It's that time of year again! The holiday season has come, and Christmas is fast approaching. A strange case that holds an uncanny resemblance to a Christmas song and some stolen toys lead the team into a holiday centered case. And what's more, is what's going on behind the scenes. A Christmas party, a Nutcracker, a hideous sweater, and more. What sort of stuff can possibly happen in only twelve days?

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Whatever holiday you celebrate (Although it's probably Christmas if you're reading this) I'm wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season. This is my Christmas gift to anyone and everyone who's ever read something I've written, whether or not you liked it. I'd also like to dedicate this to my two favorite writing partners—Caleb and Maria. You can thank them for an easy read. Caleb really helped with suggestions (Even if I didn't always follow them!) and Maria was a great editor. I'm hoping to have this done by Christmas with 13 chapters! Though this year I will continue writing as long as it's December! Wish me luck!

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters. I just pretend. They really belong to CBS, Jerry Bruckheimer, etc.

Spoilers: Big one for Bodies in Motion; Season 6 premier. Can't come up with anymore off the top of my head.

Ships: I am trying really hard to make this as un-shippy as possible with out having to take anything out. Although I admit that I am a biased Greg/Sara and Catherine/Grissom shipper, I'm still trying to keep their interactions and any tension as platonic if not nonexistent. (This effort may lead to some Unresolved Sexual Tension) I'm also trying to put in as many different friend-on-friend interactions as possible. Again, wish me luck!

Silver Bells

December 13, 9:32 PM

12 days until Christmas

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style. In the air there's a feeling of Christmas."

Vegas was a town of glitz, by pure nature. Bright lights, busy streets, and entertainment at every corner—it was to be expected such a thing as Christmas could turn the city's decorating scheme into overdrive. The holidays were drawing nearer and with each passing day, another wreath hung on another door, tinsel filled up another window, and another Santa Claus could be found sitting in a store. Enormous Christmas trees stood out in front of the popular stopping places for both tourists and residents alike, the strings of light enough to make up for the billions of stars the city lacked.

"Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile. And on every street corner, you hear…"

The brightness of the city lights was only matched by the brightness of people's moods. Adults and children both bustled down the sidewalks, squeezing into their cars, their arms laden with packages and presents for loved ones. The Black Friday rush was over by a couple of weeks, but even still crowds lingered on the doorsteps of every well-to-do store in the city. And at the end of the day, it probably wouldn't hurt to stop in at a restaurant for a nice dinner, or maybe do away with the last of the spending money in a couple games of poker.

"Silver bells, silver bells. It's Christmas time in the city."

A single bell-ringer from the Salvation Army stood outside a popular toy-store. The shop was located on a side road, a couple of miles from the heart of the city, and was one of the best toy shops for several miles. You couldn't compare a cozy, family-owned, little toy store with something like a Super Wal-Mart. The man waving the bell was dressed in Santa attire, right down to rosy cheeks and the long white beard. As customers passed him into the store, he would tip his hat and ring the bell louder. Whether or not they avoided eye contact, waved and smiled, dropped in some pocket change, or put in a hefty check, he treated them the same.

"City streetlights, even stoplights, blink a bright red and green. As the shoppers rush home with their treasures."

A young girl and her mother, who was pushing a cart loaded with toys and other Christmas gifts, walked out of the store. The bell-ringer nodded pleasantly at them, smiling beneath his beard. The girl grinned back and then turned to her mother, tugging on her sleeve.

"Mommy! Mommy, it's Santa Claus! I want to put a dollar in! Can I put a dollar in Mommy? Please?"

"No, Lena. We have to get to the post office before it closes. We don't have time."

"Mommy!"

"Uggh. Why can't you just listen to your mother for once in your life?" And yet the woman plunged into her pocket and pulled out a single dollar bill.

Lena snatched it up and bounded over to the man in the costume and the red bucket.

"Here you go, Santa!" Lena cried, sticking the dollar into the red bowl. She glanced at her mother, who was impatiently checking her watch, before she turned back and whispered, "Santa, I want a dollhouse this Christmas. And I want it with lots of dolls inside, and furniture to match, and clothes for the dollies, please! I've been really good!"

The man laughed, doing a perfect impression of a 'Ho, ho, ho'. "I'll be sure to do that, Lena."

"Lena! Come on!"

"Coming, Mommy!" she called back. She turned to the bell-ringer one last time. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas."

Lena hopped off again, back to her mother's side. The woman offered a fake smile and then pushed the cart off across the parking lot.

"Here the snow crunch, see the kids bunch, this is Santa's big scene! And above all the bustle, you hear…"

As Lena and her mother went out of sight, two adults, a man and a woman, came out of the toy store. The woman was tall and slim, her dark hair falling over her ears and flipping at the shoulder. The man was trimly built and his brown hair was highlighted blond. It was long enough to just brush the tips of his ears, curling slightly. He wore a light jacket in the 40° weather, as did she, and they were talking fervently over something inside the shopping bag they had brought out with them.

"Really, Greg, I don't know if buying Lindsey a makeup kit was really a smart thing to do. You know how Catherine's uptight about that sort of stuff…"

"Yeah, but this is what all the teenage girls want nowadays."

"Oh and you would know? Besides, she's barely a teenager…she's 14."

Greg shrugged. "She's still four-teen."

Sara opened the bag in Greg's arms and peered inside. "I wasn't into makeup when I was 14."

"You hardly like it now," he muttered under his breath.

Sara barely kept herself from snidely responding, instead saying, "Well at least she'll have a new book to read."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted my help, and now you go saying that the gift you thought of was better?"

The bell-ringer tipped his hat at the two as they headed past, still bickering. He subtly began ringing the bell slightly louder.

"Hey, look!" Greg cried, suddenly distracted. He stopped in his tracks and pointed at the bell-ringer. "Sara, hold this."

Greg thrust the shopping bag into Sara's hands as she quickly shifted her purse to her shoulder and her car keys to three fingers on her left hand. He dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, rifled through it, and came out victoriously with a five dollar bill.

"Greg," Sara began, trying to get the shopping bag into a manageable position. She threw a faint smile at the bell-ringer, then hissed at Greg, "If you give him five dollars, then I'll have to give him five dollars so I don't feel guilty!"

"It's not my fault you have a conscience." Greg strutted over to the red bucket and melodramatically placed the folded bill inside. "Happy holidays!" Greg greeted as Sara headed over, her arms quite full.

"Happy holidays to you too." The bell-ringer lifted his hat once more, peeking over the top of his silvery glasses. "Who's Lindsey?" he asked pleasantly in a deep and merry voice.

"Just the daughter of a friend of ours," Sara managed, struggling to hold onto everything.

"Here." Greg took the shopping bag from Sara, letting her breathe a sigh of relief.

"She's 14?" the older man continued.

They nodded.

"I bet she'd like a new music player—MP3, I-pod, or otherwise. The CD player she has probably skips."

Sara and Greg raised their eyebrows, slightly puzzled expressions on their faces. They shared a glance, but before they could respond, two quick beeping noises sounded and they looked down at their belts.

"Grissom," Sara stated simply, catching sight of her pager.

"You talk to him; I'll go start the car…" Greg reached out and snatched the keys from Sara's hand. Sara scowled, but reached into her purse, pulled out her cellphone, and dialed.

"Hey Griss, what's up? Greg and I were out shopping. No, he was helping me pick out some stuff for Lindsey. No. Yes. Mhmm. What do you mean high-profile? Great…"

Sara noticed that the old man was watching her. She offered a quick smile and dug into her purse again as Grissom continued speaking on the other line. She came out with a five dollar bill (just so they were even), and dropped it into the bucket. Smiling, Sara mouthed 'Merry Christmas' as Greg pulled up. She climbed into the passenger seat and they drove away.

The bell-ringer smiled and continued to wave the bell up and down, up and down, steadily like the beat of a drum, as he hummed quietly to himself.

"Ring-a-ling, hear them ring. Soon it will be Christmas day!"