Greg became slowly aware of his colleagues surrounding him, concern etched on their faces. He knew he would have to explain. They would demand nothing less or more from him than to know what upset him.

Of course, Grissom already knew. It was the reason he always gave Greg his birthday off.

Standing slowly, using the wall for support, Greg looked around and said, "I really need to sit down."

As he walked towards the break room, he knew the others would follow. No invitation was needed for any of them, partly because they were his friends and partly because there was a mystery here and none of them could resist a mystery.

Sitting in a chair, he motioned for Dan to sit beside him. The others pulled up seats and settled into position. To their credit, none of them pushed for an explanation. They all sat quietly, waiting for Greg to settle himself.

Greg looked at the faces surrounding him. and found the comfort and steadiness he needed coming from the concern in Nick's eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Greg softly said, "I'd like all of you to meet Dan Meeks. He's a very old friend from San Francisco."

Pausing to consider his words, he continued, "I've known Dan for nearly twenty years. As a matter of fact, in three days, on my birthday, I will have known him for exactly twenty years." Greg steeled himself for the words that were always so hard to utter.

"I met Dan the night my parents and I were stabbed in our home. He was the homicide detective sent to find who murdered my parents."