Disclaimer: All is the property of CBS and Anthony Zuiker, I own nothing.

AN: The final chapter of the sad ending…I hope that you all enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I love getting reviews. If there is anyone who still wants a copy of the fic, please email me. Audrey, your email address hasn't shown up on the reviews as this site blocks them, please try emailing me again and I'll send you a copy. As always, reviews are gratefully received, thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story.

Chapter 2

Two months had passed since Greg had died. Two months and three days to be exact. But the pain was still as fresh and as raw as if it had happened yesterday. Everything had changed at the crime lab; things were awkward, sombre and difficult.

Everyone at the lab had reacted in different ways. Grissom now spent even more time locked up in his office, reading, doing research, thinking, whatever it was that he did. Catherine was cutting back on her work hours to spend more time with Lindsey, Greg's death making her realise how precious time was with people you loved. Warrick had thrown himself into his music, his grief coming out in lyrics and chords, and was even talking about quitting to try and take it further. Sara was spending pretty much every waking hour at the lab; she never went home unless Grissom or Ecklie ordered her to do so.

At the lab there was always someone around to talk to, or pretend to talk to in any case. Nick knew this because he too couldn't face going home. When he was forced home, he just paced round his apartment, thinking of things he should've done differently. There was only one other place that he visited regularly.

Nick crouched down beside the still disturbed earth, and placed the flowers in his hand at the bottom of the stone in front of him. He then reached out and traced the letters engraved into the stone. It was already a familiar ritual; Nick had visited Greg's grave everyday since the burial. He knew that the others visited it a lot as well, Sara in particular.

In loving memory of

GREGORY HOJEM SANDERS

5/5/75 – 22/06/05

Resting in peace, do not disturb.

He gave a sad smile as he read the inscription. It was so very Greg. He'd obviously put a lot of thought into it, as it had been in his will. The same will that had willed pretty much everything to Nick. Greg's lawyer had told them all that he'd updated his will after the lab explosion. And Nick thought that had been a bad day, the explosion was a mere nothing compared to the kidnapping.

Nick thought back to the day when his nightmares had been realised. He remembered crying, he remembered sobbing, he remembered refusing to let go of Greg's body. He remembered Warrick shouting at the paramedics when they arrived, telling them that they were too late and had only arrived in time to transport the body. Greg's body.

"I'm sorry" whispered Nick.

He blamed himself entirely for Greg's death. And nothing that anyone could say or do would ever change that. He looked down at the earth beneath him and sighed. Even though it had been two months since Greg had died, he'd only been buried for about a month and a half.

Two weeks had been spent in the morgue. Nick shivered as he thought of all the autopsies he had witnessed, the idea of Greg being reduced to a piece of meat was not a pleasant one.

The results of the autopsy, however, had been much, much worse. It was then that the full extent of Greg's suffering had been revealed. Burns, cut, bruises, broken legs, electrical shocks, drugs in his system, and still the list went on. The torture that had been inflicted on Greg made all the CSIs sick and angry.

But unbelievably there was still worse to come. Just when they thought that nothing else could come along to hit them, it had. Doc Robbins had found tearing and had suspected rape. The sexual assault kit had confirmed it. In Nick's opinion, rape was one of the worst acts that a human being could commit. He'd been physically sick when Doc Robbins had broken the horrific news to them; it still made him feel ill if he dwelt on it too much.

Nick dashed his hand across his eyes, amazed to find that he still had tears left to cry. He didn't think he'd ever cried this much, now anything could set him off, hearing a song that Greg had liked, walking past the DNA lab, anything like that.

He looked at Greg's gravestone again, and gave another sad smile. He had so many great memories of Greg as well. Greg rocking out to Black Flag in the lab, Greg dancing with the showgirl hat on, Greg making him guess his lab results. And then there were all the times they'd met up outside of the lab just to hang out.

Nick guessed that he was lucky that he'd gotten to say goodbye to Greg as well. He saw people everyday who had expected to see their loved ones again and regretted not getting the chance to say a proper goodbye.

He sighed again. Life just wasn't fair sometimes, but yet it went on for most people. But not for Greg, and not for Smith. Both the kidnapper and the kidnapped had lost. Although Nick figured that was a good thing for Smith, knowing full well that he could have easily seriously injured the twisted little man, a thought that he knew was shared by others.

Nick shivered as a cold wind blew threw the graveyard, and turned his attention back to the gravestone.

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow though."

He stood up slowly, brushing his clothes down as he did so. He gave the gravestone one last look, mentally apologising again, and wishing that he could take his actions back.

But it was too late. Greg was gone, and nothing could ever change that. Despite their best efforts, Greg had fallen.

Fin