A/N: First, let me thank everyone who has been so kind with the feedback for this story. It has really made my day several times! Second, this story is, for all intents and purposes, finished. I do have a short epilouge planned, however, since both my wonderful beta, brandie.d, and I think the story needs a little more.

Pomp and Circumstance still sounded softly over the public address system, even as the graduate's names were being announced. Beside him, Sara grinned at the technical glitch, "Do you think she arranged that?"

Grissom answered her grin with one of his own, glancing up at the rafters of the auditorium at the technicians scrambling to fix the problem. "I wouldn't put it past her. She could have played the music herself, the way she's been humming it onto our answering machine for the last month."

Sara laughed, "Be serious Gil. She's proud of herself. So am I."

He smiled and pulled Sara closer to him, kissing that spot on her temple that was the first to start showing gray. He loved that little tuft of silver, and Sara had long ago stopped fussing when he kissed it. "I am proud of her. Even if you were wrong about the entomology degree."

Sara laughed, leaning into his embrace, "I am so sorry. You'll just have to settle for the next Dr. Grissom in the family having her degree in physics."

"Just like her mom."

She would have answered him, but just at that moment she noticed the young woman with her father's curls approaching the platform. Sara grabbed Grissom's arm, "There, Gil. There she is!"

"Yes." He sighed, tightening his arm around his wife, "Our little girl."

Over the loudspeaker, just audible over the rendition of Pomp and Circumstance still escaping the technicians, came the announcement they'd been waiting for. "And with PhDs in physics are Damon Augerbandangi, Richard Delles…" Sara and Grissom watched as the two young men stepped forward to receive their degrees, leaning forward as their daughter mounted the steps to the dais. "And Jessica Grissom."

Grissom was sure he spotted tears in Sara's eyes as the girl…he didn't care how old Jessie got, she was always his girl…took her degree. The little girl he'd once taken to the fields to capture butterflies was now Dr. Grissom, theoretical physicist. He wouldn't be surprised if she did get to Mars one day.

"She looks great, doesn't she?"

Grissom turned to their son, who had just appeared at Sara's elbow. "She does. And you're late."

"Sorry dad. I was on my way in and there was this…"

"Girl," Sara finished for him. "Adam, you're such a flirt."

"Dad says you were quite the flirt in your day, Mom."

"Adam!" laughing she gave the young man a soft shove, "Go down and bring your sister out to the fountain once she's clear of the crowd. We'll meet you there, I need to talk to your father."

"Yes Ma'am!"

Sara slipped her arm through Grissom's as the pair made their way out of the auditorium. "It was a wonderful ceremony, wasn't it?"

He nodded, "Even if they never did get the PA system working correctly."

Sara laughed for a moment, before her face turned still. "And we've had a wonderful life together?"

"Sara. You know we have."

She sighed. "Yes. Yes we have. It's too bad that it's all wrong."

"Wrong?" Heedless of the throngs of people pushing by them, Grissom turned and clutched Sara's shoulders. "Honey, what do you mean, wrong? I thought…"

"Griss…" Sara reached up to lay a hand on his cheek, "I love you. I've always loved you. But this…." She waved her other hand around the bright Boston afternoon, "This isn't right. You know that."

"No, Sara. It's always been right."

"It's not real."

He could feel his throat tightening as he tried to answer, "It's the only thing that ever has been, Sara."

"I need you. Can't you see that?"

"Sara. You have me. You've always had me."

"No." The tears in her voice and catch in her throat panicked him. He held her closer, hands moving to sooth the frown screaming across her face. "Close your eyes Gil."

"Sara."

"Griss please."

As he did Sara lifted her lips to his, the gentle brush of their daughter's long gone butterflies. "Remember Griss."

"Remember what…." He was interrupted by Sara's fingers over his lips, and her soft shushing. Then it wasn't Sara's voice he was hearing anymore, but Warrick's deep tones. His voice was…sad? Why would he be remembering Warrick being sad?

"Then you just talk to him, Sara. You make him want to wake up."

Wake up? Grissom's eyes flew open, "No!"

Sara moved a cool cloth over his brow, ignoring the soft latch of the door as it opened. She didn't pause in her ministrations, just hummed a tune she'd probably recognize, if she bothered to stop and think about it for a moment. "There. That feels better, doesn't it?"

"Sara?" Sara turned to smile at the nurse as the young woman handed her a cup of coffee. "I thought you could use this. Three sugars."

"Thank you, Nancy." Sara lifted the styrofoam cup to her lips, blowing across the steaming liquid. "There hasn't been any change…"

"I know." She made a show of looking at his chart, but knew the likelihood of anything being different from her last rounds was slim. "It's only been three weeks Sara…." Her voice trailed off, her reassurances sounding hollowly in the room. "I'll uhm. I'll check on you two later."

Sara watched the nurse leave with a sigh, then settled back in her chair and picked a book off the stand near the bed, "Where were we? Right. Thomas Young's biography. Do you know," she looked up as she spoke, her eyes searching his face for any sign of recognition, "Do you know they're calling him 'the last man who knew everything'? I think that's only because the authors haven't met you." She reached out again, her long fingers grazing gently over his temple before she settled in to read.

She hadn't finished more than a chapter or two before she slammed the book shut, and let it slip to the floor. "Dammit Grissom!"

She stood then, and walked to the window. "Ecklie's been hinting that if I don't come back soon, Grissom, that I might not have a job to go back to. What do you want me to do? Griss…please." Her voice deepened, tears warring with the words as they rushed to come out. "You have to wake up. You have to come back from wherever you are. Come back here, Grissom. I can't just sit here, every day for the rest of our lives. But how can I leave you like this? Answer me, Gil Grissom!"

She turned back to face the bed then, fingers clenching against the sides of her legs. "Griss. I need you."

For long moments Sara couldn't even hear the steady beep of the monitoring equipment nestled next to Grissom's bed. Finally she broke the silence with a long sigh, and crossed the room to retrieve the book from where it had slipped under the bed. Quietly she closed the cover, and placed it back on the bedside table, taking the cool cloth again from the plastic basin. She didn't speak as she ran it over his face, gently tracing each familiar line. When she finished, she let the cloth drop back to the table and brushed her fingers softly over his lips.

"No!"

Sara gasped as Grissom's eyes flew open, her hand darting back to her side. "Gris…Grissom? God, Grissom, can you hear me?"

"No." His voice was hoarse, craggy from disuse. But it was definitely his voice.

In a moment her hand was back on his face, smoothing hair back from his forehead, tracing a gentle line across his lips, patting his cheek softly. "Grissom. Open your eyes. Please, come on back to me now."

"No. Happy…"

She frowned, confused. "No Grissom. No one is happy that you're sleeping. No one. Come on, wake up now." Her voice was thick as she urged him, "Please Gil. Please wake up."

"Sara?" His eyes flickered for a moment, before the lids dropped heavily back down. "Can't come back. Lose you."

"What? No. No Grissom. You won't lose me. I'm right here. I've always been right here. Please."

"Sara? You're here?" His eyes opened then, they were bleary and cloudy, but still his eyes. Open and fixed on her. His hand moved slightly, fingers reaching toward her.

She felt a sob build in her throat as she clutched at his hand. "Yes Grissom. I'm here. Always."

"Always." He smiled then, squeezing her fingers, "Good."