A.N.: This story is in response to Playing with Fire's third FanFic Challenge. Thanks to these challenges, there now seems to be a "Mood" series of fics. This one takes place some time after "A Chocolate Enhanced Mood," but you don't have to read that or "An Unscientific Mood" to understand this one.
As usual, these characters are the property of Anthony Zuiker and many other people who are making a profit from them. I still don't happen to be one of them. No copyright infringement is intended. In fact, AZ and company should be pleased, as imitation is the highest form of flattery.
The premise is that Grissom and Sara somehow end up with a gift certificate for a "couples' day" at a luxury Vegas spa that they must use. The certificate cannot be transferred to others and it must be redeemed by G and S together, i.e. not separately. The required elements include:
1) Sara and Grissom are worked on simultaneously, side by side, so they can see each other the whole time.
2) Both of them have to have at least 3 of the following spa services: a manicure/pedicure, a full body massage, a mud bath, a sauna/hot tub/steam room session, a facial, a seaweed wrap, or a yoga "healing" session, complete with chanting, incense, etc.…
3) One of them confesses a secret to the other (any kind of secret, from the serious to the frivolous) under the semi-hypnotic influence of the spa's ministrations.
4) Since it's so close to Christmas and New Year's, the holiday season must be referenced in some way.
Thanks to Alison and everyone at Playing with Fire for making it such a great place to be a Geek.
~*~*~
"It's not going to happen, Sara," exclaimed Grissom as they entered his condo.
"We don't really have a choice, you know." Sara was just as exasperated as Grissom. They had been "discussing" this since leaving the restaurant where they'd had a nice Sunday brunch. At least it was nice until Sara broke the news.
"I most certainly do have a choice. And I choose not to go through with this." With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair and continued. "Frankly, I can't believe you're agreeing to it."
"I didn't ask for this, Grissom! And I don't want to do it either. But it's a done deal now and, trust me, we'll both be better off in the long run if we just play along." She sat on the couch in a huff.
"You don't actually believe in this, do you?"
"No. I was talking about the long-term repercussions of making such an impolitic move."
"Ask Catherine how much I care about being politic. We are adults, Sara, and we should not be forced to do things in this relationship that we don't want to." He paced the floor of the living room.
With more calm than she felt, Sara tried a different tact. "Fine. Since you're so dead set against it, you tell them we won't have anything to do with it."
"Why do we have to tell them anything? Can't we just acknowledge it and move on with our lives?"
She smiled, thinking he sounded like a petulant child. "Because they're going to ask. Are you going to lie about it?"
"Of course not." They'd find out anyway. Realizing he was trapped, Grissom stopped pacing and sat down next to Sara, resigned. "We really have to do this, don't we?"
"Not if you're brave enough to stand up for us and say 'No.'"
When he did not respond, Sara took Grissom's hand and squeezed reassuringly. "It's okay, Gil. They're a force to be reckoned with; I'm afraid to turn them down too."
"I'm not afraid of them," Grissom claimed, a bit unconvincingly.
"That's only because they like you. So far. Besides, this is your own damned fault."
"My fault? How did you come to that conclusion?"
Sara deepened her voice to mimic Grissom, "I know it's too soon to say anything at work, honey, but let's tell our families about us."
"And somehow that makes me to blame for your parents sending us to some New Age couple's boutique?" His voice began to rise at the thought of being forced to have his nails done.
Sara stood to get the brochure and gift certificate from her purse. Returning to the couch, she sat sideways on it, her legs over Grissom's lap. "It's not a boutique, it's a day spa. And if you hadn't wanted to tell my parents about our relationship, they never would have known I was part of a couple, and never would have arranged for a couples package at the spa as our Christmas present."
"What kind of gift is that anyway? Don't your folks know you wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that?"
"Sure they know. They also think I'm 'being ridiculous,' and that my 'inner tranquility and peace of mind' are more important than my exposure to 'a few itty bitty germs.'" She used her fingers to demarcate her mother's direct quotes. "Besides, they never would have thought to do this if the spa wasn't run by friends of theirs. In deference to my 'peculiarities' and your 'shyness,' as Mom put it, they arranged for Angela, the manager, to give us our treatments on a day the spa is typically closed. This way it'll be cleaner and private."
"She's a laugh riot, your mother."
"There was no way she was letting us talk our way out of this, hon. And I tried. I'm sorry, but she had all the angles figured and all the bases covered."
Grissom gave Sara a quick kiss. "Like mother like daughter."
She playfully smacked his shoulder. "Come on, let's figure out which of these 'treatments' is the lesser of the evils."
Taking the pamphlet from her, Grissom mumbled, "So long as I don't have to get my nails done."
~*~*~
"Sara dear, how wonderful to see you again! Why, I remember the last time; you couldn't have been more than 16." Before Sara could respond she was wrapped in the crushing embrace of Angela Bell, co-proprietor of the Body, Mind, and Spirit Spa.
"How are you, Angela?" Sara squeaked out with what little air was left in her lungs. For a woman in her 60's, Angela Bell had incredible upper body strength. Must be all those years of giving massages.
"Just great. Still can't believe we up and moved to Vegas, of all places, but I think it was a good decision." Releasing Sara, Angela set her sights on Grissom. "And you must be Sara's young man. So nice to meet you." She offered him her hand initially, but ended up pulling him into a hug as well.
Getting a laugh out of the sight, Sara eventually settled down enough to make the introductions.
"Well now, let's get you two started." She led them down the corridor. "Your mother made me promise everything would be perfect – right down to brand new mud for the mud baths."
Her stomach turning flip-flops at the thought of submerging herself in a giant vat of hot, dirty water, Sara spoke up. "Um, Angela? Actually, Gris and I had decided on –"
"Gris? What's a gris?"
"Grissom, um, Gil. I call him Gris sometimes."
"Oh, how cute! Little pet names. Does he call you 'Side?'"
Sara recognized that Angela was trying to distract her from what she now believed was impending doom. She would have none of it, though. "No. Listen, about that mud bath…"
"You'll just love it. It's our own special blend--guaranteed to remove all kinds of toxins from your body and soul."
"Don't you have a tea for that instead?" Sara glanced desperately at Grissom, who was walking behind them with a smirk on his face. "Help me out here!" she mouthed to him.
He just shrugged his shoulders, clearly amused at her panic. When they had discussed which services to request, Grissom had been adamantly opposed to a manicure and pedicure combination, while Sara was determined to avoid the mud bath like the plague. She eventually, and reluctantly, admitted that she was wary of what might still be crawling around in the mud, a thought that naturally did not bother Grissom in the least.
"Sara darling, you're going to hurt Maryann's feelings if you don't set your ass in that mud bath. She came out of her semi-retirement to get everything ready for you two today."
"Maryann's here?" Sara asked with obvious delight.
"Maryann?" Grissom finally decided to speak up.
"She's Angela's partner, in life and business."
"She took exclusive control of the business end of the spa just before we came out here. She doesn't personally treat clients anymore, but is making an exception for you. So no more whining about the mud, Sara."
"Yes, ma'am," Sara replied, appropriately chastised.
Chuckling, Angela realized this was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. "I'll make you a deal; we'll start with a nice massage. By the time it's over you'll be so relaxed you wouldn't care if we were going to toss you into a volcano full of molten lava."
Catching up to her, Grissom grasped Sara's hand and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll chase away any creepy-crawlies you might come across."
~*~*~
Having disrobed and wrapped themselves in the spa's fluffy towels, Grissom and Sara lay down on the massage tables. It was clear that couples were worked on simultaneously here, as the tables were positioned end-to-end, with the heads of each table adjacent to each other, so that they could face each other easily at all times. When they heard the gurgle of a gentle stream backed by the sound of a flute through the overhead speakers, Sara was not all surprised to see Grissom roll his eyes.
Sara did not have time to comment before the door opened and Angela and Maryann walked in. Angela set upon lighting the dozens of scented candles in the room and lowering the overhead illumination while Maryann walked straight to Sara, who was by now trying to sit up without losing her towel.
"My heavens, Sara, you are just as lovely as I remember. How are you?" Her hug was much more gentle than Angela's had been.
"I'm doing well, Mare, how are you?"
"Loving the weather here in Vegas."
"Wait until the summer, and tell me then if you still love it." Waving her arm in the direction of the other table, Sara continued, "Maryann Gorman, this is Gil Grissom."
Seeing Grissom start to sit up as well, Maryann held her hand up. "Don't get up, Mr. Grissom, Sara had enough trouble with her towel. We don't need yours coming undone unnecessarily." She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm sad to say we don't know all that much about you, but I'm sure we can remedy that."
"Nice to meet you, too. And please, call me Gil. I think after all you and Angela are doing for us today, we can get to know each other better over dinner sometime soon."
"That's a wonderful idea, Gil." She winked, "Although I'm sure you'll understand if we ask a few questions today."
Sara groaned and warned Grissom, "You do realize that everything you say from here on out is going to be repeated to my parents, don't you?"
"Who do you think supplied us with the list of questions?" laughed Angela, walking toward the massage tables with bottles of oil in hand. "Now lie down, Sara, and prepare for the best massage of your life."
As Angela began working on Grissom and Maryann ministered to Sara, Maryann spoke first. "So how long have you two been dating?"
It had been about four months since Sara stood in Grissom's office and asked him if he had ever seen The Fly, a move that, as she had hoped it would, had eventually prompted him to ask if he could accompany her. Four months since their first kiss in his car outside her apartment, when she had finally made up her mind about his beard because it chafed her skin. Sara was about to give them the short answer when Grissom's voice sounded.
"Four months, one week, and three days."
At the simultaneous Awws from their masseuses, Grissom glanced at Sara and she flashed him an amazing smile, clearly touched that he knew, to the day, how long they had been together.
Thirty minutes later, Sara was drifting in the pleasant space between wakefulness and sleep, having long ago abandoned Grissom to the cross-examination being conducted by the older women for the tranquility of the inside of her eyelids. She could hear the occasional query and Grissom's responses, and even had the strength and presence of mind to mumble, "Gris, don't answer that," when Angela asked what his intentions were.
Knowing the session would end soon, Sara made an effort to drag herself back to consciousness, but it was difficult with Maryann's skillful hands making her muscles feel like Jell-o. Her mind had seemed to float, separate from her body, for most of the massage, and she quite enjoyed the sensation. Which, Sara would suppose later, was why her brain was not able to engage in time when she heard Angela compliment Grissom on his well-developed arms. "They're incredibly sexy, aren't they, Ange? You know, on our first date, I stuck gum on his chair so he'd have to take his jacket off."
"What!" came a chorus of three voices, two amused and one shocked.
Shit! Did I really just say that? Opening one eye, Sara saw Grissom's face. She could read a mixture of surprise, confusion, and delight on its handsome features. Fully awake now, she opened her other eye and grimaced as she tried to make this less mortifying than it currently was. "You really should be flattered; I only did it so I could sneak a peek at your bare arms every once in a while. Besides, I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been wearing denim, Gil. I figured it was safe since I knew it would come out easily enough."
Grissom thought back to the moment in question and remembered Sara's suggestion that he freeze the fabric for a while before attempting to remove the offending substance. When it worked, he had offered up a silent thanks to Sara for her quick mind, never once suspecting that it was her devious actions that had created the mess. Seeing the look of anxiety on her face as she waited for his reaction and recalling that his own behaviors since they started dating had not been entirely innocent and truthful, Grissom decided to let her off the hook. He reached out one of the arms in question and stroked her cheek, "Next time, just pretend to be cold or something, okay?"
"Deal," Sara said, knowing that the next time she was feeling particularly "unscientific" and wanted to see Grissom's bare arms, she'd just remove the damned jacket herself.
~*~*~
A short while later, Sara found herself chin deep in tubful of peat moss, volcanic ash, and just-hot-enough water. She smiled as she watched Grissom lower himself into the adjoining bath. He had wisely insisted that she get in her tub before he got in his, believing that once he was submerged in the thick mixture, she would use the opportunity to attempt an escape.
He would have been right.
"Now I know how the eisenia fetida feels."
"What's that, some kind of peat moss eating bacteria?"
"The earthworm."
"That's just gross, Grissom. No way am I staying in here." She put her hands on the edges of the tub, intent on standing up. Since their tubs were connected and shared one wall, he was able to grab her wrist and join their hands.
"Come on, Sara. If you can't enjoy this experience physically, try taking pleasure in it intellectually."
She laughed out loud. "I can't believe you just said that! What did Angela do, slip some mind-altering herbs in your massage oil?"
"I see no reason not to make the best of this."
"Sure, that's easy for you to say. You're actually intrigued by this, pretending you're an earthworm! I doubt you'd be so accommodating if Maryann and Angela insisted on giving you a pedicure."
"First, I am not pretending to be an earthworm, I merely commented that this might be what life is like for them. Second, you know how ticklish I am, so there's no way I would be able to have a pedicure. Third, I recognize that the mud bath was not something we had planned on doing today, so how about we make up for it by stopping at the Godiva shop for some chocolate on the way home?"
He spoke calmly and quietly, all the while gently rubbing her hand with his thumb.
"Mmm, I like that idea."
"I thought you might." Grissom pressed a kiss to her palm before resuming the kneading. "Now close your eyes and try to forget you're sitting in mud. It'll be over before you know it."
"Ha. Doubt it."
They spent their time in the mud with their eyes closed, discussing issues from the mundane to the fanciful. Christmas was a week away and they were both scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas night, but Christmas Day was theirs to enjoy together. They chatted about family holiday traditions and plans for the upcoming year. Now that their parents knew about their relationship, they would have to make time for a trip to California. Grissom and Sara had both gotten not-so-subtle hints from their mothers that introductions were to be made in person, and soon.
Grudgingly, Sara was forced to admit that the mud was soothing, in an odd way. "Although I wonder how we're going to drive home if we get any more relaxed."
"I'm sure we'll manage."
"You know what I just realized? The Godiva shop is pretty far out of our way home. We don't have to stop there."
Grissom tried to hide his disappointment. He had been looking forward to another chocolate-enhanced lovemaking session, although he was pretty sure his conscious wouldn't let him be so deceptive about it this time.
"What's the matter, Gil? You look so serious all of a sudden."
"Nothing. It's just that…I…um...I have a confession to make."
"What is it?" For the life of her, Sara could not anticipate what he wanted to tell her. A nervous quiver ran through her stomach. She held his hand more firmly.
"The first time we…made love? I, well…I pretty much uh…artificially enhanced…things for you." He hung his head, unable to bear what he might see in her eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"The chocolate."
"Grissom." She waited until he looked at her before continuing, "Please speak in complete, fluid sentences; you're not making any sense."
Clearing his throat, he complied. "When I shopped for the ingredients for the chocolate sandwiches, I went for the highest quality chocolate I could find. I hoped that the higher levels of phenylethylamine would intensify your mood."
Sara's mouth dropped open. "Are you kidding me?"
"No. Sara, I'm sor--"
"You honestly think some chocolate had anything to do with the fact that we made love that day?"
"Not that we made love. More like how much you, um, enjoyed it."
She was dumbstruck. Did he really think sex was better for her because of some chocolate? The only way to combat this was to smack him in the head with the logic stick.
"What about all the other times? You don't think I enjoyed them?"
"I hope you did."
"Of course I did, Gil! What do you think all the heavy breathing and moaning were about? And there was no chocolate involved, just pure un-enhanced Gil Grissom. Honey, don't sell yourself short; sex with you is always incredible."
On the last part of that statement, Angela breezed into the room. "Well, that's nice to hear."
Oh jeez! Bet she can't wait to share that with my folks. Had Sara been in any type of tub other than one filled with mud, she would have submerged herself over her head just to get away from the embarrassment of the moment. Seeking Grissom's reaction to the situation, she found that he, in fact, had done just that.
~*~*~
After rinsing off in mineral water showers, they wrapped themselves in towels and made their way to the steam room. Grissom sat on the bench and Sara draped her legs over his lap as she laid down perpendicular to him.
"This has been in interesting day," Grissom commented as he absently stroked Sara's knee.
"You just keep saying that, babe, and maybe it'll sound convincing by the time we talk to my parents about it."
"After Angela and Maryann relay all they've learned about me and our sex life, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to speak to them, much less meet them." He offered her a smile to let he know he was kidding.
Sara sat up and gave Grissom a quick kiss on the lips. "Well, all this New Age tranquility stuff did serve one purpose."
"More than one if you believe Angela: we've had the toxins removed from our bodies, minds, and spirits."
"I was thinking more along the lines of the removal of a certain amount of guilt for our less-than-honest behavior." This time she kissed his bare shoulder.
"I, for one, am glad to finally have that off my chest."
"Me too." That was where she placed her next kiss.
"Sara?"
"Hmm?" She couldn't speak because now she was nibbling on his ear.
"Let's not keep any more secrets, okay?"
Working her way down his neck, Sara could only mutter, "Mmm, 'kay." She let out a small groan when Grissom turned his head to capture her mouth with his.
Several minutes later, Sara pulled away while they still had some control. She did lean close enough again to whisper in his ear, "For the record, I haven't had chocolate in days."
Smiling widely, he blurted out, "I love you."
Sara froze. "What?"
Grissom placed his palm to her check. "In the spirit of no more secrets, I said 'I love you.'" This time, he used sign language in addition to his voice.
She repeated the signs back to him. "I love you too."
One more kiss sealed the deal. "You know, there might be something to these spa treatments."
"Why do you say that?"
"My body, mind, and spirit feel pretty incredible right now."
Fin