Disclaimer: Still do not own them

A/N: Thanks to Cyborkat for the beta. And thanks to Detective Fait Bascorelli, Fishytank, GracefulBee, Gabsaunt, forinicGirl, Jenn Sidle, ToMyGrave, csishewolf, AmbientFlames, LostNovember,Christiangirl177, Bernadette Elander, Sassy, and ChertheRhythms, (did I miss anyone?) for the reviews.

Chapter Three: Goodbyes and Memories

Grissom sat next to Sara holding her hand as he wiped away his tears with his free one. As he listened to the sobs that surrounded him he thought back to moment learned Greg had passed. He was heading back to waiting room after checking on Sara, and he saw a doctor looking defeated walking toward him. Suddenly the last few feet to the waiting room seemed like a blur. He and the doctor got to door at the same time. Grissom knew for sure at that second. Greg was gone, and Sara was left to carry the burden. He allowed the doctor to enter the room first. The doctor's words were hollow, empty in sound to him. Grissom let a few tears fall as the doctor left the room. Grissom never saw so much pain in so many people's eyes. So he did the only thing he felt he could do, he turned back around and walked away. When he reentered Sara's room he thanked God that he did not lose her as well.

Grissom closed his eyes tight. When he opened them again he was back in the church. As another tear drop ran down his cheek he brought Sara's hand up to his lips and kissed it. Her hand had the slight taste of salt. "Tears," he thought, "not hers, but mine." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Her eyes were still empty, lost, and dry. He didn't know if forcing her to come and say goodbye was helping her at all. He slipped his hand from hers and ran it down the back of her head coming to rest on her shoulder.

As Warrick made his way to the podium to give his eulogy, his mind drifted to when they were told Greg had died. The words seemed like they had floated around him, not truly comprehending it at that moment. All he could feel was anger; anger toward the kids for driving hyped on drugs and alcohol. Angry at them for thinking it was fun driving fast and without the headlights on. Angry at their parents for letting them go to that party. He was angry at Greg for not surviving; and God help him he was angry at Sara for surviving. He took a piece of paper out of his jacket and looked around the crowed church. "Greg," he smirked. "How can one describe Greg? He was always doing something crazy." He took a moment to regain his composure. "One time a few of us had this insane bet." He rubbed his forehead as he thought about the bet. "Greg had set the rules. The winner got to pick any event they would like to do; and the loser had to wear a carrot costume at the event. Greg ended up wearing that thing all day at the skating rink. He fell down so many times all the girls there were helping him…" He had to stop, for him the good memories were hard to think of. He wished he savored them more, if he only knew then that Greg would've been gone so soon, he wouldn't have taken their friendship for granted. Never again would he hear one of Greg's wacky comments, or seeing him do something so off the wall one just had to laugh. No, never again. He turned to Greg's casket. "Goodbye Greg, it's been real."

Warrick left the podium and looked over at Sara. Their eyes met only for a second, and that's all he needed. He could see the look in her eyes. He knew that being angry at Sara was not helping him, and was pushing Sara deeper into darkness. He decided that he would apologize, the first chance he got. As he sat next to Catherine and Nick he let his tears fall. For the fist time it hit him, he could have lost two of his friends. "If Sara was gone too, I…damn, why did I take my anger out on her?" He dried his eyes and put is arm around Catherine.

As Ecklie sat behind Grissom and Sara the words "he didn't make it" kept replaying in his mind. When he was told he couldn't believe it. This had to be the hardest thing he would have to do, to let the rest of the lab know. But first there was something else he needed to do. He retrieved Greg's file and dialed a number. The man that answered had been woken up by the phone call. He talked to the man, and listened as he cried. He hung the phone up after a half hour of talking to Greg's parents. Then he left his office and went room to room telling everyone to meet in the break room. The door felt like lead as he opened it revealing worried looks on everyone's face. He didn't know how to tell them. He couldn't remember what all he said. He told them about the accident and what had happened. He had let them know Sara was hurt but would pull through just fine. He could feel himself about ready to lose it. So he just blurted it out. Just told them Greg's injuries were too serious. Greg died. He was gone and now the lab had to do something they hadn't done in awhile. They had to say goodbye. Goodbye to a man they all loved in way or another. Ecklie had to leave the room. He went back to his office and he let a few tears come.

Ecklie decided he would let Sara's family know. It was the least he could do, he thought. As he was talking to the women on the other line he found some things out. The things Sara had keep secret from everyone in the lab. Sara's drive, what makes her who she is. Ecklie hung the phone up and went to grab flowers and then to visit Sara. When he walked into the room Sara was sound asleep in the bed. He had never seen her look so fragile. Sitting next to her was Grissom; he had never seen Grissom look so defeated. He sat and talked to Grissom for a few minutes. He learned that night Grissom was the only person that knew about Sara's past. He told Grissom he could have a few weeks off to take care of Sara. He left that night with the intent to turn his life around. He vowed he would try and be kinder to those around because you never know the secrets they hide. And also at any given moment they could leave this earth, gone, just gone, forever.

Catherine felt Warrick nudge her when it was her turn to give her eulogy. The room seemed to spin as she walked to the front of the church. The church walls seemed to melt away and she was back in the waiting room. Grissom had just walked in behind the doctor. She was sure the doctor was going to say Greg was alive. Greg was in bad shape but alive; anything but what came out of his mouth. She couldn't believe her ears. She didn't understand how someone like Greg could've been taken out of the world. She took the place that many had done before her. She looked at her note card. A few simple words for a friend that had left them all behind. She didn't know what these words would do. To her they just reminded her of what they will never get back, a colleague, a son, a brother, a grandson, a friend. "Greg." She started to cry a bit. "Greg always wanted to expand himself in everyway. I remember one time he referred to himself as a sponge. The he just absorbed information. Greg, you could always count on him to make you smile when you were having a bad day. His lively hood and his since of humor will be truly missed." Catherine turned to where Greg laid, "Goodbye Greg, we miss you."

Catherine walked back to her seat. She saw Sara sitting there with no emotion on her face. She couldn't believe it. She thought Sara was being heartless and cruel. She didn't understand why Sara was not showing any kind of emotion. There was just nothing. She wanted to yell at Sara then and there. Ask her why, why she wasn't crying, getting mad, something. She decided she would confront her later and went and sat back next to Warrick and Lindsey.

Brass was sitting with one of his fingers touching Sara's pinky that stuck out from her cast. The memory of when Greg died played out in his mind. He saw the look on Grissom's face as he walked in behind the doctor. He knew something was wrong, just by the look on Grissom's face. He started to feel sick and his head was spinning around. When the doctor said they did all they could, but they were unsuccessful, it felt like someone had hit him in the stomach. He sat slowly back into his seat as he thought about the life Greg had left behind. He still could not understand why so many young lives had to be taken away. He could always count on Greg to make him smile on bad days. He remembered how full of life he was, never letting anything stop him or keep him down. He watched everyone around him fall apart. And he watched Grissom just turn around and walk away from it all. Once he caught his breath he walked after Grissom, once he found him he said he would call Ecklie. So he went outside and made the phone call. The words were too real for him. Almost like Greg's death hadn't been real until that moment.

Brass turned his head and looked at Sara and Grissom. It scared him to think about what might have happened if they lost Sara as well. Grissom was just able to cope with Greg's death and Sara's injuries. He remembered the look in Grissom's eyes when they knew who was hurt. That look would always haunt him. And he wished it would go away. He wanted it to go away. One should never have to tell a good friend that the person they love is hurt and might die.

Nick's legs shook under him as he stood giving his eulogy. "Greg was the type of guy you would love to have as a friend. He was there when you needed him the most. He was never afraid to stick his neck out for a friend, even if he himself got into trouble." His voice was soft and shaky. He never had a problem crying in front of other. And as he continued to speak about Greg his mind kept hitting the instant replay on the night Greg died. He had just finished interviewing a suspect when he got the call. He got in his car and drove to the hospital. "Greg and Sara were hurt in a car accident" ran in his head all the way there. Nobody knew yet how they were, he thought he would walk in and they both would be laughing. When he got to the waiting room the look on everyone's face told a different story. After they were told Sara would be fine, he thought Greg would be to. Nothing could prepare him for what happened. "Gone, Greg was gone." Those words would forever linger in his head. A good friend, gone in one moment, forever gone. He finished his eulogy and turned to Greg, "You were a great friend, Greg. We will miss you man."

Nick walked away and went to sit down. He, like Catherine, just wanted to yell at Sara. He wanted to know why, she of all people should be crying over Greg. "Well, some kind of emotion anyway," he thought. He just didn't get it. Sara was one of his good friends as well and he was truly glad he didn't lose her. He just had so many whys, so many questions. He just wanted to see something from Sara, anything but this damn emptiness. Just anything, anything please. So he decided he would have a talk with her later.

A few stories, some laughter, and many tears later it was time, time for them all to give their last goodbyes. When the casket closed, tears fell, goodbyes were whispered, and memories replayed. Nick, Warrick, Grissom, Archie, Hodges, and Bobbyl walked to the front of the church. They each took a place around the casket. Slowly they lifted it up and headed to the door. Greg's casket was loaded into the hearse. The door was shut, and his parents got into a limousine. The cars pulled away from the church. Pulled away from every memory Las Vegas had, pulled away from Vegas itself. His body was on its way back to San Francisco, back to the rest of his family and friends. They all watched as the cars vanished into the Vegas horizon. All they could do was watch and think to themselves, "Goodbye Greg, goodbye."

TBC--