AN: Thank you for your support. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 20: Sorry for your loss

Hours later

Grissom was in his office trying to work out a migraine he started having the moment he left the scene when there was a knock on the door, he looks at it and said. "Come in."

The door opened and Catherine and Sara walked in, he immediately saw their faces and asked. "What?" They walked up to him then Catherine hands him a plastic bag that had a card in it, but it wasn't just any card, it was one of his business cards.

He takes it from her and Catherine asked. "So you've seen him recently?"

He shakes his head, looks right into Catherine's eyes and replied. "Unless you want to count 4 months ago recently." The women nodded then sat down, wanting some more answers, so he cleared his throat, looked at Sara then continued. "To answer your question at the motel, yes I knew him. We went to school together." They felt that with his reaction to seeing Larry, they had to be more than school acquaintances, but they didn't want to press him on it.

He sighed and continued. "I haven't seen him since graduation, until four months ago, when I ran into him at a Hotel/Casino after closing one of my cases.
We went out to breakfast, he told me that he was happy, a lawyer and that he was getting married. I told him what I've been up to then before we parted ways I gave him my card and told him that if he is ever here again or just needed to talk he should give me a call. If you need to check my phone bill you can, but he never did." He ran his hand down his face and asked. "So what do you have so far?" They both looked at him then looked down and he asked again. "What?"

Catherine and Sara look at each other then Catherine looked at Grissom and said. "Right now the signs are pointing to suicide."

Grissom shakes his head and replied in a tone that clearly stated he didn't believe it. "No, I don't by that. He wouldn't, there was no note."

Catherine continues. "Griss you and I both know that not every suicide comes with a note."

"True, but he wouldn't. He was leading a good life, he had everything going for him."

The women sighed and finally Sara spoke. "That's what he wanted you to believe Griss."

Grissom looked at her a little shocked and asked. "What do you mean?"

Sara start speaking again. "He had massive gambling debts, he was fired a year ago, there wasn't a recent engagement and he was in the early stages of cancer, he was living a hard life."

When Grissom saw him four months ago his outward appearance never told him that. He may have seen some questionable looks in his eyes but never would have thought it was that bad or that he was pretending everything was ok. However, the Larry that he knew would never take the cowards way out and that made Grissom mad just thinking about it, so he slams his hand on his desk, which started the girls, stands up, while shaking his head again. "He wouldn't give up like that." Catherine opens her mouth to speak but Grissom puts his hand up and said. "I want you to find who killed him, this case is not over."

They looked at him and nodded their heads, knowing they were never going to convince him until the case was completely investigated, as it should be. They just wanted to give him a heads up. They stood up from their chairs and walked toward the door as Grissom turned his back to them, and if he would have looked back he would have seen Sara look at him sadly before she walked out, shutting the door behind her.

5 minutes till the End of shift

Grissom was in the break room when the team came in, he looks at them as they all sat down, but Catherine, she gave him their findings before she did.

He puts on his glasses and as he was opening the file Catherine speaks. "You were right, it was a homicide."

Grissom looks up at them and Nick continued. "He got in over his head on betting and the more he tried getting out, the deeper he got and when he couldn't pay the debt to the bookie..."

Grissom continued before Nick could finish. "The bookie ordered the suspect to get close then had him killed, which he made it seem like a suicide."

They nodded and Sara finished with. "We got the suspect but he wouldn't turn on the bookie."

Grissom sighed and replied. "I wouldn't have expected that, least we got the guy who committed the crime." They nodded solemnly, happy they closed the case, but sad that they couldn't get the bigger fish for him. Grissom takes his glasses off, looks at his watch, then at them and said. "Thanks guys, you can all leave."

They said thank you then Nick, Warrick and Catherine got up and walked to the door. They guys walked out but Catherine stopped in the doorway, looks at him and said. "Sorry for your loss Griss."

Grissom nodded and said with a small smile. "Thank you."

Him and Larry may have not been close for a very long time but he still felt a loss and appreciated Catherine for saying that, even if it didn't really change the outcome. Catherine nodded back then walked out of the room.

When she was gone Sara and Grissom look at each other and she asked. "You want to get out of here?"

He shook his head and replied. "I have to make a call first, but you can leave."

She stands up, walks up to him, stops close to him, but not too close to be in his personal space on work hours, then replied. "I would like to stay and make sure you get home. I'll do a little paper work then come and get you later, alright?"

He saw the worry in her eyes and he wasn't in the mood to argue about it, so he nodded and spoke with appreciation in his voice. "Thank you." She pats him on the shoulder, turns and walks out of the room to go to the small office she shared with the rest of the team.

Grissom watches her leave then sighed and headed for his office, knowing this was the hardest phone call he ever had to make.

In this job all phone calls were difficult in their own right but he was never close to the others, he didn't grow up with them, he didn't play with them as a child, he didn't look for bugs with them, when they got sick he didn't bring chicken noddle soup to them because their mother told them too and he didn't sit at their dinner table eating with them and their parents.

When he got into his office he shuts the door, walks to his desk, around to the chair, sits down, sighs again, grabs his phone from the desk and dials the home number he called multiple times as a child, hoping they had the same number, then puts the phone up to his ear and waited.

A few minutes later the sound of Larry's father's voice was heard. "Hello, McDonald's residence."

Grissom took a breath and said. "Hi, Mr. McDonald this is Gilbert Grissom You may not rem..."

Mr. McDonald laughed a little, cutting him off, and said. "Gilbert, wow it's been awhile, how are you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and answered. "I'm doing fine, yourself?"

Mr. McDonald started telling him that he was also fine then after a few short conversations Grissom finally got the nerve to tell him what happened to his son, and hearing him cry then hearing Larry's mother cry didn't help his already growing migraine and his heavy heart.

After a few minutes when Larry's parents gained a little composure they requested his body. Grissom told them that they could come and claim it whenever they were able too then after a few more words they said bye.

He closes his phone, puts it on the desk, opens the top drawer in his desk, grabbed the pill bottle of his migraine medicine, and with some water he washed a few pills down his throat, then he puts his elbows on top of the desk, puts his head in his hands and closes his eyes to try to help relieve the pain.

A few minutes later he feels Sara's hand on his back and she speaks softly. "Come one, I'll take you home."

He removed his head from his hands, looked at her with a squint and said. "What would they think?"

She shakes her head and replied. "Your health is more important and besides if anybody asked why your vehicle was here and you weren't, you can say that you had gotten a ride from a cab." He nodded and frankly he didn't feel like driving, also knowing staying here was not an option, especially if he wanted her with him tonight.

She removes her hand as he gets up from the chair, he grabs his things and they walked out of the office, with him closing and locking it.

Once they were out of the lab he puts his sunglasses on to block the light as much as possible and when they were comfortable in her vehicle, he looks over at her and said. "Thank you Sara, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't with me for this one."

She smiles, slips her hand in his and replied. "And you'll never find out. Now close your eyes, rest and I'll get you home."

He squeezed her hand, lays his head on the window, closes his eyes, and with his hand still in hers he fell into a light rest, while she drove them to his place. He was very thankful for all the comfort he was getting from her at this moment.

AN: Want more? Next Chapter: Grissom suggests something to Sara, will she agree? Please review.