Disclaimer: CSI belongs to CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Author's Note: Written in response to V-Day challenge. Bold words had to be used.
V-Day Surprises
By
MBInc
"So, what are you guys gonna do for Valentine's Day?" Greg asked as he plopped down on the couch in the break room. "Any special plans?" he added as he grabbed a console and started up some racing game.
"I'm gonna take Tina out for dinner, some dancing, roses…you know, the whole nine yards," Warrick replied as he too took a seat on the couch and picked up a console. "What about you , Nick?" Warrick threw over his shoulder, his eyes not once leaving the TV screen.
"Nah, Carla and I broke up two weeks ago," he answered. "So, no special Valentine's Day for me."
"Aw, poor Nicky," Catherine said as she put the newspaper she'd been reading back on the table. "What happened?"
"Just wasn't working for the both of us, so we decided it was better to be just friends," he shrugged.
"Don't worry Nick," the strawberry blonde huffed as she looked over the square-jawed Texan's head and spotted her lover. "You're not the only one with an uneventful Valentine's Day."
"Oh? How come?" Nick asked surprised.
"Someone had to go to some conference all the way in Boston," Catherine huffed as she glared at Sara's back.
"Hey," Sara started as she turned around. "It was not my idea. Grissom-"
"Yeah. I know, I know," Catherine interrupted. "It's just…I wanted us to spend some time together. This year without a gunfight interrupting our plans."
Sara placed her mug on the kitchen counter and stepped over to where the strawberry blonde was seated. "I'm sorry, babe. I also hoped things would be different this year," she said as her hands rested on her lover's shoulders.
Catherine leaned back into the brunette's touch, the tension in her entire body vanishing through the brunette's magical hands.
"You know I'll make it up to you once I'm back," Sara smiled.
The older woman noticed the gleam in her lover's hazel eyes. She knew she would be in for a treat. Just as she was about to speak up she was interrupted by her pager.
Standing up she turned in her lover's arms. "I'm counting on it," she smirked before placing a chaste kiss on the brunette's lips. "Gotta go, Brass needs me."
"I'll see you at home," Sara said as she let go of the older woman.
"Later guys," the strawberry blonde quipped, receiving a few muttered 'later' and 'see ya'-s from her friends as she headed out of the room.
"Finally," Sara huffed as she walked back to where she'd left her coffee. "I thought she'd never leave. Let's hope Brass found that photo from last week's B&E I told him about. He said he'd try to stall her as much as possible," she muttered before picking up her mug and gulping down the last of the black liquid.
"Huh?" Nick looked at the tall woman. "What are you talking about?"
"Duh," Greg started. "Sara asked us to help her with her surprise for Catherine."
"Help? How?" the square-jawed Texan asked.
"By keeping up the story of her being sent to Boston the 13th," the ex lab-rat said.
"So there is no-"
"Conference, no," Sara interrupted. "Last year's V-Day was a complete failure and so, this year I want to make up for it."
"So, what's the rest of your master plan? Is there something I can do for you?" Nick asked as he suddenly became very curious about the brunette's intentions.
"Well," Sara said, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Tomorrow I'm supposedly off to Boston, but there are some things I need to do without Catherine knowing I'm still here, in Vegas. I'll need to do some grocery shopping, then I have to pick up some stuff at home, fill a picnic basket. Then on the 14th Lindsey needs to be picked up from school and brought to Nancy's…" she rattled off, her mind going through all that needed to be done. "But first I need to stop by at the jewelry store."
"Really?" Warrick spoke up as he put his console down, suddenly losing interest in the racing game. "And what is it that you need to do there?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Ineedtopickuparing," Sara muttered quickly, her face turning beet-red as three pairs of eyes focused on her.
"Come again?"
"Ring," the brunette answered. "I need to pick up a ring."
"As in, you know," Greg started. "An-"
"Yes," Sara quipped.
"Wow," the youngest CSI said. "You really are going all the way this year."
"You know what," Nick spoke up. "We'll make sure Lindsey's taken well care off. Where are you planning to stay while you're in Boston?" he smirked.
"That's were I come in," Greg piped up. "You're staying at my place, right?"
"If it's not too much trouble," Sara said.
"No problem at all," the young guy answered. "And if you tell me what you need I'll even go grocery shopping."
"That would be great, thanks. All of you," the brunette sincerely said. She checked her watch and headed for the doorway. "Sorry guys, I need to go now. Greg, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that said the brunette headed out of the break room and towards the exit.
-----
"Linds?" Catherine called as she was busy fixing breakfast.
"Yeah mom?" the little blonde asked as she walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
"Why don't you and I do something fun today? We could go to the zoo, see that young baby elephant that was born last week?"
"I've got school till four," the blonde huffed. "Then I have ballet class. Can't we go tomorrow?"
Catherine sighed. With today being Valentine's Day and Sara not around, she had hoped to spend some quality time with Lindsey. But it was useless –it seemed as if her Valentine's Days were forever doomed.
"Yeah sweety," she finally spoke up as she placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her daughter. "We'll go tomorrow."
Lindsey, noticing the sad expression on her mother's face, stood up and grabbed the cordless phone from the counter. "Why don't you give her a call, wish her a happy Valentine's Day?" the girl said as she held out the phone to her mother.
Catherine looked at the phone then at her daughter. "That sounds like a good idea, bit I think she's already at the conference, so she won't even have her cell turned on."
"You can always try," Lindsey quipped as she pushed the apparatus into her mother's hands.
"You're right," Catherine smiled at her daughter.
She dialed the number she knew by heart and waited, already expecting to reach the brunette's voicemail. After a few rings it was answered.
"Sidle"
"Sara?" Catherine asked, surprised to catch the brunette. "Hasn't the congress started yet?"
"Erm…No, ten minutes. They just informed us that the first speaker's caught in traffic and that he could be here any minute now."
"Oh," Catherine replied. "Well, I just wanted to say happy Valentine's Day."
"You too, babe. And remember what I said, huh? You know I always keep my promise."
"Yeah," Catherine smirked, her mind already wondering about what Sara had in mind. She suddenly heard someone mutter something to Sara. That voice sounded familiar…
"Listen, Cath. I gotta go. I love you and I'll see you soon."
"Love you too," the older woman replied, her mind still processing the familiar sounding voice she had heard. Just as she put the phone back in the cradle it dawned upon her.
Greg.
The voice she had heard was Greg's. This had her puzzled. Did Ecklie make him go to that conference as well? She hadn't seen him at last night's shift, but hadn't heard him talking about going to Boston either.
-----
"You idiot! She could have heard you!" Sara said after she'd snapped her phone shut , slapping Greg on the back of his head as she waslked over to the table.
"Ouch! Sorry, but there's this guy at the door with a delivery for you," Greg said as he pointed over his shoulder to the door of his appartment where a man was waiting with some kind of white box in his hands.
"Ah, good. The roses," the brunette said as she walked over to the deliveryman. After paying him, receiving the box, and seeing him off, Sara walked back into the small kitchen of Greg's appartment.
"Alright, let's see. Picninc basket, check. Roses, check. Nick'll pick up Lindsey, right?" the tall woman asked as she perused through her bag.
"Yeah. He's even taking her to balletclass," Greg smirked. "And afterwards I'll pick her up and bring her to Nancy's. Lindsey already knows and said she'd play along."
"Good, good," Sara muttered, frustration settling more and more as she apparently couldn't find what she was looking for.
Greg, seeing the frustrated brunette, figured out what Sara was searching. He walked over to where her jacket was draped across a chair and reached into one of the pockets, pulling out a small black box. Holding it up in the air he said, "Looking for this?"
Sara's head snapped up and she spotted the black box in her friend's hand.
"You put it in there last night, remember?" Greg said as he walked over to the brunette and handed her the box. "That way you wouldn't forget it."
"Ah, right," Sara blushed.
"So," Greg started. "Are you nervous?"
"A little," the brunette replied as she carefully opened the box to check its content. "But it's a good nervous," she smiled as she put the box in her pocket.
She checker her watch and noticed Catherine would be on her way to bring Lindsey to school, and so it was time to head over to the Willows'
"Wish me luck," Sara said as she grabbed the picnic basket and box filled with roses.
"Like you need it," Greg quipped to the retreating back of the brunette.
-----
As she reached Catherine's place Sara quickly brought her stuff inside, then went back put to park her car out of sight. Inside she put the box filled with roses in plain sight on the coffee table and hid herself in the kitchen. She would be able to see the strawberry blonde's reaction unnoticed.
Just as she'd found her hideout, the front door opened and Catherine walked in. The strawberry blonde immediately spotted the roses and headed over. Her fingers started to trace the soft, red petals and Sara could see she was trying to figure out where they'd came from.
The brunette silently krept out of the kitchen and walked over to Catherine, but before she reached the shorter woman, Catherine turned and faced her.
"I thought something was up the minute I realized I heard Greg," Catherine smirked.
"Busted," Sara replied shlyly as she took the last step to her lover and embraced her, pulling Catherine as close as possible. Cupping the strawberry blonde's chin she urged blue eyes to look up. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said before claiming Catherine's lips in a fierce kiss.
"You too," the strawberry blonde replied into the kiss.
Sara, suddenly becoming serious, backed away a bit, creating some space between them. "Catherine, there is something that I need to tell you, well more ask you…well," the brunette started to ramble.
"We've been together now for almost two and a half years. And it's been wonderful. I love you and Lindsey very much. You make me feel safe. I trust you both with my heart, with my enitre being. I can only hope I can give you all that you have given me," Sara said as she kneeled down and reached for the small box.
"Catherine Willows, I give you my heart, I give you my everything. Will you take me as your wife?" she asked as she opened the box, revealing a beautiful engagement ring.
Tears started to fall from the strawberry blonde's eyes as she started to tug at the brunette's hands. She pulled her up and into a bone-crushing hug.
"Is that a yes?" Sara inquired after a few minutes.
"Of course it is," Catherine smiled before kissing the taller woman.
Sara reached for Catherine's hand and placed the ring on her finger. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Good. Now, let's go for a nice romantic picnic," the brunette said as she entwined her fingers with Catherine's and led her out, grabbing the basket on her way out.
"A picnic?"
"Yes, and once we're back here you'll get dessert," Sara said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively as she closed the door behind them.
The End
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