He was watching his favorite movie, *The Magnificent Seven*, when his phone rang, "Hello?"

"Sergeant Dezmond, your unit has been activated to assist in the evacuation of campgrounds, there is a forest fire and we need to evacuate as quickly as possible." The National Guard dispatcher told him.

"Sure, just tell me where to be."

"Meet the rest of your unit at the base in Grenada Hills, you will move out from there in Hummers, try to cover as many campgrounds as possible, we need to make sure everyone gets out."

"I'm on my way." Dezmond was glad for something to do, he hated that there was a forest fire, because he loved trees and nature, but it was something to do. He put his gear together, remembering how he had gotten his Sergeants rank, not happy with the way it happened, but his platoon leader was crazy and he had no choice but to kill him.

He arrived at the base in Grenada Hills, he was teamed with Leopold, he was grateful to be with someone he knew, someone who knew what he had been through. Leopold and he departed in their Hummer, beginning to check the different campgrounds, so far they were all empty. Then they came across one with a tent at it, it was hard to see, the smoke was thick and the flames were close, but they had to check it out. Dezmond got out of the Hummer, turning to Leopold. "Stay here, I will be right back if there is no one there, if there is, then I will be back with a victim, but stay with the vehicle, so both of us don't get lost." Leopold nodded and Dez headed in the direction of the tent, the smoke already beginning to fill his lungs, making it harder to breath, but he had to find out if there was anyone there. His coughing became more frequent as his breathing became more labored.

It was not taking long for the smoke to fill his lungs and make his breathing labored, the heat was intense, it reminded him of the events of six months ago, when the inferno had hit the planet, making it 140-150 degrees, this was almost as hot. The sweat was running down his face, he wiped his face with his olive drab T-shirt, he was almost to the tent, he prayed there was no one in it, they would be in serious trouble if there was, if they were still alive. He finally reached the tent, but was having trouble breathing, his body was wracked with coughing as he tried to drive the smoke from his lungs, but it was useless. He opened the tent to find a young woman, a very beautiful young woman, laying inside, she was very pale and did not seem to be breathing.

Dez knelt down and checked the woman for signs of life, he found a faint pulse, but she was not breathing. He tipped her head back, gently pinching her nose shut, then gently pulled on her chin to open her mouth and placed his mouth over hers, blowing his breath into her. He began coughing, it was already hard to breath, without trying to give her mouth-to-mouth, but he knew if he didn't she would die and he could not let that happen. He covered her mouth with his again, then blew his breath into her once again, he repeated that several more times, then she began coughing and breathing. She did not regain consciousness though, but began to cry, so he took her in his arms. "Shhhh, it's all right now, you are safe." He picked her up to carry her back to the Hummer.

Renee felt relief flood her body, as some man gave her, her breath back, she had been so afraid that she would die. She couldn't quite get out of the darkness though, but she did begin to cry, then she felt the mans strong arms around her and his gentle voice whisper to her, they were soothing words, but she could not quite make them out. He then picked her up and began to carry her, she heard him coughing and knew that he was having trouble breathing, from the smoke, she hoped he would be all right. She did not like the idea of someone being hurt because of her, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She began to come to as he gently laid her in the back of a vehicle, she wanted to wake, to see this man that had saved her life and to thank him. As she opened her eyes, she saw the most handsome man she had ever seen, leaning over her looking concerned, then he coughed, he was the one that gave her mouth-to-mouth? She suddenly remembered, "Tammy, where is Tammy?" It came out in a hoarse whisper, the smoke had scratched and burned her throat.

Dez watched as the young lady woke, now that he could see her beautiful eyes, he thought she was even more beautiful. He coughed, the smoke had really gotten to him, but he was more worried about her, then when she asked where someone named Tammy was, his blood ran cold, there was another woman around here, probably in real trouble, "Who's Tammy? Where is she?"

"She is my friend that I was here with, I don't know where she is, you have to find her." Then she began coughing.

"Take it easy, we will find her, here have some water." He held the canteen to her lips, watching as she drank a large portion of the water, "There, feel better?"

"Yes, thank you so much for saving my life, Mr.?"

"Dezmond, Sergeant Wil Dezmond, with the National Guard, you are welcome Miss?"

"Just call me Renee." She tried to smile.

"Ok, Renee, are you feeling all right? You weren't breathing when I found you."

"Yes, I feel all right, just find Tammy, please?"

"Don't worry, that is what we are here for, Leopold stay here with her, I am going to look for Tammy."

"Are you sure Dez? You already took in a lot of smoke." Leo commented.

"Yes, there is no point in both of us taking in too much smoke, I will be back in half an hour, whether I find her or not."

"Ok Dez, be careful."

"You know me, I am always careful."

Leo just nodded as Dez stepped back out of the Hummer and back into the smoke and heat that surrounded them. He hoped Dez found the girl and that she was alive, he hoped Dez would be all right, he knew that his mind was elsewhere, but he knew that Dez was usually careful.

Dez began searching the surrounding area for Tammy, he prayed that he found her alive. He was beginning to have trouble though, the smoke and heat were taking their toll on him, he was coughing and struggling for breath, and he was beginning to feel weak. The heat was sapping all the energy out of him, but he continued looking, he was determined to find the young lady. His mind kept wandering back to the day that his girlfriend had dumped him, the pain that it had caused him, he had felt an attraction to Renee, when he was helping her and talking to her, but he fought it, not wanting to go through that kind of pain again. He heard a twig snap and looked in the direction the sound had come from, he didn't see anyone, but he moved in that direction, hoping to find the missing young lady.

Tammy was wandering in the forest, she was amazed at how easily one became lost, especially with all this smoke. She managed to get her shirt wet and was holding it over her mouth, it did a good job of keeping the smoke out of her lungs, so that wasn't a problem, but the heat from the fire was beginning to make her weak, as she sweat. She was also frightened, the fire seemed to be getting closer and she didn't know where she was or how to get out. As she continued to wander, she heard coughing, heavy coughing, someone else was out there, but they sounded like they were in serious trouble, so she began moving towards the coughing, hoping she could help whoever it was, when she found them. She suddenly heard the man cry out and the coughing stopped, she moved quickly, hoping she could find him before it was too late.

Leopold was worried, it had been well over a half an hour and there was no sign of Dez, he did not want to leave Renee alone to go look for him. He decided to call for help, then once help arrived, he could go looking for his friend. He was grateful that the smoke didn't seem to be able to get inside the Hummer, he had all the windows and vents closed, so it was becoming hot and stuffy inside, but it was better than all that smoke. He didn't think Renee could handle any more smoke in her lungs, shortly after Dez left, she drank some more water, her coughing calming down some, then she drifted off to sleep. He watched her sleeping, knowing that it was because of Dez that she was alive, he had to find Dez, he hoped he was still alive. He looked out the front window of the Hummer, the smoke was getting thicker and the fire was getting closer, he was really beginning to worry about Dez's safety. He knew Dez would have been back, when he said he would, unless something had happened to him, but all he could do was wait for the help to arrive.

Tammy made her way through the forest in the direction that she had heard the coughing, she had to find the man or he could die, if he wasn't dead already. It was hard to see though, the smoke was burning her eyes and sweat was running into them, but she didn't want to remove her shirt from her mouth, to wipe the sweat away, that would allow the smoke to get into her lungs. Finally she found the man, her heart jumped into her throat, he was trapped under a tree and was unconscious, at least she hoped he was only unconscious. She quickly moved to him, checking for a pulse, there was one, but it was faint and he was having a lot of trouble breathing. She noticed he was wearing fatigues, so she figured he must be in the military, probably here to evacuate people, she suddenly felt guilty, he had probably been looking for her, which meant that Renee was probably safe, at least she hoped her friend was safe.

Dez did not have time to react, the tree fell on him before he knew what was happening, his reflex's slowed by the heat and smoke, his breathing had become difficult and he was coughing heavily, but he had to find the young lady, he would not let her die. Then the tree fell, all he felt before the darkness took him was tremendous pain in his back and shoulders, as the tree struck his upper body, driving him to the ground, knocking what little wind he had, out of him. He also struck his head on a rock, as he hit the ground. Then there was nothing but blackness, he was not aware of anything, he did not know that the young lady had found him and was trying to help him, he was not aware that he was having more trouble breathing, he wasn't aware of anything.

Tammy didn't know what to do, the tree was too heavy to lift by herself, she needed help, but she did not know where to go, she figured he had come from the campground, but she didn't know where that was now. All she could do was try to keep him alive and hope the fire didn't get there before help did. She knew he must have had other men with him, they didn't travel alone in these situations, so she just had to wait, she would not leave him. She ripped her shirt, using some of the water in her sports bottle to wet it, then placed it over his mouth, hoping to keep any more smoke from getting into his lungs, she couldn't help noticing how handsome he was, it would be tragic if he did not make it, but she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that doesn't happen. She stroked his hair, brushing it off his forehead, she hoped he wasn't too seriously injured and hadn't taken in too much smoke, she wanted to get to know this man, who had risked his life to try and save her.

Leopold was really worried, Dez was way over do and the fire was getting closer, Renee had voiced her concern a short time ago as well, since there had been no sign of him or her friend. Leopold knew that help there any moment, but even once it did, they still had to find them, which could take time, since they had no idea where to look. He turned to Renee, "How are you doing Renee?"

"I'm all right, it's just so hot and stuffy in here, can I have some more water?"

"Sure, here you go." He handed her the canteen, he agreed with her, it was very hot and stuffy, they had been drinking water, to stay hydrated, they also poured it over their heads, to try and keep cool, but that was almost impossible, with no ventilation it was stifling in the Hummer.

Tammy was getting worried, it seemed like forever since she found the man and still no help had arrived. She was afraid of what the fire would do, it seemed to shift around, it had already been through there once, which weakened the tree, causing it to fall, now it looked like it was headed back that way. It was getting hotter and the smoke was getting thicker, she could see the flames shooting up not too far away, time was becoming short, she needed to do something, but what? The tree was too heavy to lift. She checked him again, his pulse was fairly steady, but weak and his breathing was very labored, she feared that if help didn't come soon, he would die. She used the piece of her shirt and wet it again, wiping Dez's face, then placing it back over his mouth, to keep the smoke out. She then began to stroke his soft, but damp hair, he was indeed handsome, she hated herself for not being able to do anything to help him.

Leopold was happy, help had finally arrived and they had oxygen masks, so they could look for the two missing people, without being overcome with smoke too.

"Leopold, I want to come with you, please? It's my fault that he's out there." Renee pleaded.

"Renee, it is not your fault, he couldn't leave your friend out there, she would die."

"But maybe she is dead already, please let me come." She needed to go.

"I'm sorry Renee, but you almost died, you need to be in the hospital."

"No, you have to let me come, I would be dead if not for Sergeant Dezmond, please?"

Leo nodded, there was no use in arguing with her and they were wasting time. They split up into groups of three and spread out, Renee went with Leopold and his group, Leo prayed they were not too late. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach though, and that scared him. They began searching, covering as much ground as possible, but without missing anything, the fire was not cooperating however, they had to change direction several times, to avoid it. What they didn't know, was that at the moment, Tammy and Dez were surrounded by the fire and there was no way in.

Dez was becoming more conscious, but he was not happy about it, his body ached and he could barely breath. He felt someone wiping his face and stroking his hair, it was definitely a woman's touch, he tried to open his eyes, but they weren't ready yet. He did groan, as his body cried out at the pain it was in, he wanted to go back to where he was, where there was no pain. He needed to find out who was with him, but he could not get his eyes to open. He struggled harder to open his eyes, but his body was struggling to breath, so it was harder to struggle to open his eyes. He groaned again, his head hurt badly and his chest and back were hurting too, he realized something was on his back, then he remembered what happened, the tree had fallen on him.

Tammy could see the man was trying to come around, but couldn't quite seem to get there, he groaned in pain several times, she decided to try and speak to him, perhaps that would bring him around. "Sir, can you hear me? You are trapped under a tree and I can't get it off you, the fire is getting closer." He didn't respond, only groaned again, she prayed he would come to, so she could find out how he was doing. She continued to stroke his hair, hoping the touch would help him come to, but so far it wasn't working. She looked around and noticed that it looked like the fire was all around them, she was terrified now, she had never been so afraid of dying before, especially burning to death, she thought that would be the worst way to die.

They continued to search for Dez as it grew dark, they withdrew their flashlights, they could not let the darkness stop them, they had no time to waste, or Dez would be dead and so would Tammy. The heat was becoming unbearable as the fire seemed to close in around them, removing the oxygen from the air, thankfully they had their oxygen masks, but they had already gone back for fresh ones. "Leopold, we have to find them soon, they will die out here in this, without oxygen."

"I know Renee, but there is so much ground to cover and the fire keeps driving us in different directions."

"I hope we find them soon, they can't last much longer out here, if they are even still alive."

Leo nodded, their voices where muffled by the oxygen masks, but their words were still understandable. They continued the search, they were becoming quite tired, especially Renee, after almost dying earlier in the day, but they would not give up, two lives were at stake, two very wonderful lives.

Renee was lost in thought as they searched, she was feeling emotions inside her that she had not felt in a long time, Sergeant Dezmond had stirred those feelings. At first she had thought that perhaps it was a *hero* complex, but she knew it was more, he had saved her life, he had breathed life back into her. He was indeed a special human being and she found herself falling for him, even though she didn't know him that well. There was just something about him, heck, everything about him was pleasing to the eye and his eyes burned their way into her soul, she could not stop remembering his piercing green eyes, as he gazed into her eyes and searched her soul, she wanted to know him so much better, she prayed he was not dead. She brought herself back to the task at hand, she was ready to find him single handed, she was concerned about her friend Tammy too, but these feelings she had for Dezmond overrode that, making her focus her thoughts on him, which made her feel somewhat guilty.

Dez could feel himself struggling to breath, he wanted to wake up, he wanted to get out of this hell, it truly felt like hell, it was so hot and he felt the oxygen being pulled from around him as the fire consumed it. He was terrified of burning to death, but he was also concerned about Tammy, she was trying to keep him alive, but she was in as much danger as he was, he felt so helpless. He finally managed to open his eyes, but it seemed so bright and everything was fuzzy, he noticed that it was dark out, so why did it seem so bright? He imagined that his eyes might be somewhat dilated, if he had a concussion from hitting his head as he fell, his head hurt so bad and he could feel the dampness if blood on the side of his head, where his scalp had been torn. He tried to focus on the woman before him, but it was useless, he could not focus.

Tammy watched as he opened his eyes, she looked closely, they were dilated, she didn't know a lot about medicine, but she knew that dilated eyes meant a concussion. She watched him struggle to focus on her, she was amazed by his incredible emerald eyes, they were the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. She began to worry that the darkness would put an end to any search there might be for them, she hoped not. Just at that moment, several men and Renee appeared, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Please, he is trapped under the tree and I can't get it off, it's too heavy." The men nodded and Renee moved to give her friend a reassuring hug, she was relieved that Renee was all right. She watched as the men came closer, to try and lift the tree, but just at that moment, the tree ignited into flames, she felt her heart jump into her throat."NOOOOOOOO" She screamed, "Get it off him, before he burns to death." She pleaded. The men were struggling with the tree, as it burned and the flames came closer to Dez.

Tammy and Renee both panicked as the tree started to burn, the flames were coming frighteningly close to Dez, they began to fear he would burn to death. "He lost consciousness about twenty minutes ago, he at least has a concussion and smoke inhalation, but I don't know what else, who is he Renee?"

"His name is Dezmond, Sergeant Wil Dezmond, he's in the National Guard, he saved my life, then went looking for you."

Renee and Tammy's conversation continued as the men struggled to get the burning tree off of Dezmond, before he burned. "I had a bad feeling he was out here looking for me, it makes me feel so guilty that he might die, because he was looking for me."

"Tammy, don't feel that way, it's his job and he was more than willing to do it, he is a very special man."

Tammy could see the emotions in Renee's eyes as she spoke about him, "Wow, he must be something, your in love with him." It was a statement, not a question.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes" Tammy smiled, Renee didn't fall in love easily, so seeing her fall in love at first sight, spoke volumes.

"He saved my life, when he found me I wasn't breathing, he gave me mouth-to-mouth, despite having taken in a lot of smoke himself, he's so unselfish."

"Yes, I did notice that, he's extremely handsome too." Tammy smiled again, Renee did have great taste in men.

Leopold and the others were struggling with the tree, trying to avoid the burning part, so they could lift it, but it was very heavy and they were not having much success. Leopold began to worry that they would not get the tree off of Dez, not before the fire reached him anyway. He got an idea and began walking around, looking at the ground, one of the men approached.

"What are you looking for Leopold?"

"A large branch or something that we can use as a lever, it's the only way we are going to get that tree off of him."

The other men began looking around also, after a short time Leopold found what he was looking for and rushed back to the tree, the fire was dangerously close to Dez now, he had to hurry. Tammy and Renee had moved back over to Dez, checking to see how he was doing, he was still unconscious and his breathing was very labored, he would not last much longer.

Leopold's idea worked, they got the tree lifted enough for Tammy and Renee to slide Dez out from under it, then they let it fall to the ground, a few moments later, the entire tree was in flames, it had been somewhat close. Renee gently turned Dez over, being careful of his back and shoulders, then began to check his condition. Leopold walked up and knelt down, removing his oxygen mask and putting it on Dez, Renee hoped it wasn't too late, his breathing was very shallow and labored.

"He'll make it Renee, he's a strong man." Leo said as he patted Renee on the shoulder.

"I hope so Leopold." She prayed he would be all right, she had just found him and she did not want to lose him before she got to know him better, to see if they had a future together, or if these feelings were just because of the circumstances. She brushed the hair from his forehead, feeling his soft skin under her fingers, then they carefully picked him up and began to carry him back to the vehicles.

It took some time, but they got Dez back to the vehicles, two of the men opened the back of Leopold's Hummer and gently laid Dez in it. Leopold and Renee got in the back with Dez so they could treat his injuries as best they could, another soldier got into the drivers seat and Tammy got in the passengers. Tammy turned around in her seat, to see if she could help in any way, the soldier began to drive out of the mess they were in, Leopold and Renee began to check Dez over, trying to determine the full extent of his injuries. The oxygen that Leopold had given him seemed to allow him to breath easier, but it was still labored. He could not tell if he was finding all of Dez's injuries, some might only be detectable by x-rays, or CAT scans, but he thought he had a pretty good idea, it was not good, he was banged up pretty bad from the tree falling.

"How is he Leopold?" Renee asked, looking quite worried, unable to take her eyes off of Dez.

"Not good, he's banged up pretty bad, I can really only guess, until he gets x-rayed, but he has a broken shoulder blade, broken ribs, a severe head injury, severe smoke inhalation, and at least severe bruising to his upper back, there could be more to it than that, but only x-rays will tell." Leo noticed how sad Renee looked, as he listed off the injuries.

Renee was sad as Leopold told her the list of injuries, she felt it was all her fault, if not for her, he would not have been out there. "Will he live?"

"Dez is a very strong man, I think he will be fine, it may take time, but I think he will be all right."

"But you don't know, do you? Because your not a doctor and you don't know what else could be wrong, that you can't see or feel."

"I won't lie to you Renee, I am not a doctor, so I don't know for sure, but I can hope and pray, and that's what you should do."

"Your right Leopold, I am sorry."

"It's all right, I can see how you feel about him."

Renee blushed, she had hoped it wasn't that obvious. Tammy had been listening to their conversation, she felt more guilty than anyone else, he had been out there looking for her after all, if she had not wandered off and gotten lost, he would be fine right now. She sat in pained silence as Leopold and Renee discussed Dezmond's condition and tried to make him comfortable, she watched Dezmond's face, the paleness, the lack of any kind of movement, his slow, difficult intakes of breath, she felt the guilt building inside her, she didn't know how much of it she could take. Sergeant Dezmond had to survive, so she could apologize to him for putting him through this, she also thought he would be perfect for Renee, she had so few relationships, all disasters, but she knew in her heart, that if Dezmond lived, their relationship would be anything but a disaster.

They finally reached the relief station, a life flight helicopter was called in and would be there within the hour, to transport Dez and the two ladies to the hospital. The men were sent back out to continue making sure everyone was out of the area, Leopold had argued to stay with his partner, but the Platoon leader needed every man they had, they couldn't spare anyone, he was unhappy to have lost Dezmond, he was the best man he had. He was also very concerned about Dezmond's health, he was afraid that Dez would not survive this one, that would be tragic, he was such a good man and did not deserve to die this way. Finally the helicopter arrived, they loaded Dezmond on board, along with Renee and Tammy, and it took off, headed for the hospital where the true extent of Dezmond's injuries could be determined.

The helicopter arrived at the hospital and they rushed Dezmond into an examination room, the two ladies were taken to another room. Tammy's heart felt so heavy, her guilt over Dezmond's condition was consuming her and she was beginning to drown in it. She was lost in her thoughts, she simply did what she was asked without really being aware of what was going on around her, she was not even aware that Renee was watching her with concern. She followed along as the doctor examined her for injuries, then put her in a hospital gown and gave her and Renee a room, they needed sleep. The doctor's had not found any serious injuries, a few bruises and burns, plus the case of smoke inhalation that Renee had suffered, they just needed plenty of rest and liquids.

Renee had been watching her best friend during the whole examination, she almost seemed in shock or something, once they were settled into their room, Renee asked the doctor, "Will you please let us know when you have any information on Sergeant Dezmond?"

"Yes, certainly, you will be the first to know."

"Thank you doctor." She watched him nod and then leave. She looked at Tammy, she still looked dazed, "Tammy? TAMMY?" She hollered, then watched as Tammy slowly looked at her, she could see the pain and guilt in her eyes, "Oh, Tammy, you aren't still feeling guilty, are you?" Tammy just nodded, "I wish you wouldn't, none of this was your fault." She watched as silent tears began to fall down Tammy's cheeks, she got up and went to her, taking her in her arms and holding her tight as Tammy let the tears flow freely.

Tammy sobbed heavily, "It....is my fault......if I hadn't......wandered off and.....got lost......he would not be.......dying." She choked out between sobs.

Renee continued to hold her until she fell asleep, then she went to her own bed, feeling rather guilty and tired herself. After a short time, in which her mind was on Dez every second, she finally fell asleep herself.

Dez was unconscious, his body was undergoing every conceivable test, x-ray, CAT scan, everything, so they could determine the full extent of his injuries, the list was getting long, but so far none seemed life threatening, except the head wound, which was rather severe. His lungs were filled with smoke and it would take some time to clear them, he would be on a high level of oxygen for some time. It was a good thing he was unconscious, some of the tests and x-rays were painful, especially with the injuries that he had, which went from as minor as small scrapes and bruises, to the severe head injury, broken ribs, broken shoulder blade, and severe bruising on his back.

The doctor thought he was quite lucky, considering the weight of the tree that had fallen on him, he should have had much worse injuries, the only thing that concerned him was the head wound. Sergeant Dezmond's eyes were dilated from the concussion, but the left one was larger, the doctor was concerned that there could be a fracture or hematoma on the left side, the CAT scan would tell them for sure, but it would be a few hours until they got the results, so they got Dezmond into a bed in the ICU, then waited.

Renee woke up in the middle of the night, she had been dreaming of Dez and wanted to see him, she looked at Tammy, she was still asleep. She put on a robe and headed out of the room, heading down the hall, she stopped at the nurses station and asked where Sergeant Dezmond was. The nurse told her that he was in ICU at the end of the hall, but that only family were allowed in. Renee told her that she was his fiancé, she had to see him, the nurse told her she could go in then. Renee walked down the hall, she started to worry about how he would look and what condition he would be in, she hoped that his injuries weren't serious. She reached a set of swinging doors that had ICU in big blue letters, in smaller letters next to each of the large letters, was what each stood for, Intensive Care Unit. The thought of that frightened her, it meant he was in critical condition, she slowly pushed the doors open, stepped through, and looked around, there were several patients in there, but she spotted Dezmond immediately, his handsome features standing out from everything else.

Dezmond was in darkness, he was only aware of his own existence, there was nothing around him but darkness, he had never experienced anything like this before, but then he had never been injured like this before, he had all his memories and they haunted him right now. His mind went to Tammy and Renee, he hoped they were all right, he hoped he had not let them down, by not saving them, he felt his heart squeeze at the thought, especially Renee. He had feelings for her, he had tried to deny them after his most recent experience with love, but he could not deny it. It had been a long time since he fell in love at first sight, but it was as if he and Renee were soul mates. He was not aware that Renee was there, but somehow he sensed it, he felt her presence, he desperately wanted to wake up, so he could see and touch her, he was almost shocked by the feelings he had for her, since he didn't even know her, but he wanted to know her much better.

Renee stepped up to his bed, taking in his appearance, he had a large tube in his mouth, which was sending vital oxygen to his lungs, that had been filled with so much smoke, he had a bandage around his head, a small amount of blood was seeping through the bandage. She took his hand carefully, since he had tubes in it as well, it was so soft and warm, but completely lifeless, she held his hand, caressing the back with her thumb. She took in every inch of his face, he was incredibly handsome, such soft skin, the most perfect nose she had ever seen, and his lips, she was amazed by his soft, full lips, which had actually been on hers, when he gave her mouth-to-mouth, breathing life back into her, oh she loved him, she could not believe how strong her feelings were for him, she had never had these kinds of feelings for a man before, now she had them for one she just met, she knew it was fate, they were meant to be together, it made her feel certain that he would be all right, at least she hoped so. She pulled up a chair and sat down, never letting go of his hand, then laid her head on his chest gently, feeling the bandages around it, holding his broken ribs in place, she also felt his chest gently rise and fall as he breathed, the movement slowly lulled her to sleep. The doctor came in, in the morning to check on him and found Renee laying there sleeping, it was something he had seen many times, but this time it touched his heart more than usual. He approached her and put his hand on her shoulder, she jumped and sat up, blinking her eyes to wake up, the doctor smiled at her, trying to look positive, but the CAT scan had not been good. Sergeant Dezmond had a hairline fracture of his skull, on the left side, it was not a large fracture, but if not handled properly it could kill him, they would need to put him into a drug induced coma, so that no stress or strain was put on the area until the fracture healed. He was trying to decide the best way to tell her, but he figured that he would just tell her the truth. "Renee, how are you feeling?"

"I am feeling fine, just a little tired." She looked up at him with hope in her eyes.

"You will feel that way for a few days, you almost died after all." He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, but I am alive thanks to Dez." She looked back at his handsome face. "How is he doctor?"

"Well, the CAT scan was not encouraging, he has a hairline fracture on the left side of his skull." He saw Renee's eyes begin to fill with tears, "Now Renee, don't start to worry, if treated properly he will be fine."

"Treated how?"

"Well, we have to put him into a drug induced coma, so that there is no stress or strain put on his skull, once the fracture has healed, then we can bring him out."

"How long will that take?" She was terrified now, but tried not to show it.

"It usually takes a couple of weeks for something like that to heal."

"He will have to be in a coma for several weeks?" She was stunned.

He saw her tears falling, he tried to comfort her, but he knew that it would not help. "I am sorry, but he should be fine once the fracture heals." He saw her nod, he felt her watching him as he added the necessary drugs to Dezmond's IV, so he would fall into the coma.

Dezmond felt himself slipping, he was losing what little awareness he had. He was afraid, he thought it meant he was dying, he did not want to die. Each minute that passed had him slipping deeper and deeper into the darkness, he no longer felt Renee's presence, her touch on his hand was gone as he went deeper, he could no longer feel his body at all. He tried to stop it from happening, but it was out of his control, he slid deeper still, until all thought had finally left him as well.

Renee held Dez's hand, she could see him slip deeper into unconsciousness, his face becoming even more slack than before, his body becoming completely relaxed, his breathing slowed, it scared her, it seemed like he was dying. She looked at the doctor, he did not appear to be concerned, so what was happening was apparently normal for a coma.

"You should go back and get some sleep Renee, he doesn't even know your here right now."

"But I don't want to leave him."

"I understand, but you need your rest, so I am making it an order."

Renee stood and nodded, she did not want to go, but she was feeling very tired, plus she wanted to fill Tammy in, she just hoped it didn't make her feel even more guilty. She slowly walked back to her room, her head bent in prayer, she could not lose him, not now, she was certain that they had a future together.

Tammy woke to find Renee's bed empty, that worried her a little, where could she be? Visiting Dezmond perhaps, maybe that was a good sign, that he was all right. A few moments later she saw Renee walk back into the room, the look on her face and her body language told Tammy all she needed to know, things were not good. "Renee, what's wrong? Is it Dezmond? He isn't dead is he?" She had a million questions, she watched as Renee looked at her then moved beside the bed.

"It isn't good Tammy, but the doctor is extremely hopeful."

"What's wrong with him?" Tammy was feeling guilty again, as well as afraid.

"He has a hairline fracture on the left side of his skull, they put him into a drug induced coma so that it can heal without any pressure or strain put on it, because if that happened, it could kill him."

Tammy was stricken, a skull fracture? This was all her fault, now he might die and he's in a coma. The tears began to flow freely, she felt Renee's arms around her, but Renee was crying even harder. "Renee, he will be all right, I know he will."

"Tammy, I am so in love with him, I can't lose him." Renee sobbed.

"I am sorry Renee, this is all my fault, if I hadn't gotten lost, none of this would have happened and........"

"Stop that Tammy, it could just as easily happened anyway, you don't know."

"Yes I do, he wouldn't have even gotten out of his vehicle, if not for me."

"Now that's not true, he got out of the vehicle because of the tent, and I was in the tent, he saved my life remember? I was the one that told him about you, so it was my fault." They both began to cry again as they held each other, both grateful they had their best friend there to comfort them.

Tammy was released from the hospital that day, Renee was kept for one more night of observation, once she was released, she only went home long enough to freshen up and change into some clean clothes. She called in to her job and told them she would be out for several weeks and that she would check in to see how things were going, it was not a problem for her to be out as long as she wanted, she owned the store and she had a manager that she trusted completely. She then went back to the hospital, she had tried to find out if Dezmond had any family that should be notified, but she found nothing. She stayed by Dez's bed every day, holding his hand and talking to him, it seemed like the days were going so slowly, she wanted them to pass quickly, so Dez would be brought out of the coma and she could see his beautiful green eyes again, so she could talk to him, she wanted him to have the same feelings for her, that she had for him, but she didn't know if he did.

Tammy came by every day, to see how Dez, and Renee were doing, there had been no change in Dez's condition, but there wasn't supposed to be, some of Dez's cuts, bruises, and burns were healing, but he still had a long way to go. The guilt of what happened to Dez still filled Tammy's heart, but it was not as consuming as it had been a week ago. Today she walked in to see Renee gently caressing Dez's cheek, she could see the love Renee had for him, every time she looked in her eyes. "Renee? How is he?"

"The same, the doctor said that he should be able to bring Dez out of the coma in another week, then he will have to remain in the hospital for at least another week after that, but his injuries seem to be healing nicely."

"Well, that's good news, I am glad that he is healing well, I will be very happy to meet him formally, since we didn't really ever get to talk before or anything, he must be very special to have you so in love with him."

"He is Tammy, I have never felt this way before, especially about someone I just met, but there is just something special about him." Renee looked at Tammy, hoping she didn't sound foolish, but all she saw on her friends face was understanding.

"Yes there is, I am so happy that you have found someone Renee, I have to go now, but I will be back later." Tammy squeezed Renee's hand, then turned to leave.

"OK, Tammy thanks for your support and for stopping by." She watched Tammy smile, then she was gone, headed to work.

Renee continued to stay with Dez for that next week, letting him hear and feel her, hoping it was helping him in some way. Then the day came for the doctor to bring Dezmond out of the coma, "How long will it take for him to wake up?"

"It could take as little as a half hour, or as long as several, but it shouldn't take more than three hours."

Renee held Dez's hand, hoping it only took a half hour, she couldn't wait to talk to and tell him how she felt. She watched as the doctor added the medicine to Dez's IV, that would bring him out of the coma.

"I will check back later, let me know if anything happens." The doctor had rounds and knew it would be at least a half hour before Sergeant Dezmond began to come to.

Renee watched the clock as the minutes ticked by excruciatingly slow, a half hour passed, then an hour, then two hours, the doctor had not yet returned as he had an emergency. Renee was scared now, three hours had passed and nothing had changed for Dez, so she ran out to find the doctor.

Renee came rushing back in with the doctor, she watched as he examined Dezmond, her heart felt like it was being squeezed, she could not bare the thought of losing him. After a moment the doctor came over to her and spoke.

"He is not coming out of the coma, we are going to have to do another CAT scan on him, to see if there is something wrong."

"You said he was healing fine, so what could be wrong?" She was getting nervous now.

"Renee, try not to panic, I won't know until I can see the results of the CAT scan, there will be some orderlies here in a moment to take him down, then it will take some time to get the results back, why don't you go get some rest."

"No, I am not leaving here until I know what's wrong."

"Very well, I do have some good news, his lungs are clear, so we can remove the ventilator."

"That is good news, but it's not exactly encouraging if he's going to be in a coma the rest of his life." She was ready to cry, that just couldn't happen.

"Renee, please stop worrying, once we have the results of the CAT scan, we can take measures to fix whatever is wrong." The doctor was worried about her, she was growing so negative.

"I'm sorry, I will let you go now." She watched the doctor nod as he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then turned and left. She sat heavily in the chair, looking at Dez, he had to be all right, he just had to be.

A few moments later, two orderlies came in with a nurse, the nurse removed the ventilator and they got him on a gurney, taking him out of the room and down the hall, leaving Renee sitting there all alone, a tear falling down her cheek. The nurse came back a moment later, "Ms? Why don't you wait in the waiting room, it's much more comfortable and we can come and get you when Mr. Dezmond is brought back." She nodded and stood, then began to walk to the door, turning back and looking at the empty bed, it made her heart ache more. Just as she stepped out the door, Tammy was there and she saw the look on Renee's face.

"What's wrong? Renee just leaned against Tammy and Tammy put her arms around her, "What is it? Dezmond isn't dead is he?"

"No.....but he did not.....come out of the coma.......when the doctor tried.......they took him.....for another......CAT scan."

"Oh Renee, I am sorry, do they know what's wrong?" Renee just shook her head, Tammy felt so bad, she would never forgive herself if Dezmond died, it would be her fault. She walked with Renee to the waiting room, an hour later the nurse came and got them.

Dezmond was back in ICU, he looked the same, except he no longer had the tube in his mouth, just a small one in his nose. Renee and Tammy went to him, Renee took his hand and held it, feeling the warmth and softness of it. Tammy brushed some hair off his forehead, which was covered by the bandage around his head. A few moments later the doctor came in. "What did you find doctor?" Renee asked.

"I just got the results of the scan, he has some fluid build up on his brain, we will have to go in and drain it, then he should be fine."

"He will wake up after that?" Renee asked nervously.

"It will take some time, but yes, he will need to know you are here, so once we bring him back again, talk to him and continue to hold his hand, he will need to hear and feel you so he has something to focus on."

"I will be here too." Tammy advised.

Renee turned and looked at her friend, so grateful that she was there. "When are you going to do it?"

"We are preparing the OR now, so within the hour." He left the two ladies, needing to make final preparations.

Tammy and Renee sat down and just looked at Dez, they were both feeling guilty and worried, they did not want him to die, or be a vegetable the rest of his life.

They took Dezmond into surgery to drain the fluid on his brain, Renee sat alone by his bed in ICU, she heard the sounds of the machines in the room, some were the only things keeping a person alive. Tammy had gone down to get something to eat and some fresh air, but Renee wouldn't leave, she wanted to be there when Dez came back. She felt the tears start to fall and could not stop them, her life had been changed completely, all in a matter of a few weeks, she found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and have a family with, if he lived long enough to do all that, or if he wanted to do that with her, as much as she wanted it with him, but she still didn't know how he felt about her. She hated to wait, especially under these circumstances, it seemed to be taking forever, but it had only been an hour since they took him away, every minute that she was away from him seemed like an eternity.

Another hour later they wheeled Dezmond back into ICU, the orderlies gently lifted him off the gurney and onto the bed, the doctor hooked the monitors back up and the nurse pulled the sheets and blanket over him, tucking his arm, that was in a sling, under the covers. Once they were finished the nurse left and the doctor moved over to Renee.

"Renee, the procedure went well, we got all the fluid drained, but we have to observe him and do another CAT scan on him every day, to make sure the fluid doesn't start to build up again, if he regains consciousness, that will be a good sign."

"When will he wake up?" She had heard him say 'if he woke up,' but she just knew he would.

"Well, I can't say for sure, when he's ready, his body knows what it's doing and will allow him to wake when it knows he is ready."

"Thank you doctor."

"Remember what I said, talk to him, hold his hand, let him know you are here." The doctor moved towards the door, Dezmond was taken care of for now.

"Don't worry doctor, I will." She watched him go, then turned her attention to Dez. She moved beside him, taking his warm, soft hand in hers, caressing it with her thumb as she looked at his handsome face, wanting desperately to talk to him and kiss that unbelievable mouth, that had been on hers before, saving her life. She could not find words, she had so many things she wanted to say to him, she didn't know where to start and she wanted him to be awake when she said them, so she would know that he heard her. Instead of speaking, she stood and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting next to Dez, she leaned over and gave him a soft, gentle kiss on the lips, it sent a spark through her and she knew when he woke, they would have something special together. She could not wait to see if he felt the same way, she needed to know, but she would have to be patient. She continued to kiss him for another moment, then pulled away slightly, taking a closer look at his perfect, flawless face. It was a face that she wanted to see every day for the rest of her life, to share everything with, to love, oh she wanted him to wake.

Dezmond felt himself rising out of the darkness, he could think again and he was very confused. Why had that happened? What was going on? He felt someone kissing him gently, it felt very good and he did not want it to stop. He wasn't sure who it was, his thoughts and memories were still very fuzzy and he was experiencing a lot of pain, especially in his head. He tried to make himself focus and clear his head, but it was taking time, he wanted to open his eyes, he needed to know who was kissing him, it was the softest, most gentle kiss he had ever had and he felt a warmth spread over him from it. His mind began to clear a little and he remembered Tammy and Renee, wondering if they were all right, actually he hoped it was Renee that was kissing him, he had a strong attraction to her. He suddenly sensed that it was Renee, he somehow just knew it was, but he couldn't wake up, he wanted to hold her and return the kiss, his body, on the other hand, was not ready for that yet.

As Renee continued to kiss Dez, she sensed that he was beginning to come around, so she kissed him deeper, letting him know she was there. She felt him begin to return the kiss, it was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt, she had desperately wanted this to happen and now that it was, it was incredible. She felt his arm move up around her, pulling her closer, then he moaned at the pain it caused him and she pulled away. She waited for those beautiful green eyes to open, wanting to look into them and see into his soul, needing to see if there was any sign that he had similar feelings for her, in their emerald depths. She watched his eyes slowly open, he squinted at the light and looked at her. "Welcome back Dezmond, I was so worried about you."

"Renee? I knew........you were here, I........could feel it.......and that was an ....... incredible kiss." His voice was very low and weak.

Renee heard every wonderful word though, "Dezmond, I have been waiting for weeks to tell you how I feel, I am so in love with you, more than any man before." A tear ran down her cheek.

Dez slowly absorbed what she said, she was in love with him? He was happy to hear that, but also a little hesitant after his last experience, he did not want to get hurt again, something in his heart told him that would not happen with Renee, his mind also told him that this could be the love of his life and not to throw it away. He watched a tear roll down her cheek as she made her admission, he reached up and brushed it away, suddenly something else she said registered in his groggy mind, weeks? How long had he been here? "What did you.....mean weeks? How.....long have I.......been here?"

"You have been here for a little over two weeks, the doctor had to put you into a drug induced coma, because you had a small skull fracture." Her heart broke at the shocked expression on his handsome face.

Dez was shocked, he had no idea it had been that long, "Why am I......clean shaven then?" He touched his face with his good hand.

"Either the nurse or myself, have shaved you." She smiled faintly, remembering the pleasure she had gotten from shaving his handsome face.

"Oh.......I can't believe......it's been that.......long, what you........said about being......in love with me.........I have feelings for.......you too Renee, but......I was hurt......badly in my last.........relationship, so you........will have to.....give me time." It was still difficult to breath, his ribs hurt very much.

"I understand, I will give you all the time you want, I don't want to lose you for anything."

Dez took her hand and pulled her close to him, giving her a kiss that threatened to make Renee melt, it was so gentle, yet so deep. They seemed to fit together perfectly and Dez felt almost consumed by the depth of Renee's emotions, never having felt that kind of love being sent in his direction.

After Dezmond finally regained consciousness, his recovery was fairly quick, except for the broken bones, which took some time to heal completely. Luckily it was summer and he did not miss any school, but his Guard duties were going to be behind a desk until he was completely well. He and Renee fell more in love as each day passed, spending as much time together as possible and Renee helped Dez with the things he couldn't do, because of his broken shoulder blade. He was so very happy, this relationship was so drastically different from the last one he had, Renee gave him everything she had and expected nothing in return, but he also gave her everything he had, every ounce of love his heart held.

Renee was the happiest she had ever been, it had been a month since Dez had been released from the hospital, they had spent all their time together and their love was stronger than ever. Now that she was intimate with him, she no longer called him Dez, instead using his first name, Wil. She was nervous right now, he had asked her to a special dinner at one of the most elegant restaurants in town, she had a feeling he was going to propose to her and she was delighted, but still nervous. She wanted to be his wife more than anything, she wanted to be the mother of his children and grow old with him. She answered the door, when the bell rang, she was wearing a knee length, skin tight, evening dress and when she opened the door, she discovered Wil in a Tux and almost fainted, he was so gorgeous, "Hello Wil, I am ready to go."

"Good sweetheart, I can't wait for this dinner." He smiled and wrapped her arm around his, as she closed the front door behind them. He escorted her to his car and they made their way to the restaurant, the table was in a corner, lit by candlelight and there was a single red rose at her place at the table.

"Oh Wil, this is so romantic, I do love you." She picked up the rose and smelled it, then set it aside and looked into Wil's eyes, seeing the love in them.

"I love you too Renee, more than anything." He poured two glasses of Champaign, then handed Renee one of them, his hand lingering on hers, his eyes never leaving hers as they sparkled in the candlelight. "To use, my love."

"To use Wil." She took a drink, letting the delicious liquid slide down her throat, her eyes still had not left his, this moment right now was absolutely perfect. She sat quietly as they dined on a shrimp salad, then lobster, feeding each other and just enjoying the evening. Then it was time, she noticed the waiter handing Wil something, then he cleared the table of dishes. "Wil, what is that?"

"You'll see baby, you'll see." He picked up the red rose and stood from the table, moving to where Renee sat, he knelt down on one knee and caressed Renee's face with the rose, God he loved her so much. "My beloved Renee, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He took her hand and slipped the Diamond engagement ring, that the waiter had handed him, on her ring finger.

"Oh Wil, yes, I want to be your wife more than anything, I love you so much." The tears began to roll down her cheeks, this was the happiest moment of her life. She moved into him embrace, holding him tight and letting the tears fall, she never wanted to be without those strong arms around her. She closed her eyes as he kissed her deeply, melting against him and becoming lost in the emotions of the moment.

The wedding was three months later, it was perfect, the church was decorated with white roses, lilies, and carnations, all linked together with silver and white ribbon, Dez looked incredibly handsome in his tux and Renee was a vision of beauty in her long, flowing wedding gown, babies breath weaved into her beautiful hair.

Dezmond took his brides hand and guided her to the dance floor, for the Bride and Grooms dance. He took her in his arms and held her tight as the song, "From This Moment" By Shania Twain began to play. He gently guided her over the dance floor, he was happier than he had ever been. Renee was now his wife and he couldn't wait for their lives together, to begin. He felt her hands moving up and down his back through the Tuxedo jacket, her head resting on his shoulder. His arms were around her waist, holding her tight against him, his heart was full of love and he thought this song was completely perfect, it said what he felt.

Renee didn't think it was possible to be this happy and this in love, she had struggled all her life to find a man that was interested in her, that she also had an attraction for, in all her life there had only been a handful of men that she got involved with, none actually loved her, so she had begun to resign herself to never finding the right man. That was until Wil came along, he not only saved her life, he changed it completely. Now here she was moving over the dance floor in his arms, as his wife. "Wil, I can't begin to tell you how happy you have made me, I love you more than life itself."

"My sweet Renee, I didn't think it was possible to be this in love and to have that love returned, it makes me feel so alive and happy." Dez moved his hands up her back to her neck, looking deeply into her eyes, seeing the love in them. He caressed her sensitive neck with his fingers, then brought one hand to her chin, tilting her head back, he slowly lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly and gently, as the song continued to play. He loved to kiss her, she felt so soft and warm and the love he felt surged through him as he tasted her. He began to make the kiss deeper as the song changed and the guests began to dance around them, but they didn't notice. Dez took her face in his hands and began to kiss her more urgently, wanting to taste and feel all of her, tasting the honeyed recesses of her hot mouth. He heard her whisper, "Wil...." then she sighed into his mouth. He wanted to take her to their honeymoon suite right now and start their wedding night.

Renee felt his kiss become more urgent, she was breathless from the pleasure he was giving her with his mouth, as his tongue swept through her mouth and touched every inch. She whispered his name, then sighed into him, she was ready for their wedding night to start, "Wil, take me to our room." She then began to kiss him with equal fervor, wanting to feel all of him, her hands moved up his back and into his silky hair, pulling his mouth harder against hers. They heard the music stop so they pulled away, looking deeply into each others eyes, telling each other what they wanted, with just the look. They said their good bye's and quickly departed, starting the most wonderful night of their lives. A year later, their family would grow by one, as Renee gave birth to their daughter, Ashley.

THE END!!!

Enid