"You want me to give you your badge, Greg? Then DO IT! I can't and won't do it for you..." Gil Grissom growled. His uncharacteristic outburst took the young man who regarded him as his hero by surprise. He swallowed and nodded, his unsteady, latex gloved hands reaching for the body. Gil stood up and walked away, his slight limp very noticeable at the moment. Greg Sanders watched as he went to the Denali and leaned against it, facing away from him, pretending to look over the map of the scene he had been working on that was attached to a clipboard. It was evident he was heartbroken. Greg knew and cursed the reason.

A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder and I don't think I can look at this the same
But all the miles that separate...
They disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face

I'm here without you, baby
but you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you, baby
and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you, baby
but you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight it's only you and me

**********************

Catherine sighed for the countless time that day. Nick looked at her with concern as he was getting ready to leave.

"You OK, boss?" he asked, his Texas accent dripping with charm.

She cleared her throat and looked up at him with a fake smile. "Fine, Nicky, my boy, fine..." she said. He knew she wasn't, but did not dare press. She'd never open up to him, anyway. Truth be told, he wasn't OK, either. There was someone he was beginning to realize he missed as much as she missed the someone she was missing. He quietly left her to her paperwork.

The miles just keep rollin' as the people leave their way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated...
I hope that it gets better as we go

I'm here without you baby
but you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you, baby
but you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight it's only you and me

She left and went home to her sleeping daughter. A daughter she was slowly losing.

****************************

Everything I know and anywhere I go...
it gets hard, but it won't take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done
it gets hard, but it won't take away my love

******************************

Jim Brass was passing by Gil's always open office door. He regarded him as his blood brother. He was strong, honest... a good man in every sense of the word. He was now broken and incomplete. He hated seeing him like that, alone behind his desk. Something shocked him. If he didn't know any better, he could swear there was a tear track on his left cheek.

"You OK?" Jim called out form the doorway.

"Busy," he said, startled at Jim's voice. He brushed at his beard and began to jot a new note.

"Shift's over. Want a drink?"

"I need to get this done," he said quietly, finally looking up at him. Jim noticed a dullness in his eyes he had never seen. Gil lowered his eyes back to his 'work.'

There was nothing else to be done or said , he knew that. With a heavy heart, he left him alone.

I'm here without you, baby
but you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you, baby
and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight, girl, it's only you and me

The phone rang. He sighed in aggravation and yanked it off the cradle.

"Grissom," he barked.

"Geez, Gil... Your migraine that bad?" she said, a giggle in her voice. He smirked, his heart leaping back to life in his chest. She always knew when he had a migraine. Somehow she always knew everything. He felt like a new man simply by hearing her voice.

"Not really..."

She snorted at his lie. "Did you take your medicine? It's in the top drawer..."

He slid open the drawer. There it was. He hadn't cared enough to look.

"I just got Lindsey off to school... Your shift is over... I'm hungry... Want to make me breakfast at your place in 20 minutes?... I know what we can do afterwards until I have to get to the lab, too..." she said, her voice sultry and low.

"My head is killing me, my knees hurt, I'm exhausted... and... yes... I would love to make you breakfast," he smiled for the first time in days. "What do you have in mind for afterwards, Catherine?" he asked, playful fear in his voice. He pictured her sly, loving, sensuous smile, saw her twirling a lock of her reddish-blonde hair, as he heard her say, "You'll find out..."