A/N: Sorry this is so late! I reenrolled in college, so that's taken a big chunk of my time these days. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up; I've got a good portion of it written in my head already. Hopefully my readers have stuck around. As usual, I don't own CSI. Enjoy!

Previously: Her eyes sparkling, Johanna smiled. "How can I scare someone who remembers to bring my favorite flowers?"

Johanna's test results continued to improve; by the weekend Dr. Benson had approved her transfer out of the ICU and into a step-down unit. He kept her on a combination of IV heparin and oral coumadin to continue dissolving the clots. Johanna's room was soon blooming with flowers and gifts from her coworkers, the CSI team, her family, and Nick.

Greg's gift made her giggle; the vase of bright yellow hibiscus flowers completely hid the aide delivering it from view late in the afternoon. When she opened the accompanying card a slip of paper fluttered to the blanket. Johanna ignored it momentarily as she read the card, a confused grin crossing her face.

"What does it say?" Nick asked from his seat by the window, where he had been writing a letter to his parents.

"'The yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. Too bad it's not blue.'" She glanced at Nick. "He's your coworker."

Nick chuckled. "Doesn't mean I have to claim him," he retorted.

Gage looked up from studying his Scrabble tiles. "Have I met Greg?" he asked.

Johanna shook her head. "I don't think so. You'd remember." Picking up the paper that had fallen from the card, she read it before breaking into giggles. "So that's what he meant!" Seeing the confused look on both mens' faces, Johanna explained. "He made a certificate that entitles me to three pounds of Blue Hawaiian coffee, on him."

Nick's eyes widened. "Three pounds? That'll cost him a pretty penny."

"He must have a private supplier," Johanna mused. Gage spelled out LATEX on a double word score, snapping Johanna's attention back to the game. "Little brother, I'm going to whip you one of these days, as soon as I'm able," she grumbled good-naturedly.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Gage teased, marking down his score. "Maybe it's a good thing I fly home tonight."

Johanna smiled as she used all her tiles to spell COWGIRLS on a triple word score. "How well do you think they've managed without you?" she asked, seriousness tinged in her voice, something Nick picked up on.

Gage took his time recording Johanna's score before answering. "It's been tough at times," he said finally. "But I think things are finally looking up. There's a high chance that Lazy-Z Ranch will get named as a Certified Angus Beef ranch by the end of the year."

Johanna's jaw dropped. "You're kidding," she said, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Nope. Dad got the letter from the American Angus Association last week." Gage's hazel eyes twinkled at Johanna's expression. "This could really turn things around for the ranch."

Nick watched Johanna arrange her new tiles on the rack, her eyes lightening to the color of an Irish shamrock. He smiled, knowing that shade only came through when she got excited. "What time does your flight leave, Gage?" he asked as he glanced at his watch.

"7:55," Gage answered. "And before you ask, Johanna, Cole's meeting me at the airport. I suppose we'll have to leave soon?"

"Within the next half hour, to make sure we beat the traffic and get you through security," Nick said. He knew that Gage didn't want to leave Johanna yet, but Nick also knew the complexities of operating a ranch; Gage was needed back in Montana.

The game finished with just enough time for Gage and Johanna to share their farewells. "What do you want me to tell the family?" Gage asked.

Johanna smiled wistfully. "Give them all a big hug for me, and tell them I love them." Carefully the siblings hugged before Gage and Nick headed for the airport.

TBC...

I'd debated making this longer, but decided that a short chapter is better than no chapter after this long. I'm fairly certain how this is going to end...but what do you readers want to see?