Love Birds (Erkenci Kus) - Not just your average love story ❤️Canem Forever ❤️

Episode 19 Scene: Sanem's Search and Rescue, Can's POV

Searching to find Sanem...and Soul-searching to find his Truth

Can was only kidding himself that he could stay just friends with Sanem. His love for her was deeper than he even knew. But when Sanem got lost in the forest that fateful day, he faced the truth about his feelings for her and it would take almost losing her to come to this realization. Let's go back to that day then, to experience those moments from Can's perspective and get an idea of just how much Sanem truly meant to him.

************************

Can was genuinely worried.  The search for Sanem in the woods was in progress and although it had not been a very long time, to him it seemed like a hundred years had passed. No one had seen her since the Compass Sport navigation game had started but he couldn't understand how she just went missing.  He was used to her being clumsy and accident-prone but this was different. She was lost and he felt responsible.  He was frustrated with himself as he should have found her by now. He shouldn't have let her go out on her own in the first place knowing her lack of experience. He should have went with her or followed her. Why did he let her feel that she needed to prove herself to him.

After some time had passed and still no sign of her, he started to really miss her. He thought about the way she made him laugh, her smile, her sweet voice, her care-free spirit. Sanem was always there to bring up everyone's spirit. And now he worried of how scared she might be, alone and lost in the woods. He wished he was there to console her. It was just the other night he was consoling her after her nightmare and he had given her the special amber necklace and told her the story behind it. And now he was fearing the worst...what if he couldn't find her.  He started doubting his own words that he said to her that night, that he wanted to be "just friends".  Deep down he knew she meant so much more to him than that...He could feel her absence more than ever now...how would he go on without her...he didn't care anymore of what had happened in the past...all was forgiven. He just wanted her...and needed her in his life. They weren't done.

As time went on his thoughts made him more and more anxious... "Get a hold of yourself" he muttered to himself. He needed to find her and fast before he went crazy. The only thing keeping him calm and collected were his skills and his training. As he went deeper into the forest, he desperately searched for any possible clue left behind her passage, any foot impressions on the forest floor, any dry twigs or branches freshly cracked or broken from the pressure of her walking over them, any bark scraped off of a log or fallen tree.  On the outside, he was strong, composed, his senses on high alert, but on the inside all his emotions were in a state of flux...he was worried for her safety, desperate to find her, feared losing her and their chance to be together, anger at himself for letting her go out alone, sadness for what she must be going through, regret for telling her he just wanted to be friends...emotions that were evident in his movements, in his facial expression and in his voice when he called out her name.  The lump was forming in his throat and the only way he could stop it from growing was to keep shouting out her name, over and over again.

Just then, he saw it...a sign.  On the ground in his path lay a suspicious looking twig that appeared freshly broken. All of a sudden, he could feel her presence...she was close. He just knew it. The clue gave him hope and he persevered. He followed his gut instincts and tuned into her energy. A little further into the woods he noticed a giant pit in a clearing. He immediately approached it and peered over the edge. To his dismay and sorrow he saw her laying at the bottom like a fallen bird...lifeless. Was he too late?

His heart sank at the sight of her in that condition. He caught his breath before he could call out to her...although when he did, all of his built-up emotion and vulnerability poured out with it. She didn't respond...or move.  He felt his heart ache...and feared for the worst. He called out to inform the others that he had found her. Although he was scared, it didn't stop his determination to reach her. His expertise put him on auto-pilot. He was so focused he didn't even notice Fabri who had come to make an evaluation for himself and run to get help.

Although the pit was quite deep Can decided he would climb down to reach her. But before doing so, he quickly gathered several thick tree branches from the immediate surrounding area that he would use in his strategy to get themselves out of the pit. He was both nervous and anxious to get to her as he didn't know what to expect. He used his adrenaline to keep him focused which helped him to stay calm. He bundled the branches, and then wrapped them using his jacket as a makeshift carryall. He carefully tossed the jacket along with the branches down to the bottom of the pit which landed next to where Sanem was laying. He then descended into the pit, using the skills he learned in his mountaineering days. As soon as he got to the bottom of the pit he directly went to attend to her. He so desperately wanted to be with her...his sleeping beauty...to help her...to touch her...to hold her...to show her his love for her... He was her prince that had come to awaken her.

He brought his face close to hers and said her name repeatedly to wake her. As he gently brushed away her hair from her face to caress her cheeks, she began to regain consciousness which eased his anxiety immensely.  He spoke to her tenderly in a low, soft voice to keep her calm just as any rescuer was trained to do. But the source of his words were not coming from his training, they were coming directly from his heart. Only Sanem could turn him from this big, strong lion into a gentle little lamb.

He assessed her wound on her forehead and reassured her that she was going to be ok. Although she was covered in leaves and dirt, he was overcome with her beauty and could not take his eyes off her. He could smell her sweet scent which was just as alluring to him as it always was. His heart went out to her. He continued to comfort her, making sure she was alright. She was still dazed but knowing she did not suffer serious injuries, he gently lifted her into a sitting position. He carefully picked the leaves from her hair and using his fingers, he delicately brushed her hair into place as he did so many other times before.  To keep her calm and lessen her fears, he reassured her that he was there for her and that he would get her out quickly as he remembered how afraid she was of confined spaces and that being in the pit may have frightened her even more.

He was completely focused on her which touched Sanem. It was just the two of them and his care and concern for her well-being was extremely evident. He explained to her he would need just a few minutes to prepare for their exit at which point he would carry her out. And then, as natural and as sweet as could be he kissed her on the cheek, not only meant to comfort her, but was also cathartic for him as he was able to convey to her his own emotions and to show her how relieved he was that he had found her safe and sound. Most of all, it showed her his pure love and affection for her.

Can then took the branches that he had gathered previously and hammered them into the entry wall of the pit using a large rock, placing them strategically along the side of the wall like steps on a stepladder. Once he was done, he went to Sanem and gently helped lift her to her feet. He explained the exit plan, telling her she would need to hold onto him tightly by wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her legs around his waist, and that he would be climbing up the sides of the pit with her on his back. And just as lovingly as the first time, he kissed her on the cheek again to calm her fears and reassure her that she could trust him and that he would take care of her. He then took her arms and placed them around him and then turned to face the wall. Sanem followed his lead and as Can bent down she put her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. He straightened up, balanced himself, and began the ascent climbing from one branch to the next. She held onto him like a baby koala bear clung to its mother. He felt the warmth of her body as she nestled into him and it felt like she belonged there. Her face was so close to his that he could smell her scent and feel her breath on his neck and it brought tingles down his spine. Her closeness felt like a gift to him for the pain he endured when he thought he had lost her.

Once they reached the top, and Can was able to put her safely onto the ground, he quickly stepped out of the pit, and turned to put his arms around her again so that he could help her to her feet. He held her tightly again to prolong the feeling of her closeness.  He wanted her to feel protected and safe with him.  But he also felt grateful and relieved that he had found her again and that she would still be in his life. He looked down and noticed the amber necklace he had given her, still hung around her neck and realized what it had done for him...It had fulfilled its purpose and united him with the one he loved, his priceless treasure, Sanem. And he vowed to himself that nothing would take her away from him, ever again.

Can's search for Sanem in the woods would prove to also be a search to find his own Truth...one that would remind him of what was really important and one that he could no longer deny...that his internal compass would always direct him to Sanem who would prove time and time again to be his one true Love and his Destiny.

Canem Forever ❤️❤️