Another end to another story. Thanks for sticking in there with me, I hope you all enjoyed this. I also want to dedicate this story to Jenny, who without her help this story wouldn't even exist. Thanks for all your help girl!

Chapter Twelve: Coming to an End

It was unusually chilly for a Vegas morning, and though he knew he should be sleeping, Nick couldn't help but worry. As he knocked for the third time on the plain red door he moved away, hands slipping inside his pockets. Shift had ended nearly an hour ago, and after stopping to eat he had come straight here.

He was about to knock again but there wasn't a need, as the door drifted open slowly, Sara poking her head outside. Nick smiled, taking in her appearance quickly; she seemed weary, but other than that alright. "Hey," he nodded, unable to find his voice for a moment.

"Hey…" she returned the greeting, pulling the door open wider in invitation. "You want to come in?"

The Texan shook his head, smiling still. Most of all he was relieved just to see her, but didn't want to infringe on her privacy. They were all having a hard time, but no one more than Sara. The news had been shocking, even to those who knew, namely Grissom and Catherine.

Neither the supervisor nor his right hand suspected that Greg would pull something off like this. It was too unexpected…the blood tests had come back positive for antidepressants…a sort of insurance if Greg couldn't pull the trigger.

"You want to go for a walk?"

Sara blinked, turning away as she stared at the ground. Personally she wanted to stay there, to become lost in her thoughts and hang onto her memories. But the need for human contact was growing, the need to talk with someone other than ghosts and spirits. "I'll be right out," she answered softly.

She changed quickly, for days of being in pajama bottoms and overly large sweater were discarded, replaced with a pair of jeans and tee-shirt. On her way out she paused long enough to pull on a hooded sweatshirt, before joining Nick outside.

He smiled, seeing what she was wearing. "That was Greg's." It really wasn't a question, but she nodded in answer, wrapping her arms around her frame as they began to walk.

"It still smells like him," she commented softly. It was one of the few possession she had, most of Greg's stuff was going to charity. She and the others had spent the last week cleaning his place out. Most of it was already boxed up, ready to go. The stuff that had really mattered to him he had given to friends.

Grissom had received his coin collection, and though the man had little interest in such a thing he gladly accepted it, displaying it in his office among many of his own collections. To Nick, he had given the numerous games he had acquired over the years, a collection of memories the two had shared in their younger days.

There had been other stuff as well, but Sara had little to no recollection of what they were. Warrick and Catherine had chosen to stay quiet about what they have received, and it was Grissom who had taken the steps to assure any requested items make their way to his family.

Anything else was up for grabs for his friends, and whatever that was left over was to be sent to charity. Sara had only taken a few clothes, and a box of pictures she had found under a table, most of which were from his school days.

Sara had a few ideas of what to do with them all, working to make a scrapbook, her first ever. After all, someone had to remember him…

The letter ended on a lighter note, asking them all to remember him as he was, and to forgive him for everything he had done. Sara didn't blame him; she couldn't find the heart too.

"Are you doing okay?"

She glanced up at the question, nodding once it had processed through her mind. His smile was one of concern as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. Sara leaned against him, closing her eyes as he continued to talk.

"You've been quiet this entire time," he remarked sullenly. He had been talking since they left her door, but she hadn't said more than five words in response.

"I'm distracted," she replied, still leaning on him. "I just can't help but think there was more we could do…"

"I think we did all we could," he answered as they resumed walking again.

"If he only said something, we could have gotten some help. He could have gotten through this…"

Nick smiled as he walked alongside her. It was like Sara, looking for other possibilities, despite the odds. "Maybe," he didn't want to discourage her.

"He didn't have to kill himself."

It was here he let out a sigh, closing his hand around hers in order to provide some kind of comfort. "Listen…I've never told anyone this, and I probably won't again, so listen closely."

She watched him warily, already knowing what he was going to say. Nick had been reluctant to talk about his abduction with anyone, let alone his friends. There had been little said, the entire matter more or less dropped.

"When I was in that coffin, I was almost certain that I would die. I knew that help was coming, but I didn't know if it would come in time. I was…" he took a breath here before continuing, "okay, with everything. Terrified, definitely terrified, but ready to die I guess you could say. Of course, I would hold on as long as I could, just for a second chance of life. But if the time came, I would have used the gun. I think Greg figured that out as well."

"He didn't use the gun," Sara pointed out, surprised when he laughed.

"Maybe not, but his thoughts were the same. He was ready to go Sara…he knew help wasn't coming and still he held on this long. It wasn't a last minute decision either, he had everything planned, everything ready."

"At least he got to say goodbye," Sara mused, trying to lighten the subject. It would take some time getting used to everything, adjusting to a life without the man she had fallen in love with. But she could do it, if not for herself than for Greg. Somehow she knew that was what he wanted.

The End