A/N: This one's a little lighter. I hope you are still enjoying the story. Please review so I know that you are!

Chapter 15: The Way Out?

As his friend answered the phone, Adam immediately said, "how would you want to go out?"

"Come again?" Greg asked.

"You know, retire. How would you want to go out?"

"I don't know, maybe after a big case. Why?"

"Mac quit."

"What?" Greg asked, incredulously.

"He solved his last open case, and then, he quit." Adam stood up, walking around his living room. "Which got me thinking: how would you want to retire? How would I want to retire?"

"Well?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure I can picture myself retiring."

"You say that now. But you and I both know that in this job, there comes a day when it gets so overwhelming that the only thing you can think to do is to quit and move to another country."

Adam shrugged. "Yeah, I know," he said. "Guess we should be glad we haven't hit that point yet, huh?"

"Who says we haven't? I'm fairly certain we've talked each other off the ledge a few times at this point."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Adam sank back down on his couch. "I just can't picture the lab without Mac."

"I know what you mean," Greg said. "I felt the same way when Grissom left. It's like this… sort of void that you know will get filled, but it'll never be the same."

"Yeah." Adam sighed. "Do you think he'll ever come back?"

"Grissom? I doubt it. Sara's here and he's still not."

"No, I mean Mac," Adam clarified.

"I don't think Mac can stay away forever," Greg replied. "He's too dedicated to justice. He'll eventually come back. But you and I both know that every once in a while, you need to try something different."

"Yeah, I guess." Adam paused for a moment before asking, "what makes Grissom so different?"

"Warrick," Greg replied. "Warrick was more than a friend and employee. He trusted Warrick with his life, and put him in charge when he and Catherine were both off. Warrick's death… I think that was the final straw. He tried to continue on, but I don't think his heart was in it. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone other than maybe Sara and Lady Heather."

"Did he ever talk to Sara?"

"He found her after she left, went off to be with her, so I'd assume that he did. From what I hear, he's in France these days."

Adam nodded.

"What's Mac's grand plan after the Crime Lab?" Greg asked.

Adam shook his head. "No clue," he answered. "Not sure if he'd even tell me."

"Why not? You'd been in his apartment."

Adam chuckled slightly. "Doesn't make us friends."

"Fair enough. Who's stepping up in his absence?"

"Probably Jo."

Greg chuckled. "She's gonna be popping up around corners on you, catching you on your phone…"

"Yeah, but all I have to do is remind her that I have a neurotic friend with two kids and no concept of time zones."

"That's cold, man."

Adam laughed.

A/N: Episode is Exit Strategy (CSI:NY).