There were decisions to be made and the last thing Grissom wanted to do was make them. Sara had been unconscious for twenty minutes and Grissom had never felt so alone or so helpless. He'd spent the last little while watching and waiting as her condition steadily deteriorated, feeling like a complete failure. First, he had failed Sara by not being able to protect her. Then, he had failed her all over again by not finding a way to keep her awake and responsive. And now he would fail her again–one final time–if he couldn't find a way to get her to safety. He wasn't about to give up but his options were limited. He could stay and wait, praying that help would arrive in time or he could carry Sara down the road, getting them closer to help but risking further injury to Sara's chest. He couldn't leave her. That wasn't an option. So he had to decide between the only two possibilities and he had to make the right choice. If he didn't, he would lose her. And then he would lose himself. Again.

Sara was right, he thought, an unbelievable pain sweeping through him. I finally figured it out and I really could be too late.

Grissom had planned on waiting, on staying in one place until they were found. Until now, the risks involved in moving Sara had outweighed the benefits of trying to reach the main road. But Grissom could see that their chances of being found in time were getting slimmer. Somehow, he knew that she wasn't going to regain consciousness. She had sustained a severe concussion and the internal bleeding was wreaking havoc on her body, making her weaker by the second and causing more problems than Grissom could allow himself to think about. Her condition had been critical from the beginning but now, to make matters worse, there was clear, external evidence of her internal bleeding. A thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and when Grissom lifted her shirt to press gently against her abdomen, he noticed that it was rigid in the areas where the bruising was more severe.

The bruises. There's so many of them! He cringed and closed his eyes. He had almost managed to forget about the patchwork of dark colours on Sara's chest and abdomen. But now, after seeing the bruises again, Grissom knew that he would never, ever shake the image from his mind. He took a deep breath and he shook his head, opening his eyes again to do up Sara's coat. In his heart, he knew what he had to do. I need to get her out of here and I need to do it now, he told himself firmly. She can't afford to wait any longer.

Grissom didn't have time to second guess himself–though he knew that he would end up doing that. As he mentally planned their journey to the main road, Grissom glanced over his shoulder to where the Tahoe sat crumpled and silent in the darkness. And then, taking another deep breath and working quickly, he pulled the blanket off of Sara and laid it out on the ground beside her. Being as gentle as humanly possible, Grissom slid one arm under Sara's shoulders and the other under her back, lifting her up and over a few inches to place her on top of the blanket. He wrapped the heavy material around Sara's prone form and with a silent prayer, he gathered her into his arms, forgetting his own pain as he swiftly worked his way into a standing position.

She's so light, Grissom thought to himself, ignoring the fear that continued to build up inside of him. He wondered if Sara was that light all the time or if she just seemed that light in comparison to his heavy heart. He hadn't noticed her feather-light weight before, when he pulled her from the Tahoe. But then again, he hadn't really been thinking at the time. He had been focussed only on getting Sara safely out of the vehicle. Of course, Grissom was still focussed on getting Sara to safety but he could no longer control his desperate, wandering mind. He was full of emotions now, full of questions like never before. But he had some answers too and he had courage and a little bit of hope left in him.

He was going to need it.

With a final glance at the accident site, Grissom turned towards the road, vowing to return and put out their bonfire as soon as Sara was taken care of. Their small bonfire had already been reduced to glowing embers and Grissom was pretty sure that it would fizzle out on its own. So he left it. And he left his field kit and other items that he'd taken from the Tahoe. The only things he took with him, besides Sara and her blanket, were a few extra bandages from the first aid kit and his still useless cell phone. He wondered if he might get a signal further down the road. The cell phone fit into one of his coat pockets. The bandages fit into the other with room to spare.

And Sara fit into his arms perfectly.

Sara's head rested on Grissom's shoulder and he could feel her uneven breaths against his neck. Her breathing was still loud and laboured and the warm, raspy puffs were still a little too frequent but not as rapid as before. At least she's not in pain, Grissom kept reminding himself. Sara was unconscious and that was dangerous in her condition but it was somewhat of a relief at the same time. She couldn't feel her broken ribs, her deep cuts or her blue bruises, she couldn't taste the blood in her mouth and she could no longer see or smell Grissom's growing fear. But she could hear.

At least, Grissom believed that she could.

He was pretty sure that Sara could still understand his voice even though she couldn't respond to it. He imagined her, trapped in a peaceful darkness, lost but not afraid. If he continued to speak to her, to guide her, then she would still be with him and he would still be with her. And then they wouldn't be alone in the dark.

And they wouldn't lose each other to the shadows.

Grissom adjusted Sara's light weight in his arms and then, talking softly to her, explaining what he was doing, he started to walk faster–as fast as he could without risking further injury to Sara's small frame. He stared straight ahead at the dark road, praying every two steps that this was the right thing to do, that he wasn't getting himself–and Sara–even more lost than they already were. Deep down, he knew that he was going in the right direction and that the main road wasn't too far away but he didn't know for sure how long it would take to walk there or how long Sara would be able to hold on if he aggravated her injuries. Her damaged lung was like a ticking bomb and if it collapsed, which was not unlikely, Grissom wouldn't be able to do much about it.

But he had made his choice and it really seemed like the best option. Time was running out and they could no longer afford to wait until help found them. They would have to find help instead. Grissom wondered if he ever should have waited at all. He had assumed that everyone would be out looking for them within two hours of noticing that they were missing. Four and half hours had already gone by and Sara was right–even if they were looking for them, they could have gone down any one of the back roads. They would need a miracle and Grissom was only just beginning to believe in them.

He continued to talk out loud as he walked. "Sara–I don't believe in a lot of things," he admitted softly. "You know all too well that my life revolves around science and order. I like concrete answers. I like being able to provide solid proof, physical evidence–" Grissom paused. "I've always lived in my work and I've been blinded by it." He paused again, sighing deeply. "I thought that science held all the answers to everything, that if I stuck to what I knew then I would eventually understand all the things that puzzled me. But I'm starting to see that there, uh, there just might be other forces at work and that there are other explanations for some things that aren't purely scientific." He tried to catch his breath.

I don't know if miracles really do happen, Grissom continued silently. But if they do exist, if they happen, then God–please! Sara needs one. We need one. I don't deserve it but Sara does. Just help me get her home safe. Just give her the strength to hang on, to get through this!

Grissom licked his lips. His feet were dragging through the small stones and his arms were keeping Sara as still as possible. "Honey," he began again. "The day we first met–I had never been more convinced that science held every possible answer in the world. When I talked to you, I knew that you believed the same thing and that you escaped into science and into your work in the same way I did. I always thought that was the reason why we connected."

I was wrong, thought Grissom. Yes, we connected. But it wasn't because we're the same. It was because we're different. It was because we needed each other. It was because we're always going to need each other. It was because we thought we had learned everything but really, we had learned nothing at all. It was because neither of us believed in miracles.

Grissom shook his head lightly. "It's always been so deep with us," he breathed, feeling only slightly uneasy with his monologue. "Right from the beginning. I couldn't understand it. And when I don't understand something, it scares me." He let out an anxious chuckle. "I, uh, I felt so many things for you and I couldn't explain it to myself. I thought you were the same as me but then I learned that you're so much more than I am. You're so different, Sara." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You're so wonderfully different and I didn't realize how much I needed that, how much I needed you. You've been through so much and yet you still listen to your heart and you, um, you–you know how to love. You know how to live." Grissom's knees started to tremble. "I haven't lived yet," he softly confessed."And even though you know how, I don't think you have either."

It's my fault. Grissom gritted his teeth. Sara was ready to love me ten years ago and I couldn't let her do that. But she waited for me. She always knew that we were supposed to be with each other. She never gave up.

He took another deep breath. "Sara–as unscientific as this may sound, we're not supposed to do this–to live–without each other," he said loudly, firmly. "So I need you here. I can't guarantee that I'll be any good at a relationship and I don't know what's going to happen but I do know that I've always wanted you, that I've always needed you in my life. This may be selfish but I can't lose you now. We still have so much to talk about. I want to know you again. I want to make everything up to you. I want us to live. I need you to hang on and give me another chance."

He became silent, thinking about the day they first met and listening to Sara's breathing. A tired, weak smile curved his lips as he remembered the first time he saw her. It was the first day of his seminar and she'd been sitting in the front row, ready to take notes, ready to learn. He had wanted to teach her forever. Sara's brilliant questions and her refreshing desire to know everything made Grissom's spirit soar. She was his star pupil and he had rediscovered the world in her sparkling eyes.

"Dr. Grissom?"

Grissom stopped packing up his notes and he turned around, pushing his glasses up further on the bridge of his nose. Through the slightly smudged lenses, he studied the young woman standing in front of him and he smiled, realizing that it was the vibrant brunette who had spent most of the class with her hand raised.

His eager, young student extended her hand. "Sara Sidle," she said, gazing directly into his eyes. Grissom raised an eyebrow, noting her firm, enthusiastic handshake. His smile grew.

"You asked some excellent questions today, Miss Sidle," he replied warmly, feeling oddly exhilarated. "I'm not sure if I should even bother asking if this seminar is a requirement or for interest."

Sara blushed. "It's for both, actually." She shrugged, still grinning. "I mean, it counts towards my graduate studies but I'm definitely here out of interest."

"I could tell," complimented Grissom. "I don't think I've ever had a student ask me so many questions in one class. It was refreshing to have someone so prepared."

"I read some of your articles last week," Sara blurted out. "They were fascinating."

"Thank-you. I'm glad you enjoyed them."

Sara continued, her eyes sparkling like stars. "I couldn't wait to inquire about them. I apologize if I took us off-topic today. I know you probably didn't want to cover some of those issues in our first class. I just couldn't seem to stop myself."

Grissom shook his head quickly. "There's no such thing as off-topic," he told her brightly. "When analysing a crime scene, anything can relate to anything. An open mind is necessary at all times. You were very open-minded with your questions and all the issues you brought up were important to today's discussion."

Sara seemed slightly surprised. "Really?"

Grissom nodded. "You really made the class think. You should feel pretty good about that. Only one person fell asleep today." He winked at her. "And I'm pretty sure that's a record for me so thank-you."

"I like to make people think," Sara confessed with a short laugh. "Picking brains is a hobby of mine." She paused. "In fact, I was, uh, I was hoping that I might be able to ask you a few more questions about your articles and entomology in general–if you're not busy."

Grissom was delighted. "Sure," he told her. "That would be fine. I have to be on the other side of campus by eleven-thirty but if you'd like to walk with me–"

Sara's face lit up. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all."

The young woman bit her lower lip in thought. "If another time is better than that would be great too," she said quickly. "Your day is probably hectic and I don't want to bug you with bug questions." She laughed again, giving Grissom a sheepish look.

Grissom was surprised at how comfortable he felt around Sara. He didn't have to think twice about his reply. "Right now is a good time," he assured her. "Trust me–there's no possible way you could bug me with bug questions. I can't get enough of them!"

With that, he gave Sara another smile, packed up his notes and then they left the lecture hall together.

Grissom and Sara's first walk together had been the start of their very meaningful and confusing relationship. From that day on, they intrigued each other beyond words. They wanted to spend time together and learn from each other. They wanted to do and feel so many things. And now, over ten years later, Grissom was walking with Sara in his arms, vowing that it wouldn't be their last walk together and finally realizing that she was a miracle. She was his miracle for just coming into his life.

Stopping briefly every ten minutes to catch his breath and check Sara's pulse, Grissom pressed on down the road, barely noticing that the stars were fading. The first streaks of sunlight would soon be piercing the blue sky and Grissom wondered if he would then be able to see his path a little easier. The thick trees created a dark tunnel and while he could still see the brightening sky through the billowing leaves, it was considerably darker on the road than it would be out in the open. Feeling isolated, he talked to Sara about anything and everything–the trees, the leaves, the stone in his shoe, the guilt in his heart–and he managed to keep his mind off the desperate trek. He just walked and talked, moving as quickly as he could, stopping only when absolutely necessary.

Sara never stirred.

He was talking about beauty, independently revisiting an old conversation, when, all of a sudden, he heard nothing. And he knew that his hearing wasn't the problem. His blood turned to ice in his veins as he lowered Sara to the ground and dropped his ear to her lips. He prayed for a warm puff of air–but he felt nothing against his cheek. Sara's loud, uneven wheezes had stopped completely. She was silent. She wasn't breathing. Grissom's frantic fingers found the faint, rapid pulse in her throat and he let out a brief cry of relief. Her heart was still beating. But she wasn't breathing.

Her lung. Internal injury. Deterioration. Collapse. Respiratory distress. Respiratory failure. Grissom's mind was reeling, full of words and scientific explanations. But his body was frozen in place. His limbs felt heavy, his heart heavier. Sara lay on the road, cushioned only by the blanket beneath her, not breathing–and Grissom couldn't move. This was the moment he had been fearing all night long. There was nothing he could do now other than try to breathe life back into her, despite the hopeless odds. Shoving his emotions aside and shaking himself into action, he gently tilted Sara's head back to open her airway. And just as he was about to begin a battle he was almost sure to lose, the dark silence was broken.

He heard something.

Grissom was immediately worried that he had imagined it. He looked up, his eyes and his ears searching, his heart thumping loudly. Sara was still silent under him and the only sound came from the trees as the gentle breeze made the leaves flutter. But it wasn't the breeze that made Grissom's heart soar. He knew that as well as he knew entomology. It was something else entirely–something faint and distant, something that held more power in that moment than even the strongest wind.

With his hands on Sara's cheeks, Grissom listened, too afraid to move. The noise came again, louder, closer–a steady hum in the air. Grissom's courage and strength returned with the hopeful sound and he leaned in closer to Sara's face, his lips meeting her lips so he could breathe for her. He gave her a controlled breath and then another before turning his head to listen–one ear feeling and listening for any response from Sara and the other listening to the comforting hum. Whatever it was, it was very close now and Grissom began to wonder if they might actually get their miracle.

"Sara!" he called to her, his voice hoarse, urgent. "Stay with me, please. Just a little longer. Help is coming. I can hear them now." Grissom leaned in to give her another breath while trying to calculate how far he'd come down the road. He knew it wasn't too far. He'd only been walking just over thirty minutes, including three stops, so they were still a fair distance from the main road. Perhaps it was far enough.

With tears in his eyes, Grissom realized that the noise he heard was an engine–a vehicle–approaching quickly but not recklessly. His whole body felt light at the sound and he gave Sara another breath, now believing with all his heart that she had a chance. He was calling to her, begging her to breathe, when he saw the headlights through the trees. Grissom could barely contain his emotions as he gave Sara one more breath and then moved to lift her delicately into his arms. He nestled her against his chest and then using up the last of his energy, he jogged towards the approaching lights, worried that the vehicle might somehow miss them in the darkness. He couldn't take that chance.

I waited too long, Grissom thought to himself as he dashed ahead. His mind was full of jumbled, conflicting thoughts. I shouldn't have waited at all! But maybe I should never have moved her! Her lung collapsed because I made it worse! She could still be breathing if we stayed where we were! But then we might not have been found! He knew he did the right thing and that he was only making it worse for himself but he couldn't help thinking about the other choice he could have made. He couldn't wondering what Sara would have wanted him to do.

But those thoughts were erased the moment he heard his name in the breeze. "Grissom!" came a familiar, strained voice. "Sara!"

And then another familiar voice–louder, female, coming through a rolled-down window. "Gil! Oh God–"

They had been spotted. Grissom winced in the bright headlights, shaking as he relived the accident. The Tahoe in front of him–a ghostly image of what his own used to look like–came to a halt and Greg and Catherine instantly jumped out, rushing over to Grissom and Sara at full speed. Their pounding feet sent small stones flying.

Relief flooding his soul, Grissom fell to his knees, holding Sara close to him. For a minute, everything was a blur as he tried to come to terms with the fact that they'd been found. It had happened so fast. He felt like he had just started walking and then, suddenly, he wasn't lost anymore. Grissom was dimly aware of Catherine's hand squeezing his shoulder as she talked into a radio, speaking rapidly. And through a haze, he could see the concern on Greg's face as he leaned over Sara, placing one hand on her bruised cheek.

As the world came back to him, Grissom could only think about the miracle that had just occurred. He knew the battle was far from over but he had hope again. And now he believed. For reasons he couldn't even imagine, Grissom had just been given his second miracle. Sara, his first miracle, still had a chance. He still had a chance. They still had a chance.

It took two miracles but now Grissom understood love.

TBC

Author's Note: Thanks for all the feedback! I really take into consideration all of your comments! Sorry about the delay with this chapter. I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to go with it but I think that the timing is now right to have them found–finally! I wrote this one with a focus on Grissom when it should have been Sara because I really wanted to make it seem like he was alone and since Sara can't really communicate, I thought it would be better to stick with Grissom! I hope you enjoyed and thanks again for all the kind comments. Next chapter should be up soon (for real, I hope!).

Special thanks to: Silence89, CSINut214, Dizzy-Dreamer, Sunrays and Saturdays, lightning bug, jbr12476, Jenny70529, Eaglesei, DaVinci13, vsky, Aidrianna, svcmc, ScullyAsTrinity, ToMyGrave, gabesaunt, DolphinAnimagus, AngelApple70x7, Teenwitch, Hayesfever, Mochaccino Love, SelenaXC, CPDCSI, A.Heiden, SmallWings, XakliaAeryn, tarrabeena, Triali, GracefulBee, CarbyluvYTDAW, barenakedrachel, princesspink, brainfear, Laura, berta101 and thanks for the e-mails and recommendations!

Jazz