This instalment in my series is set a week or so before Grissom's departure, somewhere between episodes 909 '19 down' and 910 'One to go'.

Sadly, we are getting near the end of this journey…hope you enjoy this!

Alone in the break room, slouching at the table, Greg was looking over the Ian Wallace/ Justine Stefani and past 'Dick and Jane murders' case files, concentrating hard trying to find new evidence or common threads that would lead them to a new suspect.

Grissom walked in, empty cup of coffee in hand and unaware of Greg's presence, he made a bee-line for the coffee machine for a refill.

"I just made a new pot" stated Greg, not looking up from reviewing his files, startling Grissom out of his reverie.

"Thanks. What have you got?" seeing the case files, he added, "anything new?"

"Nah, nada. Didn't think it could hurt to look at it again, though."

Grissom nodded his head in acknowledgement, cautiously taking a sip of his coffee while unsuccessfully scanning the shelves in the break room for his misplaced copy of 'Fruitless Fall'.

After a minute or so of companionable silence, Greg muttered matter of fact looking up from his reading:

"It was inevitable, wasn't it?" Seeing Grissom frown, he explained with a small smile, "You leaving, I mean."

Grissom was unable to hide his surprise.

"I mean, if I had been you, I'd have done it a long time ago…"

"Yes but, Greg, you're not me" interrupted an amused Grissom.

"I know that, Grissom, and to my eternal regret, for she chose you."

"She did, didn't she?" Grissom said jokingly. The new, revised Grissom could tease as well as the next man.

"Still," continued the younger man undeterred, "better late than never…"

Grissom arched an eyebrow, "…is a poor consolation for the man who has lost the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Russell?"

"No, me." Both men were silent for a moment pondering that thought with differing points of view.

"Oh come on, Griss, spill. I won't tell. Why now?" Greg light-heartedly demanded to know. He couldn't contain his excitement.

"Why not?" countered Grissom unflustered. "So many reasons" he then continued more pensively, almost to himself.

"For all it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing."

"Well, thank you Greg. I'll miss you too" said Grissom tongue in cheek.

"Nah, you won't. You'll be far too busy."

"True." He said enigmatically making his way towards the door.

"On another note, I spoke to Catherine and she said you didn't want a big party or anything but," he paused, "what about breakfast?" No cakes in the break room had been Catherine's exact words, no mentions of goodbye breakfast.

Grissom's lips pursed into a smile, glasses pushed down to the tip of his nose "I guess I could do breakfast, we did take a rain check the other day, we should celebrate you making level three. I might even buy!"

"Well, wonders will never cease, but you know… people will want to say goodbye."

"Nothing big, OK Greg?" he conceded after a moment after removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

"Alriiight!" said Greg excitedly, thinking that his boss had definitely mellowed in the last few weeks. "Sorry boss. Won't be big, promised." Cross my heart and hope to die, he added silently making a big song and dance of crossing his heart and then casually picking up the files that lay discarded on the table.

Grissom turned to walk out of the break room, cup still in hand, shaking his head in disbelief ignoring Greg's little display of childishness.

He'd never agreed to anything, had he?

Tbc?

Your reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A/N: The book Grissom is looking for is "Fruitless Fall: A Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis" By Rowan Jacobsen. (Bloomsbury 2008)