The Best Christmas in Vegas
Christmas in Vegas was like putting on an extended party, at least that was how Sage saw it when the businesses and private homes took their time to decorate. It was to be her first Christmas in Vegas since she joined Grissom's team at the crime lab and while folks like her mother would have insisted on coming over and making a fuss, she really didn't want that and she didn't want to go home either since there was the distinct possibility of people being busybodies and poking fun at her life. Plus there were the comparisons between her and the cousins and her sister. More of a headache than the good cheer she had and missed when she was growing up.
She had sent her usual cards and apologies to her mother that she was not coming home and made plans to curl up on her sofa and drink egg nog and watch the sappy Christmas movies. She entertained the possibility of going to one of the casinos and their holiday shindigs for the hell of it. There was plenty to keep busy she mused as she went into the break room to help herself to one of the cookies she had brought.
Part of her fun was bringing in the treats and leaving them open for the taking. She had heard the speculation as to who had brought them and she had her laughs and giggles at every suggestion from Judy the receptionist to Ecklie actually having a heart. She had been bringing them the last couple of days and she had caught a few people going back for seconds or hoarding them and it made her smile. It helped guide what she gave her neighbors and she wasn't even done yet. She was saving the best for last.
Absently she chewed the cookie as she poured coffee and prayed that it was decent swill. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either and the cookie helped to offset the taste. It also gave her time to think about how she planned to do her last distribution.
"Please tell me that's decent coffee."
Sage turned to see Nick coming in looking like he was ready to collapse. They had all been working hard on this double homicide that was a twist and turn and a real holiday bummer. She had been stuck on interviews and statements as well as working blood spatter with Catherine. It was why she was taking a break and apparent Nick was too. She replied, "Have a cookie. It makes it better."
Nick nearly grumbled but poured a cup. Bad coffee was better than none when you had pulled a double working surveillance with Warrick working an audio. He took a taste and made a face, "God."
Sage held out a cookie, "Like I said, have a cookie."
Nick took it after making a face at her. He watched what she did and tried it. He acquiesced, "Okay that was better." He took a bite of the cookie, "Say these are good."
"I know," Sage agreed, being her usual self. She wasn't going to tell. It was too funny to pass up. "Reminds me of Mama's baking but she wasn't this good. Sometimes she left burnt taste on the bottom."
Nick eyed Sage a bit suspiciously. "Charred bottom? Seriously Parker?"
"Dead on," Sage replied as she finished her cup. She made a slight face since it was cold by then. She waved what was left of her cookie and said, "These are better. Any idea who brought them?"
"No idea. Archie said Judy did and someone said that it was Ecklie," Nick replied repeating what he had heard earlier when he overheard people munching on them and commenting. "Someone said it was Grissom."
"Really?" Sage looked astounded. It was hard not to laugh. "I didn't know Grissom could bake."
"No proof of it. I can say though that I couldn't make something this good. The best thing I could make if I tried are chocolate chip pancakes with powdered sugar," Nick said as he finished his cookie. "The rum balls from two days ago… good."
Sage couldn't help but grin as Nick left to go back to what he was doing. This was the most fun she had in years. After the first Christmas in DC, her techs caught on until the year she didn't bring them in. She had never seen so many glum faces until she revealed her stash at the party. It was a lot of laughs. Even though she had a rocky start here in Vegas when she was introduced to Nick, she made friends quickly in the lab. It gave her the courage to do this as well as teach Grissom a lesson with his experiments.
"Hey, I thought you were getting coffee."
Sage snapped out of her thoughts and looked to see Catherine walk in. She replied, "I did. I decided to get lost. Sometimes the shrink needs that on occasion." She gave a slight smile.
Catherine returned it with one of her own and went to get coffee. Sage couldn't help but laugh at the face Catherine made and offered the cookie. They went back to work to finish the case and silently Sage hoped and prayed for a case breaker that would make this Christmas a good one like the others.
She was to get her wish when they caught the suspect and he confessed. It allowed the team to feel that they could go home feeling that it was a good holiday in spite of the case and things going on. Certainly people were crowding around and fighting for the last of the cookies in the break room and it allowed her to be discreet with the gifts she had made for the team.
She was in the locker room getting her things out when she heard the first of the surprised yelps and gave a slight smile. The sounds of chuckles and laughter followed and people commenting on what they had. She laughed to herself when she heard Warrick comment on Sara's and she said something about his. She had just finished pulling out her messenger bag when Greg popped in and said, "Hey, you taking off?"
"Yeah," Sage replied. "Looking forward to eggnog and sappy Christmas movies," she added with a smile. "Maybe I'll drop by for Christmas turkey."
Greg chuckled at that, "You'll like my sandwiches."
"I'm sure I will."
Greg smiled and was going to leave but paused, "Oh by the way, thanks." He waved the cookie that she had left for him."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," she replied with a smile. She pulled out a cookie that was personalized for her and waved it at him.
Greg smiled with her. He knew she was the one that had been bringing in the cookies. She may be the 'new kid' but no one in their right mind would have done that just because and certainly personalized cookies were a surprise. He saw her cookie and chuckled at the little bats with Santa hats on them. "Right," he replied. "Merry Christmas, Sage."
"Merry Christmas Greg," Sage replied. She put the cookie back in her bag and started walking out. She saw the rest of the team just chatting and having a good time as she passed on her way out and couldn't help but smile.
"Hey Parker, wait up."
Sage paused to see Nick coming towards her. She said, "Hey thought you'd be heading out."
"I am but we were going to go out and have a drink and we wanted to know if you would come," Nick replied.
Sage looked behind him and replied, "I…" She wasn't sure if she should.
Nick could see the indecision across her face. "Come on. Just me, Warrick, Sara... even Greggo."
"I don't know." Sage normally would have jumped with Greg. They got along pretty well but she wasn't sure. "I think I might just go home."
"And do what apart from sleep? Please," Nick countered. "Please don't make me beg." He started to make a pout.
Sage couldn't help but laugh. "Stop it, Stokes before I get a Christmas nightmare from that face. Alright I'll go."
"Great. Come on."
About twenty minutes later found them in a restaurant/bar with Warrick, Sara and Greg laughing over the wild speculations of the cookies in the break room. It also brought up funny escapades that had happened and bad jokes and just overall good cheer. At one point Greg started a game about the best and worst Christmas gifts they had received. He gave his first, "Best gift was a chemistry set, worst was a stocking hat Nana Olaf bought because it was cute."
"I think anything awful would look cute on you," Sage teased meaning it amidst the laughter.
"Okay, best gift was a copy of Charles Dickens when I was in high school," Warrick offered.
"You and Dickens?" Sara looked at Warrick.
"Yeah. Worst was a shirt that was a size too big and said nerd," Warrick replied.
"Well the worst I had was a Barbie doll," Sara replied.
Sage snickered at that, "Let me guess, you're more into sports."
Sara gave a slight smile as she took a drink. She forgot to list the best and Nick took his turn, "Worst thing I got was this ugly sweater. You'd have to be…"
"Mentally irregular to be caught in it?" Sage offered the explanation. At the look Nick shot her, she added, "I had a suit that made me look like a gingerbread man. Aunt Geraldine made it and my mother made me wear it to the family holiday party."
"I'd have loved to have seen that," Warrick teased along with Greg. "Our Parker as gingerbread…"
Sage smiled and laughed, "Yeah and I don't crumble when I fight. My cousin JT remembers that. Of course he was the Christmas tree."
Everyone started laughing including Sage. The conversation carried on until everyone agreed that they had to go home and get some sleep since tomorrow was another day. Sage and Nick were the last to leave not that either of them minded. Sage put on her gloves and said, "Well this certainly was fun."
"It was," Nick agreed as he walked her to her car. "Hey, um… thanks for the cookie Parker."
"I have no idea what you're talking about Stokes," Sage replied. "I got one too."
Nick knew better and replied, "Right." He gave a slight smile and put something into her hand and added, "And I don't know anything about this either."
Sage cradled the small box and looked at Nick and clicked her tongue, "Alright, alright it was me. How'd you guess?"
"Cause no one makes more fun of my alma mater than you," Nick replied, "And only someone who knows that much would put this on it along with 'Up the Rebels'." He pulled out his cookie and showed her what she knew was on it. "It's good Parker. Thanks."
"You're welcome." Sage looked at the gift in her hand. "I'm almost afraid to see what's inside knowing it's from you," she teased. She opened it and found a mini football that said the Aggies were number one and started laughing. "Thanks Stokes."
"Hey war is still on."
"And my Rebels kick ass."
"On a cold day."
They laughed since it was a good natured rivalry. They thanked each other and got into their vehicles and went home. As Sage sat looking at her tree and stared at the offending football she couldn't help but smile. She had come to Vegas intent on getting by and just being there to do the job, like a well-oiled cog in the machine. She took a sip of the hot chocolate she had made, mentally making it a point to make some when she went over to Greg's apartment later. Out loud she said, "The best Christmas gift was my first Christmas in Vegas."
A/N: Hi folks. Looks like it's Sage's first Christmas in Vegas as part of the team and just some general fluff and friendship between her and Nick. Merry Christmas!