Disclaimer: They're not mine 'sigh'
A/N - Sorry if there's a lot of mistkes, it all sounded right at 3:00 am, but that doesn't count for much.
"Getting married by Santa is almost more freakish than getting married by Elvis." Said Nick as he and Sara drove back to the lab from their latest crime scene. While walking down the strip they had been accosted by a Santa Claus offering to marry them telling them that getting married by Frosty the Snowman would be a sacrilege. Once again they hade laughed at the fact that everywhere they went people offered to marry them.
"Well," chuckled Sara, "'tis the season you know?"
"I know, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised at anything I see here anymore, should I?"
"No, no you shouldn't. I guess you kinda take this job expecting it to throw things at you that you never expected to encounter. But you'd think people could give us a break at Christmas, wouldn't you?"
"Well Sara, I don't think they commit their crimes thinking 'Merry Christmas you CSIs, how d'ya like that?'"
Sara grinned at her Texan co worker and once again marveled at his amazing ability to bring out her better side. She had a lot to thank him for lately. After her break up with Grissom, he had been there for her. Deep down she'd always known that she and Grissom never had a future, but Nick was slowly helping her see that despite the fact that Grissom was no longer in the picture, that didn't mean she could never be happy. Just being around a certain someone lately was doing wonders for her usually forlorn attitude.
"So whose name did you draw for the Secret Santa?" Nick questioned.
"I can't tell you, it's supposed to be a secret until breakfast. You know that!"
"Yeah, can't blame me for trying though."
Nick and Sara wandered through the halls of the lab after dropping their evidence off to Hodges in trace. They were about to enter the break room when someone yelled at them to stop right where they were. Greg came running up to them and gave them a huge grin. Sara looked at him warily.
"I don't think I like that grin Greg," she said slowly.
"Yeah man, what's up that couldn't wait till we got our coffee and sat down? We are kinda tired ya know." Nick said irritably.
Greg just kept grinning and pointed above their heads to a green plant hanging in the centre of the door frame. "Mistletoe."
Sara smiled. "That is not mistletoe, don't even try and tell me that it's mistletoe. I know what parsley looks like."
Greg's smile disappeared. "I couldn't find mistletoe, but you can't ignore the spirit. It may not be the actual thing, but it still serves the same purpose!"
"Whoa Greg, calm down," said Catherine as her and Grissom began to enter the room.
"You two stop too," said Greg quickly. "You have to get in line!"
"Get in line for what Greg?" asked Grissom.
Greg pointed to the parsley hanging from the door. "Don't say it! I know it's not mistletoe, but it serves the same purpose and once Nick kisses Sara, it will be your turn." He turned back to Nick and Sara and gave them the ever intelligent and convincing argument of: "it's tradition!"
Sara blushed. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about kissing Nick, she definitely wasn't averse to it, but it might have been nicer if things were a bit less public. "Greg, change is a good thing, tradition holds us back from progress, now let me in the room."
"Nuh uh," insisted Greg standing his ground.
"Fine," said Nick who had spent the argument gazing at the coffee pot. "What?" he said as Sara glared at him, "if it means I get my coffee then let's get er done!" IT didn't hurt that he had wanted to do this for a while, and now, presented with the opportunity, he definitely wasn't going to pass it up. With that he leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
He had to force himself not to linger as the moment their lips met all thoughts of caffeine had been chased from his head by the feeling of how soft her lips felt on his.
After taking a step back they looked at each other and blushed as they hurried into the room. Grissom, Catherine and Greg watched the exchange and smiled. Grissom and Catherine attempted to enter the room, but Greg stopped them. "Now it's your turn!"
Catherine smiled to herself because she knew something that Greg didn't: she and Grissom had been dating for about three months now. Well, she thought to herself, this is as good a time as any to announce to the lab what I'm sure they have been suspicious of for a while. She saw her thoughts mirrored in Grissom's eyes.
"Alright then," she said. With that she grabbed the collar of Grissom's golf shirt and pulled him toward her and pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. His arms went around her waste and pulled her close. When they pulled apart they looked around the room at three shocked faces.
"So, "said Catherine brightly, "who's ready for breakfast?" She and Grissom turned and headed out the door.
The three younger CSIs followed slowly as Sara and Greg handed five dollar bills to Nick.
Later they all sat around a table at the diner exchanging gifts.
Catherine looked at her gift from Greg and spoke carefully "I never knew those came in that color." She placed the fuzzy, orange, elephant slippers that Greg had gotten her back into the box. "Uh, so who's next?"
After a while they had all gone through their exchanges. Warrick had gotten Grissom a compilation CD of classics by famous composers and "A Bug's Life" for laughs. Catherine had gotten Sara a beautiful blue winter had and scarf and a book, joking that now she had something to read besides forensics journals. Nick got Warrick a couple new games for his PS 3 which he had spent his three vacation days waiting in line for. Grissom had pulled Greg's name. He got him the new board game that had just been released that was based on the hit forensics TV show.
"Sweet," Greg joked, "now I'll really feel like a CSI!"
"I figured you could use some practice." Ever since he and Catherine had been spending more time together, the others had seen a change in their boss. He was a lot easier gong and fun to be around.
"Guess I'm last," said Nick looking at Sara expectantly. Sara handed him a box with a big red bow on top.
"I remembered you said you needed a new one," she said. "If you don't like it you can change it . . . I mean I have the receipt . . . because . . ."
Nick put his hand over Sara's mouth. "I'm sure I'll love it." He opened up the box and pulled out a beautiful black cowboy hat.
Nick just stared at it. "Sara, it's beautiful, how did you find it?"
"Well, to be honest, I didn't trust myself to pick it out so I called your sister Elizabeth and told her to find the perfect one for you and mail it to me with the bill."
Nick pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, I love it, you have no idea how perfect this is."
Sara blushed again as she leaned back from his embrace. Once again they just stared at each other blushing. And once again the others watched, rolling their eyes and wondering how long it would take those two to finally realize what everyone else had known for a long time.
"Look!" said Greg excitedly, pointing outside.
The others turned and looked out the window. Huge flakes of snow were falling from the sky.
"Can we go out and play in it?" asked Greg. The others just laughed.
"Oh, I almost forgot," said Grissom quickly. He pulled out six tiny boxes of chocolate and laid them on the table. "Merry Christmas from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. This was all Ecklie said we could spare cash-wise for Christmas gifts for employees this year." Everyone grabbed their tiny box of After Eights.
They paid their bills and headed out to their Tahoes to drive home. Nick walked Sara to her vehicle. They walked in silence munching on their chocolate. They stopped when they reached her truck.
"Thanks again for the hat Sara; it was honestly the best Christmas gift I got this year."
Sara laughed at Nick's excitement. "Christmas isn't over yet Nick."
"Well it's the best one I've got so far and I'm pretty sure it won't be beat!"
"You sound pretty sure about that."
"Well come on, what could be better than this?" he asked as he dropped the hat on his head.
Sara smiled at how cute he looked with his hat on.
"Well, there's actually a second part to your gift that I'm hoping you'll like a little bit more than the fist part."
"Sara, you're spoiling me. What else could you have gotten me?"
Sara was looking a tad uncomfortable now as she stepped directly in front of Nick. She had wanted to do this for a while, but after the kiss he'd given her in the break room, she had suddenly begun to lose her nerve. She decided she'd better get it done before she chickened out completely. "This" she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. It lasted for a second and when Nick didn't respond she pulled away and looked at the ground.
"Umm . . . Well . . ." she stammered," I guess I'll see you at work tonight."
She began to walk away until Nick grabbed her arm.
"Where do you think you're going? You can't kiss me like that and then just walk away!"
"Well, I though . . . I mean, when you didn't respond . . ."
"I was kind of in shock."
"Oh," said Sara softly, "does that mean you liked it?"
"You bet," said Nick as he pulled her against him and kissed her hard. Her arms snaked around his neck as she allowed herself to get lost in the feeling of his lips against hers. Nick smiled into the kiss as he felt her melt in his arms and reveled in the feeling of her body pressed against his in the most beautiful kiss he'd ever experienced.
He pulled away slowly. "Merry Christmas Sar," he said as he dropped another kiss on her lips and walked away leaving her breathless and speechless. He began heading toward his Tahoe and called back to her over his shoulder.
"I've always wanted one of these for Christmas!"
So what did you think?