A/N: MUST HAVE KLEENEX!! MUST HAVE KLEENEX!! MUST HAVE KLEENEX!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Grissom was getting out of the shower when he heard the cell phone ringing from his nightstand. He raced to answer it.

"Grissom."

"Mr. Grissom. This is Josie. It's time. She's ready to see you."

"I'm on my way and have a key. I'll let myself in. Don't let her die until I get there." He hung up the phone and quickly threw on some clothes. He called Ecklie on his way to Sara's.

"I won't be in tonight. It's time. Will you call Catherine?"

"Of course. I'm sorry Gil. If it's any consolation, she told me that she loves you."

"I love her too. Goodbye." Gil hung up and raced up the stairs to her apartment. He found Sara in her room looking for him at the doorway. He watched Josie stop the massage and leave the room pausing to tell him the blink code. He sat on the bed and held her hand.

"Thank you for letting me see you one last time." Two blinks. He smiled.

"I wanted to tell you to your face that I love you and I am so sorry for not doing it sooner." Two blinks and a tear. She was wheezing again. Once she regained control, he leaned in to kiss her softly. Her intense wheezing broke the kiss but he still whispered in her ear.

"Wait for me." Josie came in to monitor her pulse and Grissom never moved. Holding her hand told him the exact second that she died. Josie left the room to call the coroner. Grissom leaned in to kiss her forehead and whispered through a few tears.

"Wait for me. Wait for me. Wait for me. I love you." Knowing that David was on his way to collect her body, he got his own emotions under control. Sara was the only one he was willing to show them to and now she's unable to see them. He heard the door open and left the room. He had to turn his back when she was wheeled out. Josie stepped up next to him.

"She left everything to you. Here's my set of keys and I have all my things. I'm sorry for your loss." She set the keys on the table next to him and walked out the door. Grissom collapsed on the floor silently crying.

Ten minutes later, Grissom felt he was able to manage a short, but heart wrenching phone call.

"Willows."

"She's gone." His voice was hollow and Catherine felt an immediate lump in her throat.

"I know. I was in the morgue when David brought her in." Catherine's voice was straining to maintain control.

"How are you doing?"

"She asked me to come here and watch her die, Catherine. How do you think I am?" It was an anger fueled response, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry Gil."

"I held her hand and waited with her. It only took a few minutes. She died struggling to breathe and there was nothing anyone could to help her. I have never felt so helpless in all my life." His tears were welling up again. It was time to end this call.

"Did she know how you felt about her?" It was a difficult question to ask. She knew he had deep feelings for Sara. Whether or not he verbalized them, she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know the answer.

"I told her. She felt the same way. She wrote it down for me." Catherine now had tears flowing in a steady stream down her face. This is how Nick found her.

"I'm glad you finally told her." Nick knew why she was crying and looked to the morgue doors in question. Catherine nodded and Nick fought hard to keep his tears inside.

"You, Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass all need to come over after shift. There is something here for each of you."

"Ok, I'll take care of it. Will you be ok until then?"

"Yes. Goodbye." Grissom hung up and gave into the tears as he lay on her bed. There was no way he could sleep now.

Catherine hung up and turned to Nick. He pulled her into a tight hug that she returned while sobbing into his neck. Several tears managed to escape Nick's eyes. Warrick rounded a corner and after seeing his two friends, he stopped.

"What's wrong?" He asked even though deep down he already knew the answer.

"Sara just passed away. She's in the morgue." Nick managed to choke out. Warrick joined the duo after calling Greg and Brass. All of them stopped by in turn to say goodbye to her. Each one of them left through the back entrance. By the end of shift, everyone knew that Sara Sidle had passed away though most of them didn't know why. Ecklie told the team they could have one week for bereavement. They all left after leaving extensive case notes on active files. Then, Ecklie put out an email to all staff alerting them of Sara's death and when he knew of the arrangements for her funeral, he would pass that on as well.