Faithful Light

By Miss Jazz

Category: Drama/Angst, GSR.

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Here and there! Probably some from all seasons.

Summary: An accident leaves Grissom and Sara out in the wilderness and it will be a long and very personal journey home.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI! If I did, Grissom and Sara would have been together long ago!

Gil Grissom had never seen so many stars.

One–two–three–four–one hundred–one million.

The sky was a stunning deep blue and Grissom's eyelids fluttered madly, fighting a peculiar darkness to focus on the twinkling lights above. He lay very still, soaking in the silence as he counted the stars, searching for familiar constellations. I must be lost in time, he thought, suddenly wondering why everything seemed so still, so peaceful. He had never felt so connected to the heavens or so connected to himself. It was as if everything in the world made perfect sense and all the questions he had ever asked were suddenly answered. Except one.

He had no idea why he was stargazing.

But that thought was lost quickly, disappearing from his hazy consciousness before he could object. Beautiful, bright stars. That was all he knew. He couldn't think about anything else. In fact, there was nothing else to think about–at least not at that moment.Grissom felt as if he were all by himself, locked in a strange world where time stood still, unable to question it further, unable to escape and unsure if he ever wanted to.

His eyelids were heavy and the stars disappeared for a moment. Panicking, Grissom blinked rapidly, feeling a chill as the wind suddenly picked up around him. That's odd, he thought, as his mind quickly sharpened. It's cold. He forced his eyes open, feeling as if he accomplished a great feat when he finally managed to do it. Why am I cold? His fingers tingled as he slowly became aware of his heavy body and he shuddered, breathing deeply, desperately.

Grissom sighed. The stars were still up there but for some reason, he was no longer a part of them, no longer connected. There was a distinct distance between them now and Grissom felt as if he were being pulled away, as if he were being forced to abandon the solitude that he had so briefly enjoyed. As he plummeted back into reality, he couldn't help but notice a coppery taste in his mouth and a dull pain pumping through his entire body. He no longer felt light and relaxed. Instead, he felt as if he were being twisted by some strange force and dragged through the darkness that threatened to consume him.

Hurry, he told himself sternly. He had to hurry and he didn't know why. The stars were more distinct now and somehow, Grissom knew that he had reachedsome sort of destination. He arrived rather quickly, his eyes focussing rapidly on the first thing that came into view.

A shattered window. Blood.

And suddenly, he was very conscious. He had never been so conscious in his life. The memories hit him like a thousand bricks, the imagined impact causing his body to jerk away from the window beside him. Broken glass. Blood. Bright stars. Seatbelt. More blood. No longer dazed and frozen, Grissom's mind reeled. He was in his Tahoe, still buckled into the driver's seat but the space around him was smaller than he remembered. He groaned as the details came flooding back.

Wilderness. Sharp Turn. Headlights. Panic. Tumbling. Silence. Grissom tried to catch his breath as he pieced the event together, remembering how his truck had rolled several times and then landed upright. He was suddenly aware of the air bag against the side of his face and he pulled his gaze away from the broken window and away from the stars to take stock of his surroundings. Except for a few cuts on his face and an intense pain in his left arm, Grissom didn't think he was badly injured. But he moved a bit to make sure, to test his limbs and his level of consciousness. And right then, as he pushed the air bag away from his body and became very aware of the extensive damage to the vehicle, he remembered that he wasn't alone.

Sara.

Grissom could have sworn that his heart stopped beating. Shifting uneasily but rapidly in his seat, his eyes fell upon Sara's motionless form. She was unconscious, trapped in the seat next to him, a thick stream of blood trickling down her pale cheek. Grissom froze for a split second, feeling his whole world screech to a halt. But an icy energy instantly propelled him through thick, dark clouds of panic and back into the startling present.

His breath caught in his throat. "God, Sara–"

Talk to me, Sara. Open your eyes and talk to me, Grissom silently urged. He summoned all his strength to free himself from his seat, glancing frantically over at Sara as he battled with his tangled seatbelt. He listened for her breathing, praying that there would be more than silence but his heart thumped in his ears, making it impossible to hear anything else. He stared, hoping to see her chest rise and fall but between her coat and the air bag, there wasn't much of a chance.

"Sara! Can you hear me?" he called out to her, his voice loud and full of fear. Grissom finally managed to free himself from his seat and he instantly leaned over, ducking under the now sunken roof to reach over to her. Nervously, he pressed two fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. He held his breath as he searched her throat, exhaling only when he felt the weak beat of her heart under his fingertips.

Head wound. Pulse is weak. He took another calming breath and then moved his hand to her chest, desperate to feel movement. He listened at the same time, barely making out the soft whistle of Sara's shallow breaths. But it was enough. She's moving air. Thank God. He nodded to himself, smiling in relief when he finally realized that she was still with him.

He pulled back, anxious toget himself out of the vehicle and around to Sara's side. His door was badly jammed, bent almost beyond recognition but by some miracle, it fell open when Grissom slammed his body against it. He ignored the pain in his arm and dragged himself out, stopping to catch his breath when he hit the uneven ground. Briefly, he scoured the landscape, again trying to remember exactly how they ended up lost and injured in the wilderness. Think later, Grissom told himself as he clambered up onto his knees. As he caught his breath, Grissom found himself staring up into the sky again, this timefull ofknowledge and pain.

Stay with me, Sara.

Where they were, he really didn't know. Of course, he did know that he was somewhere. And that Sara was there too. They were there. Together. Lost. Damaged. His eyes now very adjusted, Grissom made his way through the darkness, around the front of the broken Tahoe, to Sara's side. He could see his breath in the cool night air and he shivered, feeling the panic in his soul.

The only light came from the stars in the sky.

TBC

Author's Note: Hey all! This is my first attempt at a CSI WIP and I would love to know if you would like to see more! I would very much appreciate some feedback on this! Next chapter would be Sara's POV and the story would all be pieced together as both Grissom and Sara remember the accident. Lots of angst and drama! Thanks to everyone who has supported my first couple of stories! It's great to have support!

Thanks,

Jazz.