Disclaimer: Duh, not mine. If they were… well, it's probably best that they aren't hehehe.
Category: Cath/Griss, Nick/Sara, fluff
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Lady Heather's Box? If that was the one that dealt with Eddie… Otherwise, I don't think any others but I can't promise.
Author: Traci traci_ann@yahoo.com
Summary: Grissom has managed to arrange for his CSI team to go somewhere special for New Year's Eve but when Lindsey's babysitter fails to show up will the team be minus Catherine?
Thanks to Tracy for reading and for the title… she triple dog dared me to infinity plus 1 to use this title – so I had to.
Just Another Cheesy NYE Story
Lindsey Willows grinned widely as she watched her mother get dressed.
"I know you're up to something. Spill." Catherine Willows' eyes never left the mirror as she continued applying her makeup.
"Nothing, Mom."
"Linds…"
"It's New Year's Eve. That's all. I'm just excited." The ten-year old bounced on the bed. "I get to stay up late."
Catherine turned to face her daughter. "You get to stay up late on weekends. So, what is it?"
Lindsey's blue eyes suddenly found the rest of the room fascinating as she looked everywhere but at her mother. "Who's going to watch me tonight?"
"Uh-uh. Sometimes I think you're too much like me. What are you up to?"
"You're, well…" Her eyes twinkled. "You're spending New Year's Eve with Uncle Gil."
"Yes."
The girl sighed. "Don't you get it, Mom? New Year's Eve. The person you spend it with will be who you spend the year with."
Smiling, Catherine added, "I'll also be there with Warrick and Nick."
She rolled her eyes. "But you don't like them. Not like you and Uncle Gil like each other."
"What in the world would you give you that idea?"
"Oh come on. I may only be ten but I'm not stupid."
Turning back to the mirror, Catherine continued getting ready. "It's only the office party."
"Whatever." Lindsey hopped off the bed and skipped out of the room.
*********************
Nick Stokes pulled his truck up beside the curb of his boss' condo.
"Thanks again, Nick."
He smiled and looked at his passenger, one tall, brunette woman. "I'm not so sure I buy the old 'the car wouldn't start' excuse, but you're welcome."
"It wouldn't!" Sara Sidle argued back.
Nick laughed. "Sara, relax. I'm only teasing." He continued to look at her. "You look beautiful by the way."
Her eyes met his and she found herself speechless. "Th…thanks, Nick."
"You should wear dresses more often," he whispered.
"Yeah," she chuckled. "Heels would do wonders in the lab."
"You'd probably find our reports would come back faster," he grinned.
"Come on, let's get inside," she said, reaching for the door handle. "Before this conversation gets even stranger."
He watched her as she stepped out of the truck. He had never figured Sara as a dress-up person but the full-length gown she had chosen along with the soft swirls of brown that framed her face that evening… Swallowing hard, he grabbed the keys and met her on the walkway.
*********************
When Gil Grissom opened the door confusion clouded his eyes.
"My car wouldn't start," Sara quickly stated, pushing past him into the living room.
Nick merely shrugged off his look and followed her.
"Where's everyone else?" she asked, turning to face Grissom.
"Warrick was picking up a… lady friend of his," he said with a tiny grin. "Brass got a last minute call, Greg is on his way and Catherine is waiting for the babysitter to arrive." Walking towards the kitchen, he stopped and turned back to his guests. "By the way, Sara, you look very nice."
She blushed. "Thank you."
Nick nudged her. "I think someone just got brownie points."
"Shut up," she hissed.
A knock at the door spared the fight. Nick opened it and let Greg Sanders inside.
"You would not believe the…" He stopped when he saw Sara. "Wow!"
"You know, from the way you guys are reacting I wonder what I look like every other day!" Sara sat on the couch.
Nick and Greg looked at each other.
"Hi, Greg," Grissom said, returning with two drinks, handing them to Nick and Sara. He then looked between the three. "Did I miss something?"
"Not a thing," Sara said.
Greg sat on a nearby chair while Nick took a seat beside Sara.
"Griss, do you need help with anything?"
He shook his head. "With you guys it's pretty easy." Glancing at his watch, he then looked towards the door.
"She'll be here in time," Nick chuckled.
"What? Who?"
Sara shook her head. "Come on, Grissom, it's been obvious for a long time"
Grissom looked to Greg for some possible clarification.
"Catherine. The reason all the guys in the CSI department look forward to going to work."
"We're not…"
"We all know that too," Sara added. "Why you two aren't… we don't know."
"And you're not…" There was another knock on the door. He opened it and stepped aside to let in Warrick Brown, solo.
"Uh, where is…"
"Don't ask."
Grissom smiled. "Something to drink?"
"The strongest thing you have. Thanks." He stopped short when he was Sara. "Sara, wow, you look…"
"I wouldn't, Buddy," Nick added quickly.
"Shut up," she told Nick. "Let him finish."
"Uh, I think I just stop with you look great." After greeting everyone, he looked around. "Where's Catherine."
"Still waiting for the babysitter," Grissom announced, handing a drink to Warrick. "Looks like it's going to be just us," he told them, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Our reservations are for nine-thirty so I guess we should get going."
"You still haven't told us where we're going," Sara said.
"That's by design." Locking the door behind him, he followed them to his SUV.
*********************
"Mom, I can look after myself. Just go."
Catherine shook her head. "I know you think you're old enough but no."
"So you're willing to miss out on New Year's with Uncle Gil just to stay home with boring me?" she teased, staring up at her mother from the floor.
"Yes and trust me, honey, you are far from boring."
Lindsey studied her mother for a moment. "You're too pretty to be staying at home tonight. Why don't I try calling some of my friends to see if I can stay with one of them?"
Smiling, Catherine played with her daughter's hair. "Jessie said she'd be here soon."
"You know I want to hear all about what happens when you get home, right?"
"I couldn't hide anything from you if I wanted to."
"Good."
*************************
Grissom pulled up to the MGM Grand hotel.
"The party is in there?" Greg asked.
He nodded.
"Griss, there is only one party held in this hotel and it's very exclusive," Warrick stated.
"I know." He stepped out of the SUV and handed the keys to the valet who, in turn, waited for the others to exit the vehicle.
"How did you get us in?" Sara asked, fidgeting with her outfit.
"Someone owed me a favor."
"If you were a suspect we'd be very annoyed by now with the lack of details," Nick reminded him.
"Just go in," Grissom laughed.
The ballroom was decorated in crystal and white lights. 'Winter Wonderland' was the theme of the year. Large ice sculptures in the shapes of snowmen and snowflakes were placed around the room.
"This is amazing," Sara said quietly to Nick as they, along with Greg, ventured further into the crowd.
Warrick pulled Grissom aside. "Did you tell Catherine where we were going?"
He shook his head. "It was a surprise."
"You may want to call her and let her know in case the sitter does show up."
***********************
"Hello?"
"I take it the sitter hasn't gotten there yet."
Catherine sighed while biting back tears. "No. I don't think she's going to show."
"Is there anyone else you can call? What about your sister?"
"Gil, it's ten o'clock on New Year's Eve. No one is going to be around and Nancy is away visiting her husband's family. Looks like you guys will be spending it without me."
"I could… I could come over if you wanted," he offered.
She smiled. "No, it's okay. Lindsey and I will watch some cheesy specials then Dick Clark. You stay wherever you guys are and have fun."
"Are you sure? Because I was really… well… are you sure?"
Through misty eyes, she looked at her daughter who was sitting in the living room channel surfing. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"If you do find a sitter we're at the MGM Grand."
Her blue eyes widened. "How on earth did you manage that?"
"Our new sheriff owed me a rather large favor," he told her.
"Must have been huge. I'm sorry I have to miss it, Gil."
"So am I. Happy New Year, Catherine."
Swallowing hard, she managed to say, "Happy New Year, Gil," before her voice caught on her tears.
Lindsey walked in as her mom hung up the phone and immediately hugged her. "Mom, please, let me try Gwen. They weren't doing anything for New Years and I know her parents wouldn't mind."
Catherine merely nodded.
********************
"Do you think we should skip out and watch Lindsey?" Sara asked while dancing with Nick.
He looked at her.
She nodded back to the table where Grissom had been sitting all night. Presently he was engaged in conversation with Warrick while Greg was off dancing with some lady he met there.
"Oh." He glanced at his watch. "Sara, it's quarter to twelve. We'd never make it in time."
"Do you think this is the first New Year's they haven't celebrated together?"
"She was married for a few years there."
Sara shrugged. "Something tells me that made no difference."
Nick's eyes found those of his dance partner. "I thought you had a thing for Grissom. Why are you so worried about him and Catherine?"
She smiled. "I used to have a thing for Grissom. He made it very clear it wasn't going to happen and I finally opened my eyes and saw why."
"I'd say it's his loss but he's had it bad for Catherine for as long as I've known him." He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. "Besides, if he'd gone for you then I would have missed out." With that he slowly lowered his face until his lips lightly grazed hers then pulled back. "Happy New Year, Sara."
With wide eyes, she stammered, "It…it's not… New Year's yet."
He grinned. "I know. Just wanted to end this one the right way and in about ten minutes I plan on starting the new one the same way, if it's alright with you."
Her lips grew into a large smile. "I couldn't think of a better way to begin it."
*********************
"It's not the same without Catherine here," Warrick sighed.
"I would have told her to bring Lindsey but…"
Warrick nodded. "Adults only."
Grissom stared at the cell phone sitting on the table.
"Go call her." Off Grissom's look, he added, "I've known you two almost as long as you've known each other. You want to call her; she wants you to call her. Just do it. It's better than you both sitting around and being completely miserable."
"I don't understand what changed," Grissom admitted.
"You two have been through a lot more personal stuff together over the last couple of years. Maybe with Eddie's death… I don't know. Maybe it was one last excuse you both had."
"I can't believe I'm even discussing this."
Smiling, Warrick said, "Don't worry, it does not go beyond the two of us. It's almost midnight, go call her."
Picking up the cell phone, Grissom pushed his way through the crowd to the door.
*******************
The phone rang a number of times before Grissom finally gave up and hung up. Taking a deep breath, he sat on a nearby bench watching all the couples walking in and out of the building. Horns blew and confetti fell around him as the clock struck twelve. His cell phone rang and, figuring it to be his friends inside, he hesitated to answer. "Grissom."
"So do you always spend New Years at exclusive parties sitting outside by yourself?"
He jumped up and looked around. "Where are you?"
"You're a CSI. You figure it out."
He turned around in a full circle before seeing his caller up close and personal. He smiled, still on the phone. "I should call the police and alert them of a stalker."
"You could," came the response. "But then you'd miss out on this." Catherine hung up her phone, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers.
He dropped his phone.
"Happy New Year, Gil," she whispered, breaking the kiss.
"Happy New Year, Catherine." He pulled her close and held her tight. "I'm glad you made it."
She laughed and looked at him. "I bet you are."
Grissom blushed. "That wasn't what I meant." He then got his first full look at her. "Are you trying to give me a heart-attack?"
She stepped back out of his arms and turned around for him. "You like?" She had opted for a full-length red dress with a low-scoop back. Her strawberry-blonde hair hung in tiny ringlets around her face.
He pulled her close once again. "I do and I don't want to share you with anyone else's wandering eyes."
Her tiny laugh was silenced when he kissed her. Neither jumped at the sound of applause coming from beside them.
"I see you managed to get here after all," Warrick said, giving her a hug. "And none to soon might I add. You look beautiful, as always."
She smiled at him. "Thankfully Lindsey knew who to call. She's staying at a friend's house tonight."
Grissom, keeping one arm around Catherine's waist, looked around. "Where's Greg?"
"Think we lost him to some brunette inside," Nick grinned.
"Uh, anyone mind if we take this inside?" Sara shivered. "It's a little colder for those of us in dresses you know."
Grissom and Catherine walked in after the others hand in hand. He immediately led her out to the dance floor and pulled her close, swaying gently.
"I didn't know you danced."
"There are a few things you still don't know about me," he whispered. "But I suspect you'll be finding out soon."
She smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. "And I look forward to it. I think this may be my favorite year ever… well… aside from the year Lindsey was born."
"That goes without saying," he whispered back, nuzzling her neck. "I love you," he softly said without realizing it.
She pulled back to see his eyes. "Do you mean it?"
As the shock subsided, he nodded. "Yes. I love you, Catherine."
"Good because I love you too, Gil."
Their lips met in their third kiss of the evening. The party around them faded as they swayed together to the music, lost completely in each other.
The others sat at their table. Sara looked between the three men. "I do believe this means I won."
Greg shook his head. "No way. I said New Years too."
Sara turned to him, no one realizing her hand was resting comfortably in Nick's under the table. "No way, Sanders. You had New Years Day. I had New Year's Eve."
"But it happened right at midnight," he argued. "That technically makes it day."
"Face it, Greg, you're not going to win this one," Warrick laughed.
Nick squeezed Sara's hand, indicating he wanted another dance before the night ended.
As they reached the dance floor, Greg turned to Warrick. "I may have lost the one about Grissom and Catherine but I know I won the one on Nick and Sara."
"That you did," Warrick agreed with a smile. "That you did."
The End