A/N: And the sadness continues...Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up. I was in Texas for about four days. Anywho, usual disclaimer. Rock.

Chapter 42- Carry On Wayward Son

"Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more"

Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas

Catherine took a deep breath and steeled herself as she paused outside the living room door before knocking and going in. As she entered the room, Greg broke into a fit of racking coughs, and as he brought his hands down from his mouth, she was surprised to see ruby-red flecks of blood against his pale skin. Her maternal reaction was to take him in her arms and rock him until he fell asleep, but she refrained.

"Greg," she whispered, coming and sitting on the floor next to the couch. "Greg, I don't want to say good-bye."

He opened one eye and half-smiled at her. "You don't have to, you know. After all, you'll be joining me in Heaven soon enough."

She opened her mouth in shock and socked him lightly on the arm. "Did you just call me old? I cannot believe I'm sitting here, trying to be serious, and then you call me old!"

He grinned then, that cheeky grin that lit up his whole face so mischievously, and made him almost look healthy again. "I'm sorry, Cath," he said, sugar sweet, then muttered under his breath "In denial…"

"Gregory Hojem Sanders, if it weren't for the fact that you're dying, I would totally kick your ass!"

"See, dying does have one advantage," he whispered, still smiling, but then he turned serious. "Catherine, I know I've been an annoying little bastard most of the time that you've known me, always complimenting your ass or your boobs, but I just want you to know, every compliment was true." She gave him a look and he half-smiled again. "Ok, ok, serious time…my mom died when I was four, but I like to think that if she had lived, she'd be a lot like you. So, um, thanks. Thanks for being like a mom to me."

"Greg, I couldn't love you more if you were my son," said Catherine, smiling slightly. "I've watched you grow from a fresh-out-of-college kid to head DNA lab tech. I've watched you fall in love, get married, have a child…Greg, I feel as if you truly are my son." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to apologize, Greg."

"Apologize?" repeated Greg, confused. "For what?"

"For the lab explosion," she whispered. "I'm sorry. It was my fault, and I'm so sorry."

"Cath, we've been through this," he said reaching out and grabbing her hand. "I don't blame you. I can't blame you. It was an accident, Cath, emphasis on accident. I know you didn't mean to blow me or the lab up, and I've forgiven you, not that there's anything to forgive. I could've very easily stuck some chemical in there and blown myself up."

"Yeah, I guess…" said Catherine reluctantly. She smiled at a sudden memory. "Still wish it had been Hodges, though."

Greg laughed out loud, then shook his head. "Nah, Hodges isn't that bad…now if it had been Ecklie…"

"Yeah…" said Catherine wistfully. She smiled at Greg. "So, are we cool?"

"We've always been cool," said Greg gently. "We're always cool." He squeezed her hand. "Bye, Cath. Try not to miss me too much when I'm gone."

"I'll try," she whispered, smiling sadly as she leaned in and gave him a hug. "I know I won't succeed, but I'll try." She squeezed his hand back and whispered, "Godspeed, Greg. Godspeed."

Grissom sat next to Greg, blue eyes watching the young man as he fitfully slept. Suddenly, Greg stirred. His eyelids fluttered open and he croaked, "Grissom?"

"Hey," said Grissom quietly. He looked concernedly at the young CSI. "You should be in bed, Greg. You need to rest."

Greg gave Grissom a look. "I already told you, I'm not going to go lie in bed like I'm…" He trailed off.

"Like you're dying?" supplied Grissom, raising an eyebrow at Greg.

"Yeah, whispered Greg, not meeting his eyes. "Yeah, like I'm dying."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Greg, but you are dying," said Grissom sardonically.

Greg smiled wryly. "No, really Griss? Did you just now notice? I mean, wow, what was your first clue? What could possibly have tipped you off?"

Grissom didn't even bat an eye. "Glad your sarcasm is still intact," he commented mildly.

Blushing slightly, Greg said quietly, "I'm sorry, Grissom. That was out of line. I just don't want to say good-bye."

Grissom shrugged. "Nothing to forgive, Greggo. I don't want to say good-bye either." Greg nodded slowly and tried to sit up, gasping for breath as he felt suddenly winded. Grissom leaned forward, brow furrowing in worry. "Greg, are you ok?" he asked. "Greg?"

"Can't…breathe…" wheezed Greg, coughing.

Grissom stood up and picked up the emaciated lab tech easily. "You're going upstairs to your bed," he told Greg firmly, in tones that bore no room for argument. "You can barely breathe and you should be in an environment where you can lie down easier."

"Fine," said Greg, too exhausted to argue. Grissom started up the stairs and towards Sara and Greg's room, pausing only to call over his shoulder to tell Sara where he was going.

He set Greg down gently into the bed, pulling up the blankets and wrapping them around his thin frame. He then placed several pillows underneath Greg's head so he could sit up easier. "Thanks, Mom," said Greg with a small smile.

Grissom rolled his eyes and sighed but couldn't help but smile back. "You're welcome…though if you ever call me 'mom' again, your death won't be related to AIDS, I promise." His expression turned somber as he perched on the edge of the bed. "You know, I never had a family," he remarked, staring off into space. "Not like you and Sara. Never had time to settle down because I was always buried in my work."

"Yeah, but you're good at what you do," protested Greg gently. "If it weren't for you, the crime lab probably wouldn't even be in the top ten."

"Yeah, but what sacrifice did I have to make for that success? And what do I have to show for that? Nothing." Grissom sighed and shook his head. "Nothing."

Greg shook his head as well, more firmly than Grissom. "You've got plenty to show for it. Take a walk around one of the state penitentiaries and see how many of those perps you put away. You're a damn good criminalist, Griss, and though you may not have a wife and kids, you've got us."

Grissom smiled at Greg. "This is starting to sound suspiciously like a conversation you and I had, about a year ago."

"Yeah, well, what can I say, I learned from the best," said Greg with a grin. "But seriously, you told me that you were someone I could trust and count on and love, and if that doesn't make you like my father, then hell if I know what does." He grabbed Grissom's hand. "Griss, you are more of a father to me than my own dad could ever be…and not just for obvious reasons, either. You've taught me so much and been there by my side, even just to yell at me when I step out of line." Grissom smiled and started to interject, but Greg cut him off. "No, wait, I'm not done. If we at the crime lab aren't your family, then I think that great scientific brain of yours needs to reexamine just what family means."

"Greg," said Grissom warningly, this time managing to cut him off. "I do think that you all are my family, and you will never hear my say otherwise. You're my son, or the closest thing I will ever have to one." He paused, then said gruffly, "I love you, Greggo, like the son I always wanted, like the son I found in you."

"And I love you like the dad I always searched for," whispered Greg, squeezing his hand. Grissom smiled warmly at the young man through the tears in his eyes. Greg yawned widely. "I hate to cut this short," he said through the yawn, "but I'm really tired, and I need to rest before I have to say good-bye to my girls."

Grissom nodded briskly and stood, reluctantly withdrawing his hand from Greg's. "I'll let you get to it, then."

He started to turn but Greg caught his arm. "Bye, Griss," he whispered, then he half-smiled. "Or should I say, 'Bye, Dad.'"

Grissom blinked down at him once before leaning over and gathering him close in a hug. "Good-bye, son," he whispered roughly, conscious of the tears running down his face. He pulled back and wiped his eyes. "Bye Greggo."

Greg smiled gently before leaning back against his pillow, eyes already closing in sleep. "Bye, Grissom," he yawned. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," whispered Grissom as he watched the young man fall to sleep. "More than you will ever know."