Author Note: Hi guys, a big apology for the delay, I had some exams to sit at Uni and that took priority (sadly!) But I'm back now and should hopefully be updating this one regularly now. And it's another cliffhanger heehee sorry!

Reviews make me happy, enjoy.

He reached across me, gently turned my chin so that I was facing him directly, considered my face as if it was some fascinating piece of evidence and then kissed me, square on the lips, gently but with a sense of urgency, which was not lost on me.

I pulled away, reluctantly, and asked him, "Do you remember what I told you just after the lab explosion?"

He looked confused for a moment, and then his expression cleared to one of loss, he repeated our conversation from memory,

"I don't know what to do about this"

"I do. And by the time you figure it out you really might be too late!"

He looked so sad for a moment that I almost wished I'd not reminded him and then in a very quiet voice he responded, "I hope you were wrong." He paused again, seemingly to study my face, for almost a minute, then he hooked up a 'sensor' to my finger, a sensor that seemed to be constructed of duct tape and a lone wire.

I wanted to ask him if it was safe, to ask him if he'd regret all the times we'd never shared, mostly I wanted to ask him to hold me because I was afraid. He squeezed my hand, stood and left the room. I said nothing.

'I've screwed it up again' I thought to myself, 'but, wow! He kissed me! Maybe it's not as I'd thought'

And then I remembered that my chances of seeing dry land again, never mind a more profound relationship with Grissom, were slim at most. That's when the sadness overwhelmed me once more, even more so once I thought, 'Is this how it's always going to be for me, crying all alone?'

I was shocked out of my tears when I witnessed Greg cartwheeling through the doorway.

"Great! Now I'm hallucinating!"

"No you're not. I've just got too much energy."

I gave Greg a wry smile and responded, "That's exactly what a hallucination would say!" I tried to sit up, failed and then added, "If you have so much energy, mind giving me some?" I smiled at him, the smile of the defeated, the one I'd seen on my mother's face so many years before, the smile of a person who knows they are doomed.

I saw Greg glance down at Grissom's 'heart monitor'

"I'd love to Sara, and I'd agree that you need it but I don't know how to help you." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"You're helping by just being here. What's my pulse like?"

Greg paused and I stayed silent while he counted the peaks on the improvised screen, he looked at me hesitantly and then answered, "50 beats a minute. God, Sara I'd be terrified if I was you, which I guess would help 'cos it would increase your heart rate..."

I smiled at him and cut across his rambling speech, "You know Greg, you are the best friend I've ever had."

"Yeah you tell me that every time you have one beer too many." He muttered sheepishly, he was avoiding my eyes.

"And Greg?" I waited until he looked up at me, "You're gonna make a great criminalist, don't let Grissom intimidate you, and if you ever need help with him go to Catherine, she can almost always help." I smiled at him again as his face slowly moved from a confused expression to a sad one, and after a moment, straight onto furious.

"No! No, no, no, no!"

I blinked at him in surprise, it wasn't at all like Greg to shout.

"You're not doing this to me! You're not giving me the 'goodbye' message! No! I've heard too many goodbyes! And with that he leapt up and ran from the room.

My heart beat increased for a minute then faltered in a feeble way and stopped dead.

'Uh oh! I'm really in trouble now!'

I coughed again and again to force the blood to continue flowing through my brain, I knew it wouldn't last long, I needed help!

I ripped the tape from my finger and stumbled out into the corridor. My vision was going grey, 'I'm going to pass out before I find anyone to help!'

I fell to the floor and heard somebody shout my name just before the darkness consumed me.

'So this is how it ends'