I don't own CSI.
Thought it would be good to post this since a rerun of "Ghosts Of The Past" is airing tonight in the USA.
This is one I just had to write. My two favorite season 13 episodes were "It Was A Very Good Year," where Greg tried to solve the murder of an old flame, and "Ghosts Of The Past," where he reconnected with his psychic past. I got to thinking...what if Greg did reconnect with Alison Bailey after her death. That's what led to this story. Hope you all enjoy...and pretty please review!
Oh, and more Jackson stories are on the way. :)
Greg Sanders tossed in his bed, trying to get some much needed sleep. He wished he'd known his old flame, Alison Bailey, was back in Vegas. Having caught her killer, Greg learned that she'd bought Sinatra At The Sands for Greg. He couldn't shake the images that swam through his mind. One moment, he'd see Alison as he remembered her - long, brunette hair cascading around her shoulders, singing a Sinatra song to herself and smiling. Then he'd remember opening the piano in the desert and seeing her slashed body. Greg squeezed his eyes shut tighter as he turned on his back.
He started thinking about the last time he saw Alison when he thought he heard a voice. Narrowing his brow in confusion, he listened. It was faint, but he heard a voice singing. Knowing all the doors and windows were locked and the TV was off, Greg opened his eyes and slowly looked around his bedroom. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sitting on the foot of the bed was Alison. An etherial glow emitted from her body as she sat, singing "The Best Is Yet To Come."
She looked at Greg and smiled warmly. "Hey."
Greg sat up and looked at the ghost before him. "H-hey. What are you..."
"It's alright," Alison said with a small smile. "I just wanted to see you."
Greg sighed sadly and looked down. "I-I'm so sorry."
"Ssh," Alison said softly as she moved closer. "You can't blame yourself. If anything, I wish I'd told you I was back in town. But I wanted the album to be a surprise."
"Yeah," Greg said softly. "Thank you."
Alison smiled softly. "You know...I heard what you said. When you told your friend that if I cared I would have looked you up."
Greg sighed, remembering what he told Morgan in Alison's autopsy. "She knew it was more than just a fling."
Alison took Greg's hand. "For me too. We were both moving in different directions...you as a CSI and me with my work. I wish we could have stayed together, but I chose to move on. I am so sorry I hurt you, Greg. You were more than just a week of fun to me."
A tear fell down Greg's cheek. "But if you hadn't wanted to see me..."
"Lummot thought I was more than a friend, and that's his problem. It's certainly not yours. He is the one who took my life."
More tears fell as Greg listened to Alison talk so casually about her own murder. "I-I wish I'd known you were back in Vegas." He looked away briefly.
With a thoughtful smile, Alison lifted Greg's chin to look in his eyes. "That was my fault. I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't know about Jeff. By the time I did...it was too late."
"I'm sorry," Greg said as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I am so sorry."
"Greg," Alison said softly but firmly. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You helped solve the case. The man who took my life will never hurt anyone else again. He's in jail because of you and the team that you love so much. You brought me closure...not everyone on the other side gets that."
Greg breathed deeply, trying to keep his tears at bay. "You were more than just a week of fun to me too. I fell in love."
"I know," Alison said with a knowing smile. "I did too. But my job in New York and yours in Vegas...I wish things had been different, but we both had to live our lives."
Greg squeezed Alison's hand. "But I wanted to call you so many times...I was stupid..."
"No, you and I both had to get on with our lives. I was busy with my books and writing, you were busy here and had just lost your friend. With everything that happened, we never would have seen each other, and we wouldn't have gotten on with our lives."
Greg nodded, realizing Alison was right.
Cupping his cheek in her hand, Alison said, "You have no reason to blame yourself for anything. Yes, I should have known better, but you gave me justice and closure. I am more thankful than you will ever know."
Breathing deeply, Greg smiled. "I miss you."
Alison smiled softly. "I miss you. When I came back to research the Ledo Wright case, I wanted to look you up. But I wanted to surprise you with the album..." raising her eyebrows and shrugging, she said, "I guess I did."
Greg and Alison both laughed softly. Greg smiled as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. "I'm glad I could give you that closure."
Alison smiled. "Not everyone on the other side gets that. You gave me that blessing...and now you need to move on."
Greg shook his head. "How?"
Looking into his brown eyes, Alison took a deep breath. "You wake up, go to work, hang out with your friends, and think of me every now and then."
Greg sighed softly and nodded. "Sounds like good advice."
Alison smiled softly. "You have a good life here. You have friends who love you, you're great at your job...and then there's..."
Greg looked away briefly before meeting Alison's eyes. "Morgan?"
With a soft sigh, Alison nodded. "She's beautiful. And she does care about you."
"I care about her," Greg said with certainty.
"You and Morgan are good together. And you will be happy."
Greg sighed as another tear fell down his cheek. "I wish things could have been different..."
"Greg...we got on with our lives. What we had was good, but it is in the past. We've both moved on, and that's how it should be."
Staring at the ghost of the beautiful woman he loved, Greg sniffed back his tears and smiled softly. "I'll always remember you."
Alison smiled softly. "I'll remember you, too. Besides, if you change one thing, you change everything. And I've had a lot of love...so have you. And there's still a lot of love to come your way."
Greg smiled softly, thinking about Alison and what Morgan had said in the break room. "The best is yet to come?"
Alison smiled softly. "Yes, it is."
Greg closed his eyes and reveled in feeling Alison's hand on his cheek. He breathed deeply and opened his eyes to find that Alison was gone.
Rubbing his hand across his face and letting more tears fall, Greg smiled softly. He thought about the beautiful woman he once loved and how he wished things could have been different. He also couldn't help but think that Alison was watching over him and wanted him to move on with his own life.
Looking up to the ceiling, Greg smiled softly. "Thank you," he said quietly. With a deep breath, he felt like he was really letting go of Alison and ready to move on.
And he was ready to move on with Morgan.
The End.