It was the longest and shortest hour of Sara Sidle's life.

As time stood completely still, Sara found herself stranded in a storm of Tylenol, road flares, meaningless conversations and confused glances. She was lost in a sea of darkness, where her heavy eyelids and her increasing panic pulled her below the surface, leaving her desperate for air, desperate for light. Grissom was her only comfort in the dark and he was holding her, guiding her through the pain, doing his best to make sure she felt safe. He was doing a much better job than the Tylenol. Sara wasn't even sure if she'd taken the pills, for they were having no affect on the excruciating pain. But she remembered Grissom warning her that they probably wouldn't do much good and she remembered him holding the water bottle to her lips so she could take them–so she must have swallowed them. It just didn't feel like she had.

At least Grissom's helping.

But he was also hurting her–unintentionally. During their forced forty-five minute talk and in the midst of her panic attack, Sara became increasingly aware, despite her struggle to breathe and to stay conscious, that Grissom remembered the accident. The feeling was very strong. He remembers and he's not telling me. He's keeping me in the dark! Just like he has been for the past five years. Sara repeatedly drew her fingers into her palms, feeling her nails scratch at her soft skin in fear and frustration. She could almost see the returning memories in Grissom's eyes. His blue orbs were clouded with a look of torment that Sara didn't recognize and his legs were completely rigid under her. His arms were wound very tight around her shoulders and while Sara felt very secure in his embrace, she couldn't help but feel his fear. Grissom was stiff, scared, stunned–he was feeling. That wasn't something Sara was used to and it made her worry–about both of them.

I always thought he didn't feel anything.

When she panicked, from both fear and pain, the minutes seemed like years. And in those sixty second years, Grissom definitely felt something. He might have even felt everything. Sara could tell by the reassuring but desperate look in his eyes, by the firm yet gentle way he held her chin, and by the thousand emotions evident in his soothing voice. She was terrified and delighted at the same time. First, I'm hot and cold. Now I'm terrified and delighted? Breathe, Sara.

Shortly after Sara got her breathing back under control, her fear started to melt away. And so did time. But it wasn't because she could breathe again. No, that was only a very small part of it. All sense of time was swept away the moment Grissom's lips met her forehead and everything became a warm and shocking blur. His kiss was so soft, so careful and so full of built up desire that Sara's consciousness became an explosion of emotional fireworks. Time was standing still yet moving so fast and Sara was suddenly sure there was no way an hour could have just gone by. Their forty-five minute conversation about work and all the people there and what everyone else meant to them just fizzled into thin air. Minutes seemed like seconds now and it was all because Sara was no longer thinking about the pain.

Sara barely recognized the sound of her own voice when she found her words again. "Grissom." Her tone was quiet, breathless. Is this really happening? Right now? Sara trembled wildly but she didn't feel any pain. She tried to calm herself down, trying desperately not to read too much into the kiss–just in case. You have to stop thinking about this! Sara told herself. It was a kiss to the forehead. He could have only been trying to comfort you. It worked, didn't it? You have a damaged lung, possibly punctured. You're crying. He just wants to help. Her mind froze. Oh God, let it be more than that! Sara cleared her throat nervously. "Grissom?"

He was silent, still holding her close, still shocked.

Grissom, please, Sara begged silently. Please talk to me! Please tell me it meant something! Please tell me you're not regretting it already! Sara couldn't keep track of the number of conflicting emotions that slammed through her, all at once, meddling deep in her heart. She was trying to think about a million things, breathe, and keep her eyes open and she was getting very tired. She needed answers. She needed a reason to stay awake.

Another tear trailed down Sara's cheek just as Grissom pulled away to meet her gaze. "Sara, I–" He paused, his face a display of pure surprise but not regret–at least not from what Sara could tell. Her heart fluttered and she choked back a sob, daring to hope. "I, um–"

Talk to me, Griss. Just talk to me–please! 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," she whispered as another tear escaped the corner of her eye.

"I–I'm sorry–"

Sara blinked rapidly as the whole world caved in. He's sorry. Already. I knew it. Feeling sick to her stomach, Sara held back another sob,immediately wondering why she let herself even think about it. But she didn't have to wonder for long because Grissom's expression changed and all his panic and confusion transformed into something else, right before Sara's eyes. She studied him carefully, her heart soaring at the warmth and longing in his gaze and her mind telling her to ignore it. Don't push this any further. Don't do it. He already regrets it. Leave it alone!

But she couldn't keep her mouth shut."Are you?" She gasped for a breath. "Grissom–"

Just as Sara felt the pain creep back into her consciousness, Grissom shook his head quickly and Sara could feel the fireworks–again. "I'm not sorry," he whispered, his mouth so close to her ear that she could feel the gentle puff of his breath. "I'm not."

"Then don't–don't say you are," she begged softly. Sara wanted to break down right there in Grissom's arms. Relief flooded her body and she tried to hold back her tears but they just spilled down her cheeks anyway. There goes my heart again, Sara thought, smiling weakly to herself, feeling her heart thump rapidly in her chest–but it didn't hurt. Every part of her shivered in joy and disbelief, just from that one, small but intense kiss to her forehead, and from the fact that Grissom didn't regret it.

Grissom still looked shocked but he managed a shaky "okay" before pulling her close to him again. As he cradled her in his embrace, Sara suddenly felt like she belonged there, and she finally relaxed, letting her bruised body melt into his strong arms. Despite the fear that still simmered in her soul, Sara let herself enjoy the feeling of Grissom's fingers as they ran softly through her hair. When he placed another gentle kiss to the top of her head, she knew for sure that he meant it and she sighed.

"So when–when are we going to talk for real, Griss?" Sara asked, making the leap before she completely ran out of strength. Her ear was pressed against Grissom's chest and she could hear his heart pounding, the rapid beats almost matching hers. He should check his own pulse, Sara thought, smiling into his coat. Her smile disappeared for a second as she coughed raggedly but she refused to acknowledge any pain at all–it just didn't exist right then. It couldn't.

Grissom brought his mouth even closer to her ear. "You okay?" he whispered, removing his hand from her hair and bringing it to her cheek. He stroked her skin gently and with a surprising amount of confidence.

Sara caught her breath and she nodded, her ear still pressed to his chest. "Nev–never better, Griss," she said, her voice full of warmth. "Are you okay?"

He smiled and he seemed calmer now. "I'm fine, honey."

"Really? I can hear your–your heart racing."

"I'll be fine, Sara. It has a tendency to do that when–" He sighed, licking his lips and shaking his head, still smiling lightly. "I'm not worried about my heart right now. I'm worried about yours."

Sara closed her eyes, soaking his words in. I never thought I'd hear him say that. She knew what he meant–he was worried about her heart rate–but still, she had never imagined those words coming from his mouth. For five years, her heart, her feelings, hadn't mattered much at all to him. Or so she had thought. When Sara opened her eyes again, she met Grissom's tender stare and she realized that he really had cared about her all those years.

"How's the pain?" he asked gently, still stroking her cheek. His fingers were so light and so affectionate and Sara couldn't help but notice that he wasn't as hesitant now.

Sara chuckled faintly. "What pain, Grissom?"

Grissom's smile turned into a shy grin. "So I take it the Tylenol's working?" he said, joking quietly.

Sara shook her head, wincing and smiling back. "Not at all."

"I see," Grissom whispered. He tucked her head under his chin and his hand returned to her hair, his fingers running through it softly. Sara listened to his breathing as the silence overcame them and she tried to keep her own breathing slow. The pain was coming back slowly and she'd been expecting it. She knew that Grissom's kiss wouldn't keep her floating on the clouds forever, at least not physically. The returning pain reminded Sara of the things that still needed to be said and she realized that Grissom hadn't answered her question.

"Griss?" Her voice was muffled by his coat. "You didn't an–answer me."

"Answer you?"

"My question," she clarified, knowing very well that he knew exactly what she meant. "We need to–to talk, Griss. And not about food or work."

He sighed and Sara felt his beard brush against her forehead. "We have plenty of time to talk, honey," he said reassuringly. "About everything."

"You–you don't know that," Sara whispered, her voice wavering. "You can't know that."

"I do," Grissom replied firmly. "You're going to be fine."

Sara just nodded slowly, her head moving on Grissom's shoulder. I don't want to think about that, she thought to herself. What's the use, anyway? She felt her muscles start to tense again in panic and she immediately took a few shallow breaths, hoping to stay relaxed. Well, as relaxed as she could possibly be.

"Breathe, Sara," Grissom whispered in her ear. "Slow breaths."

"I'm try–trying."

"I know you are, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? Sara smiled weakly as she inhaled and exhaled in a now familiar shallow rhythm. "Why won't you just talk to–to me, Griss?" she asked, panting between breaths. "It can't hurt now. Just–just tell me. Tell me where your mind's been for–for the last five years."

"Sara–"

"Please–"

Grissom carefully adjusted Sara's head so they could lock gazes. "I'm not–" A pained look crossed his face. "Sara, I'm not good at this," he sighed.

Sara was still gasping for air. "No–kidding."

Grissom winced, his blue eyes full of concern. "You need to concentrate on your breathing," he told her gently. "We need to get that under control before we talk about anything."

"I'm so tired," Sara moaned. "Talk, Griss. Just talk–talk to me."

Grissom's eyes glazed over and Sara was almost sure she saw tears forming. This is really hard for him. She knew that. She'd known that for a very long time. But she'd never seen him in this much pain. She couldn't help but feel bad that it was over a conversation that they should have had years earlier. She gritted her teeth, trying to think about the kiss in order to block out her own pain. He kissed me and he meant it. It doesn't matter that it was on the forehead. He meant it. He cares for me. But this time, the pain couldn't be forgotten and time was starting to crawl by again. Two hours. We've only been out here for two hours. Sara tried to steady herself and her eyelids fluttered from her efforts. Come on, Griss. Talk to me.

Grissom took a deep breath and he let it out slowly. "I don't know where to start," he admitted slowly, quietly.

"I do," Sara replied breathlessly. She reached up to touch Grissom's beard, her fingers trailing weakly along his chin, her eyes searching his. "Why did you ask–ask me to come to Vegas?"

Grissom took another deep breath and then grasped Sara's roaming fingers, pressing them to his cheek. "Sara–"

Sara looked up at him, desperate for an answer. "Why, Griss?"

He sighed softly. "Because I wanted you here."

TBC

Author's Note: Lol. So I had to write Sara's reaction to the kiss because, well, I had to! Next chapter will definitely have a lot more of the talk! Thank-you so much for the incredible feedback for chapter seven! I was able to get this chapter up earlier than I thought and I'm hoping to have the next one up soon! Thanks again!

Special thanks to:

wanda57 (don't worry, someone will find them–eventually!), lurker (thanks for pointing out the time issue. I definitely agree. I'm hoping this chapter evened it out a bit, since I was doing both of their reactions to the same period of time. Thanks for your feedback!), Billy4Me (I'm really glad you like the hitches in Sara's speech and the description of the accident. More to come soon about the accident! Thanks for your comments!), DaVinci13 (I'm glad you're still interested and I really appreciate your patience! Thanks!), csipal (thanks so much and I hope you keep reading and enjoying!), jbr12476 (I hope you like the kiss from Sara's point of view too! Thanks!), ddmc (I'm happy to hear that this is suspenseful and I'm really glad you like it! Thanks for your feedback!), Sunrays and Saturdays (Lol that IS a good thing! Don't worry, it won't get too much faster. Some are telling me to speed it up a bit and some like the slow pace, so I'm trying to find a happy medium! I'm so glad that the sense of urgency is there! Thanks for your lovely comments!), Jenny70529 (your review made me smile. You're adorable! Mushy moments on the way!), marissa (the story won't get too much faster! Thanks for your review and for pointing out the abruptness of the chapter. I can see what you mean there and I will take that in to account when writing the rest of the story! Very glad you enjoyed chapter 7 though, I hope you like this one too! Thanks!), DolphinAnimagus (Ah, GeekLove is the best! More to come soon about the accident! Thanks!), svcmc (thanks for your lovely comment as always. You always make me smile!), Firebird Phoenix (wow! It feels like it came from the show? That's awesome. Thanks so much for your compliment!), Marlou (thank-you for the detailed review! I'm so glad you're still reading! I'm glad it feels real, that's something that I was really aiming for. Lol yeah I have an obsession with grammar but sometimes I do slip up! Thanks for the lovely comments!), CPDCSI (so glad you like the characterization of Grissom! He's hard to write! Thanks for your review!), lozluvswarrick (I'm glad you like this story! Thanks!), ToMyGrave (Addicted? Awesome! Thanks for your comment!), ScullyAsTrinity (I'm so glad you like the pacing! That was important to me from the very beginning. SO glad you liked the kiss and the stargazing. You're really reading my mind about the ending ;) That would be very cute! Thanks!), Chicklit (Thanks so much. I'm glad you're still liking the story!), drakien (I'm glad you like the story and the cliffhanger! Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks!), 47th Spirit (Thanks so much!), LittleSidle (I'm glad you like the characterization of Sara and Grissom. I've been trying to make sure Grissom doesn't over-talk. That was one thing I wanted to specifically avoid! Thanks for your comment and I love your name–very cute!), CarbyluvYTDAW (thanks for another lovely review! I hope you like this chapter!), Niebezpiczny Ksiezyc (Thanks! Glad you're still reading!), gabesaunt (I'm glad you like the kiss! The talk is coming, slowly but surely! Next chapter–a lot of talking! Thanks!), Teenwitch (Don't worry, the talk is underway and there's a lot more to come in the next chapters! Thanks for your wonderful comments!), Debbie (glad you liked this chapter! Thanks!), CSI-phreak (next chapter is here! Hope you liked it!), an (I'm so glad you are hooked! That's wonderful! Thanks!), XakliaAeryn (remember to breathe ;) lol, thanks so much!), Aidrianna (I'm glad you like it! Thanks!) and brainfear (thanks for sticking with me this far! You rock!)

Jazz