He sat and watched as his team slept in the break room. He wouldn't wake them for another 15 minutes. Let them sleep, it's a slow night, he thought. Instead. He thought about his friends…the reason he was here today, and where they were now.
Sara was the first to leave, five years ago, after the miniature killer had kidnapped her. It took them day's to find her, and once she was healthy, she was gone. No looking back, just a quick goodbye to each of them, and then on a plane to Chicago. He had gotten an invitation a few weeks ago to her wedding next month; he had the ticket reserved seconds later.
A few months after Sara, Warrick moved, too. Not as far as Chicago, but Carson City was still pretty far out. He still checked in from time to time, and whenever Vegas and Carson City worked together, he was first to volunteer. When he was asked why he left, all he could say was that it was time. Whether it was time to move on, or time to finally leave Vegas, no one will ever know. But it was time.
Two years later, everyone was back together to meet for Henry and Mandy's wedding. That time, when they went their separate ways, it was a lot harder then when they first separated.
Six or seven months later, Nick left. Rumor was that he worked in Houston Crime Lab for about another month, but couldn't take it anymore, and took a job at the courthouse with his father. He called Vegas from time to time, but, later on, the people he asked for weren't there anymore.
Hodges disappeared. One day, Greg, Grissom, and Catherine walked to the Trace lab ad found all of his things gone. Where he went, what he was doing, and how he was were to forever remain unanswered.
Shortly after that, Catherine moved to Carson City to "work with" Warrick. The day Lindsay went off to college, Warrick purposed. Their wedding was set for three months after Sara's.
Greg and Grissom were the only ones sitting in the hospital room as Jim passed away. It was a quiet funeral and it was hard on both of them, but hardest on Grissom. He had at that moment, lost his best friend; and for the rest of his life, he'd regret anything they ever argued about when it came to a case.
Grissom. Grissom did exactly what he told Warrick he'd do. One day, Greg walked into the lonely break room and frond a note from Grissom, saying that he was teaching in Harvard, and this time, he wasn't coming back. That day, he was gone, and there was no cake on the table, no 'We'll miss you' banners on the wall. Just Greg; and no one else.
Greg took a text book he had found when cleaning out Grissom's office and slammed it on the table. All five new CSI's were startled awake.
"Ugh…Sanders…" Nicole groaned. She was the new Sara. Greg knew that she was up all morning listening to the police scanner for anything interesting to solve. Greg had laughed when he realized that she, like the others, had chosen to call him by his last name instead of his first. He barely heard the name Greg unless it was from one of the Techs, who had stayed with him through all of this.
"Five more minutes man," Tom stretched. He was the Warrick. Level headed, cool, and calm at scenes, he knew exactly what to do. (As long as it was by-the-books)
"Not five more minutes, we got cases to work," Greg said. Daniel rolled off the couch and clumsily hit the floor.
"Better be something good," he said in a deep New Yorker accent. Not Texan, but it'll do, Greg thought.
"Three B&E's," Greg said.
"That's lame," Drew said. Greg shook his head. Warrick had said once when he came to help with a case that Drew was a lot like Greg. He couldn't see himself causing that much mayhem though. Or dressed that insanely. But his taste in music Greg could defiantly agree with.
"Not like you have a choice there Kid," Andrea had said. She winked at Greg and he let her make the teams. Andy was Catherine down to a point, with a teenaged kid (only Andrea was happily married) and her motherly tones that always kept everyone (including Drew) in order, Greg finally understood why Catherine was Grissom's right hand.
"Sanders," Tom waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello, earth to boss man, you in there?" Greg shook his head for a minute and came out of his daze.
"What Tom?" Greg asked.
"You want coffee?" he asked, apparently, Greg missed that conversation.
"Sure, thanks" he said. He then turned to the labs to check on a case he was working.
"Hey Mrs. Andrews," Greg smiled as he checked in on Mandy. "How are my prints doing?"
"I'm never going to get bored with that," she smiled and handed him a print out. "Prints don't match, sorry Sanders," she laughed when Greg cringed. "What?"
"I hate that," he said. "It makes me feel closer to forty than I really am…"
"You're 38 Greg, suck it up," Wendy laughed as she walked in from the lab next door. "Your prints might not match, but you're DNA does; Henry Appleman, sound familiar?"
"Neighbor, figures…" Greg said, and then someone else walked in.
"What's up? I heard my name," Henry walked in and kissed his wife on the cheek.
"Not you, my suspect," Greg laughed. "Keep that down you two, don't want Ecklie to come in and chew my ass off…" the Andrews' saluted.
"Yes Grissom," they said simultaneously. Greg glared.
"I'm not Grissom," he said sternly.
"Not yet," Archie said as he too walked in. "But it'll be any day now," he smiled.
"What do you mean? I'm not Griss," Greg said.
"In your office too much," Mandy said.
"Get worked up in cases," Wendy added.
"No social life…" Henry put in.
"I have a girlfriend thank you very much." Greg pointed out.
"That you never see," Archie said.
"Hey, you're even responding to your last name like Griss did," Henry smiled as Greg rolled his eyes, silently admitting defeat. Instead, he turned to look to the new team as the all walked out of the lab together, laughing and talking.
"Funny how everything just moves on…" he said.
"Like this is how it always was…" Mandy agreed. Just then, Judy walked in.
"Phone call Mr. Sanders," she said. "Line four."
"Thanks Judy," he said. "Bye guys."
"Bye Greg," they all said. "Coffee after shift?" Greg nodded and entered his office. The room that was once filled with shelves and shelves of critters now was a simple office. Pictures of his past team and his new team sat on the desk, and paperwork sat high and neglected. Greg quickly answered the phone.
"Supervisor Sanders," he said, restraining himself from laughing. He liked the title. "Hey Nick…long time no talk…yea, just me now…I know, amazing isn't it? So when are you gunna show your face in this town again…not soon enough…ha ha, I know, I know, Congrats Nicky…talk to you soon…oh my team…" Greg paused and looked at a picture. "I couldn't be any prouder."
I don't know what compelled me to write this, but I did, review!