Authors Note: This is an entry for the CSI Forever Online (dot wetpaint dot com) December Challenge. Finally they got rid of the highly evil word limit... so I get to ramble like I like! The prompts were to include a Secret Santa (with either Sara getting Grissom's name, or vice versa), mistletoe in some way, and some character saying "Ho ho ho". Many thanks to Charlibubble for being my awesomesauce Beta! I also highly recommend buying the albums, or at least the tracks, referenced! Anywho... go join CSIFO if you haven't already!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my mistakes, and I'm not sharing them! Nope... you can't take my mistakes, they're MINE!

Chapter 1: Don't Talk To Strangers

She was a bottle blonde, she had her sevens on

When I think about it now, just a cougar on the prowl

She was hotter than hell, had me under her spell

Got the ass doing yoga, didn't care that she's older

Hedley, "Don't Talk To Strangers"

-1-

"So we're up to 35 people in the Secret Santa pool this year, not bad, huh?" Greg leaned over the light table in the layout room as he spoke, casually smiling at Sara.

"Wow, Greg, that is pretty impressive. Up five from last year, right?" Sara replied as she scrawled a few notes about the evidence she was looking at before turning her full attention to Greg.

"Yeah, Catherine's really pleased with how my recruiting folks has gone. Actually, we were wondering if you'd be wanting in?"

"What? No, I don't..." Sara began before Greg turned pleading eyes to her. "Greg, I'm not the Secret Santa type, I wouldn't even know what to get most of the people who are involved!" Sara watched as Greg's shoulders slumped and he dropped his head. "Oh come on, Greg, what if I pull Hodges' name? Isn't that reason enough to scare anyone out of participating?"

"But you could pull my name," Greg looked up at her briefly, a glimmer in his eye, "would that really be so awful? Besides, if you pull Hodges' name, just get him some moist wipes to get the brown off his nose!"

"Greg!" Sara laughed as she took off her gloves and bagged them. "Oh my God, Greg, that was horrible!"

"Yeah, maybe, but with how much he kisses ass, if Grissom stops suddenly, he's going to end up with Hodges' impaling him!" Cracking a smile, Greg watched as Sara struggled to hold in her laughter. "Seriously though, please join the pool! I've got like the perfect gift idea for you!"

Sighing Sara watched as Greg bounced eagerly waiting for her answer. Truthfully it wasn't Hodges she was afraid of drawing, it was Grissom that she didn't know what she could get him that wouldn't further confuse things between them. But this will be my fourth Christmas in Vegas, and he's never participated before, why would this year be any different? Breathing in deeply to reassure herself that her line of thinking was correct, Sara nodded at Greg.

"Yes?" His smile began to grow waiting for her confirmation.

"Yes, Greg. I'll join."

"Alright!" Greg twirled in place fist-pumping the air in celebration. "If you pull my name out, I want two concert tickets to any rock show – one for you and one for me, okay?"

-2-

The days between when Greg recruited Sara to the night shift's Secret Santa pool and the drawing passed as normal. Older cases were filed after either being solved or running cold, and newer cases were investigated. Catherine had decided that they would do the name drawing at the end of the week, in order to allow as many people to join in as possible while still giving more than enough time for shopping for the gift. The final count ended up being 37 people involved in the pool, which beat out the day and swing shifts Secret Santa pools.

At the end of shift on the last day, Greg had everyone involved in the pool paged to meet Catherine in the break room. In the center of the table stood a large cardboard box with a hole cut into it. While Catherine dumped the remaining pieces of paper into the box, Sara looked around at the rest of the crowd that had gathered. As her gaze turned to the door, she actually felt the colour drain from her face. Standing at the door, trying to avoid listening to Hodges yammer on, was Grissom. Dropping her eyes to her feet, Sara took a shaky breath. She knew she shouldn't let herself get worked up at this point, knowing his position of supervisor it would make sense for him to, well, supervise the name draw. It didn't necessarily mean he was participating. Glancing up, she caught him watching her with a look on his face that could only be described as introspective. Huffing and shooting him a quick glare, Sara moved out of his line of sight and waited for the name draw to begin.

"Alright, are we ready for this everyone?" Catherine paused long enough for mild applause and whistles of agreement. "Great! Alright, so here's how we're going to do this," she looked at Greg to continue.

"Right, so we'll call you up alphabetically to grab your paper. You get who you get – and no telling! That just isn't cool. So, um, first up is, um..." glancing at the clipboard in Catherine's hands for a reminder he continued "Arch – you're up first!"

Figuring she had a while to go, Sara took a seat on the couch which offered her a view of Grissom without him being able to see her in return. As the next person was called up, Sara found herself rethinking the events following the lab explosion the previous spring. It was similar to picking at a scab, she knew she really shouldn't keep doing it, but it was just so damned attractive to her focus of attention. There had been many nights where she'd imagined different ways the conversation could have gone, different things she should have said at the time. Things to make her less vulnerable, things that would have left him sitting and picking at the details instead of her. It never made her feel any better either; it just further compounded the sense and pain of rejection he had left her with.

A sudden whoop startled Sara from her thoughts, jumping slightly from the shock, she looked at the source of the sound – Greg.

"Hell yeah! I'd been hoping for someone else, but I so totally know what I'm doing for this person's gift! Oh yeah, it's going to be ah-maze-ing!" Kissing the paper with flourish, Greg smiled and pocketed his Secret Santa name.

"Um, right Greg, so anyways, let's move on to who's next, shall we?" Laughing while grabbing the clipboard from him, Catherine scanned down the list to call the next name "Gil, you're up. Greg, he should have come before you..."

"But no one calls him anything but Grissom, so that's what I put him under..." Greg mock stage whispered to Catherine.

"Yeah, but you still put Hodges under David." She smirked at Greg as she spoke.

As Sara watched Grissom walk up to draw his name she felt a sudden flush take over her body as the speed of her heart beat picked up. Droplets of sweat broke out along her hairline and she had to close her eyes to keep the room from appearing to spin. This wasn't supposed to happen, he wasn't supposed to participate. What if she got his name? What if he gets mine? Her mouth went dry as she tried to calm her racing pulse. As she opened her eyes again she saw Grissom had returned to his post at the door of the break room, and that his gaze was once again on her. Concern and confusion were etched deep into his eyes as he pursed his lips and tilted his head towards her. Dropping her eyes to her hands, Sara made a conscious effort to ignore his stare and focus on the rest of the name drawing.

Some of the crowd was leaving after they drew the name of who was to be their Secret Santa recipient, and that left a space on the couch next to Sara available. Tensing as Grissom walked over and took a seat beside her, she cringed inwardly. This is just going from bad to worse! Letting out a slow breath she listened for her own name to be called so she could make her escape. She could feel him leaning over to whisper something to her, and from his earlier expression Sara had a feeling it was to do with her sanity, when Greg called out her name.

"Ready to pull out my name, Sara?" Greg batted his brown eyes at her as he motioned to the box.

"I can only hope, Greg..." she muttered, reaching into the box and feeling for a paper. Grasping one, she closed her eyes and silently prayed it would be any name but his. Not wanting to look at it with everyone watching her, just in case, she smiled and pocketed the paper before taking her leave.

Climbing into her car, she debated with herself whether she should check the name then, or when she got home. Feeling her stomach flop at the idea of waiting even longer to find out, she grabbed the paper from her pant pocket. A deep breath later, and she felt confident enough to unfold the paper to reveal who she needed to shop for.

Gil Grissom.

"Oh, shit..."

-3-

"So," Greg drew the word out as he looked Sara up and down in the locker room at the start of their next shift, "who'd you get?"

"I thought you said we're not to tell who we get?" Smirking at Greg's scowl she couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't get you, if that's what you were wondering."

"Really? You're not just saying you didn't to throw me off the scent?"

"No, Greg!" Laughing harder, she closed her locker door and leaned a shoulder against it. "I take it you also didn't get me, judging by your reaction when you pulled the name, huh?"

"Sadly, no. No satin Santa panties for you," flicking his eyes to hers he broke out in a grin "not that I was planning on that, per say..."

"Lovely, Greg, just lovely..." suppressing a shudder as Greg's eyes glazed over, she continued, "So who's getting the panties?"

"Oh, they would have been Sara's Satin Santa Panties, it doesn't work now! No, I've got," raising a finger in pause, Greg quickly checked behind the next bank of lockers before being satisfied they were the only two present, "I've got Catherine. I'm thinking a sexy little number..."

"Greg! Oh my God," Sara covered her face as she laughed.

"What? I'm thinking some nice cut jeans that'll show off her ass..."

"It's supposed to be a Christmas present for her, not your dirty little fantasies of her stripping in your bedroom!"

"Hey, now! We all know Catherine likes looking good. So what if it'll give me a little bedtime dream about that sweet... Or! Maybe she'll really like it, if I get a whole sexy outfit going on for her, maybe she'll try it on and dance for me..." Greg smiled dreamily.

"Yeah, she'll want to dance all over your body for getting her an outfit. She doesn't shake it for money anymore, y'know Greg." Sara grumbled while shaking her head at the younger man.

"A guy can dream, can't he?"

"Might want to save your dreaming for when you're at home, alone. Don't want you getting yourself too excited and embarrassing yourself..." she said, smirking and gesturing.

"Huh?" Greg blinked, looked down at himself, and then looked back at Sara with a scowl. "Ha, ha, ha. Funny. This," pausing while gesturing to himself, "is how I hang naturally. So now that you know, I am available for a date on New Year's."

"Right!" Sara spoke, rolling her eyes in Greg's direction.

"Seriously," Greg put his Discman and headphones into his locker and turned back to Sara. "All joking aside, I'm going to be throwing a Zombie-A-Thon on New Year's. All the best zombie movies, just bring snacks or drinks! What do you say?"

Shaking her head before leaving the locker room, Sara sighed. "Greg, it's your fault I'm involved in this Secret Santa stupidity. I am not going to spend New Year's with you wanting to eat my brains!" Turning quickly, Sara began walking towards the break room for assignments, not waiting for a response from Greg.

"But Sara, your brains are so tasty! You know you want to come to see all the zombie movies!" Greg called out after her, determined to get her to change her mind. As he watched her turn the corner he pulled a face, her comments about the Secret Santa pool only just sinking in. That was when he felt a hand touch his shoulder while his name was called softly. Jumping a foot in the air he turned to see Grissom standing just inside the door of the locker room.

"I don't think commenting on the taste of Sara's brains will change her mind." Grissom began as he slipped out past Greg. "Oh, and unless you want Catherine dancing on your dead body, I'd recommend thinking up a different gift idea there, Greggo."