What Now?

What happened after Catherine announced she was leaving? This is my take on what happened between Nick, Sara and Greg while Catherine and Morgan were at the diner.

I do not own CSI

Nick invited Sara and Greg to his house after Catherine had said she was leaving. Once they had all said farewell to their collegue and friend, they arrived at Nick's house.

"Wanna beer? Sandwich? Anything?" Nick asked

"Beer's good," Greg replied. "Sara, do you..."

"No, thanks," she said.

Nick handed Greg the bottle of beer and joined them in the living room. Greg and Sara sat on the couch while Nick sat in the chair next to it. He and Greg each took a sip of their beers. But everyone's thoughts were with Catherine. Everyone sat in silence. Sara hugged a cushion to her chest and felt the need to say something.

"It's going to be so wierd not seeing her at the lab anymore," she said. Nick and Greg looked up and each of them nodded.

Greg placed his beer bottle on the table next to the couch. "Yeah, won't be the same. But maybe this is for the best." When he saw Nick look at him with a questioned look, Greg added, "I mean, she was a supervisor. It had to hurt to get demoted." Greg winced, realizing Nick had also been demoted from his own supervisor position. "Sorry, Nick."

"It's okay," Nick assured him. "Maybe she was right. It was time to make a change."

"That couldn't have been an easy decision," Greg said, remembering Catherine's earlier speech. Nick and Sara both nodded. An awkward silence fell in the room.

Nick sighed and smiled. "Doesn't seem like that long ago I first met her at the lab. Here was this beautiful woman who really knew her job and tough as nails."

"I remember the first time I met her," Greg began . "First day on the job and into the DNA lab walks this...force." Sara and Nick chuckled.

"I remember when I first met her, after the Holly Gribbs shooting," Sara added. "She let me know right away it was her case and she wasn't going to back down for anyone." Sara smiled and Nick and Greg both chuckled. "You know, I know we had a few disagreements, but I always respected her."

"Yeah," Nick and Greg said simultaneously.

"I remember when she came to see me after the lab explosion. It surprised me to see her so...vulnerable. When she said she had accidentally caused it..." Greg trailed off. Nick simply put his hand on Greg's arm. "She started crying and told me she was sorry. When I told her I wasn't angry, I think I could have knocked her over with a feather," Greg said with a small laugh. Nick and Sara smiled.

Nick added, "She was angry after that whole Langston thing, but she loved her job and her team."

"She was one of the strongest people I've ever known," Sara simply added. Nick and Greg smiled and nodded.

After sitting in silence for a few moments, Greg took another sip of his beer while Nick set his bottle down on the coffee table. Sara sighed and, feeling the need to say something to break the silence, asked "What now?"

The three friends looked at each other and shrugged.

Remembering what Sofia Curtis had said to him after a hard case when he was a CSI Level One, Greg said, "We go home, we hug our cat, dog or pillow, and then go back to work tomorrow."

"Yeah," Nick and Sara said in unison.

Greg smiled. "Yeah," he said softly. Sara took his hand with a smile.

"I meant what I said," Nick added as Sara and Greg looked at him. "That even though she was leaving, she'd always be there with us."

The three friends looked at each other and smiled. They would miss Catherine, but they knew she would be just fine in her new job with the F.B.I. And they, and the crime lab, would be okay.

The End. Please review!