Thank goodness for the 3000 word limit, I passed the 1500 mark halfway through.
My attempt at the Holiday FanFic Challenge, and also my second story ever. Please be kind.
Nice fluff, GSR and hopefully you'll like the attempts at humor.
Rated PG or T or whatever for a little bit of innuendo here and there. .
Thanks to those who gave the nice encouragement and reviews of my first story, I don't think I would have written anything else without it.
No spoilers, no real time-frame, just nice Holiday fun and fluff.
Once again I sadly do not own any of the characters or CSI, but one can wish can't they? Guess what's on my Christmas wish list?
Oh and Sara's book is a made up one, at least the title is, I'm not sure if there is such a book of that kind out there. Please read and review.
How the Grissom saved Christmas.
"Ho Ho Ho!" echoed off the walls of the crime lab as the bearded figure of Nick Stokes clomped down the hallway towards the break room. People in the various rooms of the building poked their heads out and stared in wonder at the spectacle before them. Nick wasn't the only one to arrive at work this evening in the holiday spirit, for coming from other directions were the also bearded figures of Warrick Brown and Greg Sanders in various forms of a Santa suit.
"Hey what gives?" moaned the Santa with shades. "I was supposed to be Santa tonight."
"Says who?" replied the other two Santa's pulling off beards and hats to reveal the faces of Nick and Warrick. "Why would you get to be Santa, Greg? Isn't it obvious that the perfect choice for Santa is …"
"Me" yelled Brass, as he made his way into the break room pushing through the three other Santa's and plopping himself into the nearest chair. "You're all to young to be Santa, and since there was no way in the world we'd ever see Grissom in a Santa suit the best man for the job was me."
"True, true." Replied the other men as they pulled off their beards and parts of their suits. The mental picture of Grissom in a Santa suit was one that just wouldn't form in their heads so they knew that Brass was right.
"Besides, Catherine forced me to do this under threats of torture by her and I don't want to go down that road."
"Yeah, Cat's got some weird and interesting ways to torture people." mumbled Warrick mostly to himself, not realizing that he said it louder than he did.
"Oh yeah, my friend, how weird and interesting?" drawled Nick. "C'mon spill the details."
"Details on what, Nicky?" asked Catherine as she entered the room with a bow stuck in her hair.
"Umm nothing Cath, nothing, just shooting the breeze with my buddy Warrick here."
"Sure you were."
"Where are Sara and Grissom?"
"If those two Scrooges think they can get out of this party, they are sorely mistaken." fumed Catherine. "I know they're both still here, 'cause their cars are in the parking lot."
"It's not time for the party to start yet so give them til then and if they're not here yet, then we'll go and hunt them down and drag them here, ok?", Brass replied dryly.
"Well, lets get started setting this up, before Ecklie decides to kick us out of the building."
"Tell me again, why we're having this here instead of at a bar or at...", Nick trailed off.
"Catherine's house?", suggested Warrick and Greg simultaneously.
"My house?...not with Lindsey and my mom living with me, no way."
"This was the only way to get all of us together at one time and to not let Sara or Grissom worm their way out of a social gathering. You know how those two are?"
"If I know Grissom, he's hiding out in his office, and Sara is hiding in some corner of a lab room. The both of them nose deep in cases and trying not to be found."
"Yeah, hey lets get the rest of the decorations and supplies set up."
Gil Grissom was in fact hiding out in his office, trying to keep his mind on the work before him, but managed to just sit there with a silly grin on his face as he recalled Sara mouthing the words to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" last night. Knowing every line and mimicking the facial expressions of said Grinch became too much for Grissom to just idly sit by and not laugh. As he broke out in a helpless fit of loud chuckles from deep inside his belly, Sara turned a lovely shade of pink and threw a pillow at him, catching him off guard and knocking the crossword puzzle out of his hands.
"Ok, Sidle, that's gonna cost you" he teased her as she tackled him from her end of the couch. "Santa's still checking his list and I'm gonna tell him that you're not being a good girl, and that he should leave you a pile of coal."
"Oh yeah?, well I know a few things about you Gil Grissom, that would take you permanently off the good boy list, so lets see who ends up with the coal."
All the while, a mad tickling war was waged by both sides which ended up with them falling off the couch. Wistfully sighing at the wonderful memory of Sara's smile and the sound of her laughter, Gil turned back to his desk and resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get any work done so why try. It took him ten seconds to get out of his chair and pull off the mistletoe that someone (Catherine) had tried to hide above his door in an attempt to ambush him.
"Nice try guys, but not even close.", he muttered and set off in search of a certain lanky brunette of his dreams.
Sara was striding down the hall towards the coffeepot when she felt herself pulled into a darkened lab and kissed deeply on her lips. Muffling the surprised yelp in her throat, she instantly recognized the large gentle hands of the one person she loved most in this world.
"Gil, what are you doing, we're at work or don't you remember your rules?", she whispered in the dark, half nervous and half thrilled to be kissing Grissom in the lab.
"I had to, see, there's mistletoe, and you know how I love to follow rules.", he murmured around her lips, feeling the excitement and nervousness snapping in the air around them.
"I know you do, but we'd better control ourselves and pretend to be the Scrooges our friends and co-workers think we are or we are so busted."
"Ok, fine, I'll behave but only till we leave, then…" he left his threat of romantic retribution unfinished as he heard the undeniable sound of Catherine Willows barking orders at them as she located the only two missing from the nightshifts Christmas party.
"Hey you two get your buns in there or do I have to get mean? There is no way you two bah humbugs are skipping out on the party and gift exchange…AGAIN!!!"
"Well, I'm the bah, and I guess that makes Grissom the humbug, huh Griss? Get it, humbug..bug…get it"
"Funny, Sidle, too funny, yes Catherine we're coming. Sheese skip the party one year and you're branded for life."
"One year!!! You guys have come up with every excuse in the book, so no more stalling, and get happy dammit!!!"
Trudging along behind her, Sara and Grissom made faces at Catherine's back while trying to stifle the laughter that was threatening to escape from their lips.
The break room was festively decorated in abundance, so abundant that it looked like twelve Christmas decoration stores exploded in there and covered everything that could be covered with garlands, lights and other holiday motifs.
"Wow, which elf went nuts in here?"
"I had help" Greg admitted as he gestured at Nick and Warrick, who had planted themselves on the couch waiting for the rest to show up. "All right, we're all here, so let's get down to the presents!", Greg exclaimed as he jumped from chair to chair.
"Right, everyone get their gifts and meet back here immediately." Lockers clanged open and shut while other cupboards and drawers were quickly emptied as everyone came back with their gifts for the teams' annual gift exchange.
"All right, has everyone been good boys and girls this year?" said an amused Jim Brass. "Sanders, no lying to Santa, he knows and sees all." "Nice suit Jim, what's Cath got on you?" Grissom jokingly told his friend with an arch of an eyebrow and a faint twitch of his mouth. "Nothing, but can you see Stokes, Brown or Sanders filling the role of the big man in the red suit? Besides, Cath is downright intimidating when she wants to be.". "I know that, believe me. When she's on a mission it's best to just stay out of her way or give in immediately." At that point Catherine turned around and poked Grissom in the shoulder saying through mock ferocity, "Talking about me boys? Not a good idea when I know where you both live." After a few more jokes the team sat around the big table with their gifts that they bought for each other.
"Aww, thanks Sara, I love the earrings.", said Catherine. "I'm glad, and thanks for the scarf, it's my favorite color."
"Ooh a new game for the X-Box, all right, any takers?"
"Hey, who's trying to be funny and give me the fake shares of Krispy Kreme stock?", Brass said with a hint of indignation in his voice.
"They're not fakes and we all chipped in and bought you them. You know what they say about cops and donuts.", explained Grissom while trying to maintain as straight a face as long as he could.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team were starting to lose their self-control and laugh until their sides hurt. "Ha ha ha, well when I'm rolling in dough from Krispy Kreme, I'll remember the laughs from all of you, and I don't mean donut dough either!"
"Aw c'mon Brass, don't get all fried and frosty with us, you know we love ya!!!", sputtered Sara, trying to keep her sides from aching. "Yeah, yeah, yeah.", Brass replied with a happy grin.
"Nice chess set Warrick, you get that from Griss?" "yeah, hey thanks Griss, I'll have to challenge you later."
"Anytime, anytime, umm hey who gave me this present?", Gil said holding up a t-shirt that read "Entomologists make better larva's".
Nobody said a word as Grissom held up his t-shirt and looked around as the room exploded in laughter. Warrick and Nick fell off their chairs while Catherine and Sara collapsed together on the couch laughing out loud while shaking their heads in denial. "Greg, this has you written all over it!", Grissom pointed at the youngest member of his team.
"I swear on Papa Olaf, it wasn't me, honest!!! I don't have a death wish or a yearning for decomps for a year."
"Confess now and I'll go easy on you, make me wait and we'll see who's laughing.", Grissom said while using his best intimidation smile.
Still no one gave in and confessed until Catherine threw a wad of wrapping paper at him and said "oh lighten up Scroogie, it was a gag! We all pitched in and got our illustrious leader a bounty of gifts that you will be sure to enjoy." Catherine handed him a box with various items in it. "The season passes for the top four roller coasters in Vegas are from Warrick, Nick, Greg, and Doc Robbins. We know you have a season pass already, but these are for when that one expires and for the other two you hopefully don't have. I got you a computer simulation game to create your own amusement park and roller coaster. Jim got you a nice bottle of scotch to celebrate after riding all those roller coasters and Sara got you…what did you get him Sara?"
"Oh um, I got you a Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly. It's all mounted and everything and I hope you don't have one, but you probably do, so anyway I hope you like it."
"I love it, thank you Sara, it's a truly beautiful butterfly. Did you know it's the largest in the world? Well thank you everyone, I truly love these gifts, and I wasn't really going to inflict much pain and torture on you all for the t-shirt. Although I am keeping the shirt too."
"Hey Sara, what'd you get from Grissom? Is it another bug book or what?" Greg asked as he bounced up and down. "Sorry, too much of Doc Robbins's homemade fudge and Mandy's cookies, need to get some coffee quick."
"Yeah Sar, what did you get?"
"Ok, ok I'll open it. But no comments from the peanut gallery over there.", Sara laughed as she tore open her gift from Grissom. "Hmm feels like a book," she said as the last of the paper fell off and revealed its contents for all to see. Silence permeated the room as Vegetable Aphrodisiacs: How to seduce your lover with non-meat treats, fell out on the table with a thud. Seven mouths fell open as seven sets of eyes grew wide eyed with a mixture of shock, horror, humiliation and downright disbelief.
"What the hell is that?" cried Catherine who managed to form words first.
Huge grins started to replace the various shocked looks as it slowly dawned on them what was going on between Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle.
"What have you been doing? When did you two start this? Why wasn't I told anything?", Catherine was going a mile a minute as Grissom just stood by Sara and looked like he was struck by a truck.
"Please Catherine, not here while Ecklie and his spies are around. In a while I'll tell you something, but keep a lid on this til we are someplace else." , Gil finally spoke in a hushed tone to the indignant woman before him. "Lets all go out for breakfast afterwards so that we can clear a few things up with everyone."
Sara in the meantime was sitting in her chair turning various shades of red, as she looked at her present and at Grissom and back to her present again. Gil leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Sorry honey, I got the packages mixed up at the house. This was supposed to be for when we were alone. I'm really sorry for embarrassing you like this, and for giving away our secret."
"That's ok, they should have figured us out by now, seeing as how they're supposed to be some of the best investigators around. Oh and I hope you get hungry later." , she said with a wink of an eye. Looking at the lovely face before him, Gil pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her much to the delight of their friends. "This close, I was this close man,", groaned Nick as he handed cash to Warrick. "Not another betting pool.", Sara sighed, happy to be around the people she cared the most for and to finally let it be known that her and Gil were a couple.
"Grissom, getting a tad close to your underlings aren't you?", sneered Ecklie as he slithered into the room.
"That's what happens when you're a team, Conrad. You look out for each other and support one another, and besides, tradition mandated it, see the mistletoe?"
"You'll support yourself out of a job if you're not careful.", whined the petty little man.
"Ah well, that may be, but who should I find under the mistletoe earlier today, Conrad? On second thought, there wasn't any mistletoe around you or Sophia was there? Wonder how Mrs. Ecklie feels about mistletoe? Do we understand each other Conrad?"
"Fine, just try to control yourself and your people.", he spat out as he left the room.
"Wow, Gil, nice set you have there.", Catherine said in awe.
"Yes they are," Sara muttered in a mischievous tone.
"Ugh, lah lah lah lah lah, too much info, please!", said Greg as he pretended to gag.
"Greg, two words, decomp duty." Grissom told him with a smile.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm very happy for you boss, you too Sara. Couldn't have happened to a better couple.", Greg grinned at the two of them.
"Well now that the gifts are all given and shift is truly over, how about we all get some waffles?", Brass offered.
"Great idea, we'll all be there.", said Grissom.
"I'll join you as soon as I get this suit off."
"To the Waffle House!", shouted Greg and Nick.
Everyone was leaving the break room with their gifts and goodies for later, when they caught Hodges and Sophia under the mistletoe.
"Oh man, this is too much.", commented Warrick.
"Ewww both Ecklie AND Hodges? I think I just lost my appetite."
"I think I need a drink."
"I second that, drinks for all to get that image out of our heads."
"Bring on the roast beast!!!", smirked Grissom, as he poked Sara in the ribs, "Merry Christmas Bah." "Merry Christmas Humbug.", Sara replied sweetly, as she grabbed Gil's hand and walked out into the cool early morning.