AN: God I feel so bad, leaving this off for so long. I'm sorry. Okay, I would like to dedicate this chapter to anyone involoved with the making, publishing, and selling of the 6th Harry Potter book. Also for anyone who's read it, who's going to read it, who's waiting for their copy. Anyone who was up at some midnight party getting theirs or knows someone who was. Yes, that's what I was doing instead of writing this chapter, waiting for my book, and reading. I would also like to thank those who read the book and cried, laughed, shouted or otherwise got very wrapped into the book. And without furter ado, here you go!

Catherine checked her watch. As much as she hated to she would have to leave. She got off the chair and turned to her daughter.

"You want me to take you home, baby?"

Lindsey shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'll stay." Catherine nodded. She knew this was really hard for Lindsey. Warrick had been so special to her, so kind. He had been her father figure when Eddie died.

"Call be if you need anything, or if anything...changes." Catherine said sadly. Lindsey nodded again and took the chair her mother vacated. Lindsey also held his hand in place of her mother. With one last look at Warrick, Catherine left.

She was not at all surprised to see Greg, Sara, Nick and Grissom in the waiting room. They all looked up when she entered. Greg had a huge, goofy grin on his face.

"Hey Cath, why didn't you tell us about the wedding," Greg said, gesturing to himself and the others. He tried to look angry at her but couldn't pull it off. Catherine spent perhaps 15 seconds glaring at Greg before turning to Nick and speaking as though Greg wasn't there.

"Nick, you're back on today right," Catherine asked. She knew the answer, she had been waiting for this day. Nick nodded.

"Yep."

Then Catherine turned to Grissom. "Can I steal Sara from you for a bit. You know until...until Warrick get's better." She tried to put as much confidence into this statement as she could, but that's not the way it turned out. There was only empty hope, no real confidence, and they all knew it.

Grissom paused for a moment before answering. "If it's okay with her."

Catherine looked at Sara who nodded. The three of the left with Grissom's assurances that he would tell them if anything happened.

They were walking down the hospital hall and were getting a few odd looks from the nursing staff.

"They recognize us," Nick muttered under his breath. He really didn't like it here and was glad to get out in the parking lot.

Then Sara was reminded of her situation again. "Guy's I need a ride."

Nick looked at Catherine. "Yeah, and I'm not sure I trust you behind the wheel of a car, so sad and stressed out."

Catherine couldn't argue with that, as much as she wanted to.

"Cath, give Sara your keys, and I'll drive you."

That seemed to work for everyone, and Catherine allowed herself to be steered to Nick's car. She got into the passenger seat and stared ahead, not looking at anything in particular.

"Was...was it this bad. The waiting, the tension...not knowing." Nick asked Catherine almost nervously. Catherine didn't look at him and didn't hesitate in her answer.

"It's worse this time."

Nick let out an odd sort of half-forced laugh. "What, you saying you would miss Warrick more then me?" He was joking and Catherine knew it. But she looked at him anyway, and this time she did hesitate. A look of comprehension came on Nick's face. Things were actually coming together.

"Oh," he said simply. He turned to face the road and pulled the car out of the parking lot.

"Sorry," Catherine said softly. She wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for and neither did Nick, so he didn't say anything. As far as he knew, she had nothing to be sorry about.

"Cath," Nick said. They were almost at the lab now. Catherine didn't reply so Nick continued.

"Promise me you'll keep your head screwed on straight okay?"

Catherine looked at Nick long and hard. She didn't reply for a long time. When they pulled into the lab parking lot and Nick turned the engin off, Catherine nodded.

"I promise."

Nick smiled.

Sara stayed on the swing shift for the next week. Warrick's condition remained unchanged. Lindsey was there whenever she could get a ride, or Catherine gave her permission to take the bus. Catherine saw her daughter getting thinner with lack of food and sleep. Lindsey was slowing turning into a human zombie.

"Lindsey," Catherine said to her daughter. Lindsey looked at her mother. They were back in the hospital room. It was the 9th day after Warrick's accident.

"I'm taking you home."

Lindsey shook her head. "I want to stay with Warrick," she said stubbornly. Catherine sighed.

"When you get some sleep, and you eat something you can come back."

Lindsey paused like she considered arguing but stood up and walked out of the room. Catherine picked Warrick's hand up and gave it a last squeeze before following her daughter.

The day shift was assigned to Warrick's case and, predictably, got nowhere. Catherine Nick and Sara handled the swing shift's case with out anything major popping up. Catherine noticed that the tension was thick. You could smell the worry and the fear it was so thick. People didn't talk much, but you could get tons of information from their faces. It was like when Nick was in the hospital after they found him. The whole thing was replaying.

But it was different for Catherine. True, she loved Nick. The same way she loved Grissom or Sara or Greg...okay maybe not Greg. They were family. It would had devastated her to lose him. It devastated her to see him buried in a glass box. But Warrick was a whole different story. Her feeling for him ran so much deeper then that. If Nick had died, Catherine wouldn't have been the same. Things wouldn't come together quite the same way, and she would have been in a state of depression for a long while. But eventually she would've gotten through it, she knew that. Things wouldn't have been the same, but they would go on.

But Warrick...if Warrick died. She knew she would die right along with him.