she had made that clear when she asked him about the wine."I'm sure there is," he replied, forcing a smile onto his face. Sara's eyelids fluttered in response.

"I really need to–to sleep," she sighed.

"Well, I need you to stay awake," Grissom said firmly. "We'll find something interesting to talk about, don't worry."

Sara seemed angry. "Oh come–come on, Griss. This could go–go on forever," she mumbled forcefully. "They–they should be here by now. Some–one should be here for us."

She's getting upset. Not good. Grissom could feel the increasing tightness in Sara's small frame and he immediately wondered if she had felt him go tense too. He had been trying so hard to keep her from panicking but he hadn't been paying much attention to his own weary, restless body. She was laying right there in his arms, probably feeling his fear–and he hadn't thought of it. It's me. I'm scaring her, he realized, his stomach jumping into his throat. How can I expect her to relax when I can't do it? Great, I'm a double hypocrite.

Grissom tried to calm himself, knowing that he couldn't afford to let his emotions get the better of him. "Sara–they're coming," he told her, letting his shoulders relax a bit. "It's only been two hours. They have to notice that we're missing before they start to look."

Sara spat out a few words between painful wheezes. "Only–two–hours?"

"I know how you feel," he said softly. "It seems like it's been a lot longer."

"You don't know how I–how I feel," she whispered, huddling even closer to him, seeking the safety of his embrace.

Grissom nodded his apology. She's right. I have no idea how she feels–physically. He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her, cradling her upper body carefully, knowing that she needed more than his comfort–she needed his confidence. He was silent as he examined the changing expressions on Sara's pale face. She wasn't angry; she was absolutely terrified.

"It could take all–all night for them to find us," Sara sighed, her fingers clutching at Grissom's coat. She fought with her eyelids again, barely maintaining control over them. "Can't–can't stay awake that long."

"It won't take that long, honey."

"How–how do you know?"

Grissom ignored her question, noticing that Sara's breaths were becoming very erratic. She winced at every gasp, her eyes growing wide. Keep her calm, he reminded himself. You can't let her panic. She had already gotten upset once and Grissom wasn't about to sit there and let it happen again. He had already forfeited so much control. "Sara–" Grissom grasped her chin. "Sara, listen to me."

She nodded, her frightened eyes meeting his. "I'm lis–listening."

"They will find us," he told her, keeping his voice stable, serious. "And you need to stay calm until they do."

She nodded again, panting. "I'm okay, Griss."

But her eyes didn't tell the same story.

Grissom squeezed her shoulder gently. She's so scared. I've never seen her so scared. Sara had never been one to admit when she was afraid. She had always been so strong and stubborn and Grissom was used to that. He wasn't used to seeing her so vulnerable and it broke his heart to see her try to hide it, even though he was trying to do the same thing. She was moaning and trying desperately to look away but Grissom held her chin firmly, making her focus on him. "You need to slow your breathing,"he said, keeping the emotion out of his voice.

Sara gritted her teeth and sighed, fearfully acknowledging the fact that she was in distress. Her eyelids fluttered again. "My heart won't stop pounding," she whispered weakly. "Hurts."

Grissom rested two fingers on her neck, feeling her pulse. He counted the rapid beats against the time on his watch while Sara searched his face nervously. One hundred and twenty-six. Dammit. Her heart was beating way too fast. Sara was slipping further into shock and her increasing panic was only making everything worse. Calm her down. Now.

"Sara." Grissom's voice was stern in his own building panic. "You need to relax, honey. Your heart rate is through the roof."

Her eyes were very wide now. "Sh–shock?"

"It's not just from the shock. You're panicking," Grissom explained. "You'll feel better as soon as you calm down."

Sara seemed to understand that and she followed Grissom's instructions, taking controlled, shallow breaths through her nose and letting them out slowly through her mouth. They continued like that for a few minutes, with Grissom keeping his emotions in check in order to help Sara relax. He talked to her softly until he felt her tense muscles relax against him. Her breathing, although ragged, became even once again and her pulse dropped a bit, much to Grissom's relief. Thank God, he thought, cradling Sara's shoulders. His silent celebration, however, was cut short quickly.

"It's just get–getting worse, Griss," Sara whimpered, a tear running down her cheek.

"The pain?"

She nodded. "And it's hard–harder to breathe," she told him, reluctantly keeping her promise.

"Adrenaline's wearing off," explained Grissom. He didn't offer any other interpretation but his mind reeled. Damaged lung, his brain concluded. It could collapse! But his heart was simultaneously trying to tell him that she would be fine.

"I figured," she sighed. The look on her face told Grissom that her mind was reeling too and that she was reaching the same probable conclusions. They stared at each other for a wordless minute and Sara let her tears fall, no longer bothering to hide them.

"I'm sorry, Sara," Grissom whispered, feeling a deep, dark pit in his stomach. I wish I could do more. He felt completely useless and completely guilty. He could only imagine what she was feeling. Grissom reached down to squeeze Sara's hand, silently indicating that she could squeeze back as tightly as she wanted. She immediately tried to, but there wasn't much strength left in her grasp. She was becoming weaker.

"Don't–don't be sorry," she said hoarsely. "It's my fault. It's prob–ably all my fault."

Grissom was shocked. He'd heard those words before and they pierced his soul–again."What? How is this your fault, honey?"

Sara managed to put a little bit of pressure on his fingers and she smiled through her tears, her lips curving ever so slightly. "Should–have–stayed–home," she whispered.

Smiling back, Grissom smoothed Sara's hair away from her face, his fingers resting on her forehead softly. "Sara, we both know it would take a snowstorm in July to keep you home from work." He shook his head. "And even that might not do it."

"Probably not," she admitted, her smile wavering. "I–I have a shovel. And I know how–how to use it."

Grissom's smile turned into a tired grin and he pulled Sara's head closer to him, until her ear was pressed right against his chest. He looked into her eyes to make sure he wasn't causing her any more pain and then he held her there softly, listening and feeling the threat of his own tears as she wept in his arms. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but as the minutes passed, Grissom brought Sara closer and closer to him, until she was nestled right under his chin. And then, almost instinctively, Grissom gently pressed his lips to the uninjured side of Sara's forehead, brushing her cool, soft skin with care. They both gasped lightly in surprise.

"Grissom." Sara's voice was soft, her eyes red but bright. "Grissom?"

He withdrew a little, adjusting Sara's weight in his arms to meet her tearful and astonished expression. "Sara, I–" Grissom's heart raced as he tried to figure out what had just happened. What am I doing? I can't do this to her now! "I, um–"

Sara bit her lip and she smiled faintly. "I, uh, I thought there–there would have to be a snowstorm in July be–before you ever did that."

Me too. Grissom was startled. "I–I'm sorry–"

She blinked. "Are you?"

Am I? No! No, I'm not sorry! That felt right. God, it felt so right!

"Grissom–"

He shook his head quickly. "I'm not sorry," he breathed. "I'm not."

Sara's chin quivered and another tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "Then don't–don't say you are," she begged.

Grissom nodded, breathlessly. "Okay." Carefully, he pulled her back into his chest, still in complete shock. He felt light-headed and warm as he held her again and he wondered if his heart would ever slow down. Letting his fingers trail through Sara's soft brown hair, Grissom tried to take a few calming breaths, trying to prevent his own panic attack. He noticed that Sara was now very relaxed in his arms and that helped him breathe a little easier. That also encouraged him to place another gentle but hesitant kiss on the top of her head. Sara sighed in response.

"So, when–when are we going to talk for real, Griss?"

TBC

Author's Note: This chapter is extra long! It's a bit of a turning point in the story, so I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again for all the feedback for the previous chapters!

Special thanks to:

shalimar2 (lol, I'm glad you'll forgive me!) LSI (Your feedback really makes my day, so thank-you! I really appreciate it!) guess19 (I'm glad you liked the horoscope! Thanks!), ferndavant (Thank-you for your comments! I'm glad you like it!), Wayofriver (We'll find out more about mystery car soon!) djkittycat (Props to you for the road flares! Their presence in this chapter is in your honour :) ) Casandra (Thanks! It's hard to keep Griss in character, especially, but I'm really enjoying the challenge!) svcmc (You're awesome! Your comments are always so encouraging and lovely and I just can't tell you how much I appreciate it!), Laura (don't worry, they'll be rescued–eventually. They have to talk a few things out first!), Niebezpiczny Ksiezyc (I'm really having a good time trying to portray their feelings so I'm really glad you like that part of the story!), Almeida's-Angel24 (I'm SO glad you still like it! Thanks!), DolphinAnimagus (Thanks for all your reviews! Don't worry–they'll be rescued soon enough!), jbr12476 (Thanks so much! I hope you like this chapter!), Teenwitch (Thanks so much. You always make my day! I really LOVE writing Sara so I'm glad you like it! Your new story with Rouch rocks btw!), CarbyluvYTDAW (I am absolutely honoured that you're sticking with my wip! I'll try to keep the updates coming quickly!) Lauren (thanks!), DaVinci13 (I am grammar obsessed! Lol. Thanks for your comments–I am so glad that the story is believable!), Jenny (thanks!), brainfear (Thanks! I'm so glad! I hope you like this chapter!), Leah2 (You're so sweet to leave me such detailed feedback–I love it when I can "feel" a story too and I'm extremely glad that you can feel this one!), gabesaunt (thanks so much! I'm very glad that it's realistic!), Sunrays and Saturdays (I'm glad you like it! I'm glad you like the slow pace. I think it's about to get a bit faster but I really enjoy trying to make sure the emotions are just right! Thanks for your comment!), jesusfreak30 (thanks!), Debbie (glad you're still reading! Thanks!) and Cherry-Banana (I can't tell you how much I appreciate the constructive criticism. Thank-you for pointing out the slow pace–I definitely feel that way too–and I think this chapter was a little faster so I would love to know what you thought!)

Jazz