Disclaimer: We don't own CSI or any of it's characters.
Summary: This could have been her first Christmas spent with Grissom but Sara discovers that she isn't his first priority after all, finally receiving something that shows her whose she is. Christmas fic by Marmel C.c. and Kegel. SaraGreg
Rating: K+
A/N: This fic was very interesting and funny to write. We've been discussing it with Kegel for a while. Luckily the first chapter is ready. Hope you all like it, and even though we post it, Kegel has half the writer's rights P.
A Not So Silent Night
Pushing her front door open with one foot, Sara walked slowly into her apartment, carrying two heavy bags. It was the first time in years that she had gone shopping for Christmas stuff, since this was also the first Christmas that she was having an apparently good relationship with someone... in this case, Grissom.
She approached the counter in her kitchen, leaving the heavy bags on it, as she started to take the things away. She looked around her place, to get a visual idea of where she would put some of the Christmas decoration, but first of all, she needed to remember all the things she had bought.
She smiled to herself. Of course she did not even know if her boyfriend would appreciate all of that. Grissom still remained somewhat of an enigma, even to her, even now that they were a couple, he chose to not tell her everything. Sara could understand it to a degree, she was not the most open person herself, but still she sometimes wondered if that was right between two people who were supposed to love each other. But she didn't want to ruin her day by wondering if her relationship would last; now it was time for Christmas decoration... after all, that was the main reason for which she had taken the day off in the first place.
So she started putting a few decorations here and there, but not too much, she didn't want Grissom to think she was taking this too seriously. Thinking of Grissom… her phone was ringing in the living room, and Sara smiled to herself again, guessing it was him. She marched quickly to the phone and was soon confirmed right.
"Hey, Gris."
"Sara, can you come in, please?" she heard Grissom asking. "We're swamped here."
Sara bit on her lip. He was not even acknowledging that it was her day off. Not that it would have bothered her usually, but today…
"I'll be there," she said, sighing inwardly.
Even though she had said yes, Sara was starting to regret it as soon as she arrived at the lab. She went to look for Grissom, figuring he would tell her what he needed her to do. When she arrived at her boyfriend's office, she slowly walked in, not very surprised about finding Grissom alone with his thoughts.
"Hey," she said as she gave him a warm smile.
He simple looked at her, and smiled shyly, as Sara would excuse him silently, when he seemed not to really care about their meetings alone in the lab.
She sat down and looked around the office.
"Gris," she started the calmly, as Grissom lifted his head again. "I don't know if you consider Christmas as a Christian thing, but I have the day off on the 25th so maybe we could spend it together."
Her face was serious, she winked with her head slightly turned and her hair covering the corner of her right eye as she waited for Grissom to answer.
"I'm sorry Sara. I can drop by your place later, but I already promised to stay for the shift. The staff is very short and even at Christmas, we have something to investigate."
She smiled warmly at him, trying to hide the small sound of her heart crushing when she heard those words. She had known this was going to happen, her fighting against his other girlfriend, or even wife: his freaking work.
She knew she shouldn't be pressing him about this, but it was their first important celebration together, and she was not up to spend it alone as so many times before.
"Listen Griss...I don't want to push this too much, but I think you should at least think about it, and then tell me what you really want to do." Grissom looked up from a few papers that were on his desk, and slowly took off his glasses before answering.
"Sara, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, I just want you to understand that I have my priorities, and Christmas, or any kind of celebration, is not among them. We talked about this a few times before, and I honestly don't think this is the best time to start a discussion about it. I have things to do so I'm going to ask you to please join Catherine on her case. She's in the layout room, working on the evidence."
After finishing his lecture, he put on his glasses once again, and got back to the files he was working on, pretending Sara wasn't in the room anymore.
She contained herself from saying anything else, knowing that she'd only receive a severe glance and another lecture from her boyfriend's bossy side.
She only stood up and made her way to the door, closing it a little louder than she would have liked to, but she was starting to have her main doubts about a few things.
She was disappointed and most of her earlier spirit was gone. She had been looking forward to that one day in the year that neither of them would spend at work, that they would spend celebrating together, at least pretending to be something family-like. Well, that idea she could forget now. And actually there did not even seem to be a point in her taking Christmas Eve off anymore. She was not inclined to spend it alone at home, poking listlessly through her Christmas dinner.
If she went to work, was at the lab, she could at least be with Grissom, maybe snatch a few festive moments in between. But right now she even doubted that she even wanted that still. Grissom's preference for work frustrated her, irritated her. It was surprising when you considered that her life consisted mostly out of her work as well, but maybe she had hoped that with the two finding together after all the long time, a new perspective would open for the both of them.
Sara fastened her steps somewhat angrily, hurrying to meet Catherine in the layout room.
While she was walking down the hall she saw Greg out of the corner of her eyes, striding through the lab, wearing a red-white Santa hat. At first she shook her head, before chuckling to herself. A few minutes later, Greg joined her in the layout room where Catherine had left her alone, the Santa hat still on his head.
She stared at him as she raised an eyebrow.
"Hey Santa," she smiled at him, her expression a little confused.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he answered cheerfully.
They stood there laughing for a few seconds until he took of the hat and put it on her head, making her frown.
"You look gorgeous," he said with a wide smile on his face. Sara smiled, still wondering if she should be irritated or laughing.
TBC