2. Greg & Nick - Howdy I love you

Secret Santa hit the lab. At least during the big Christmas party the graveyard shift had this year. A lot of cookies, a lot of chocolate Santas, presents, decoration and Christmas songs playing in the radio. Leaving this behind Grisson, Catherine, Warrick, Nick, Greg and Sara went to the diner for their Christmas breakfast.

"Did you all bring your presents?" Cath asked.

"All in the big bag, all wrapped in the same paper, all packed in the same sized box. If we don't start to take fingerprints, it's impossible to find out, who got whose present." Warrick said.

"Good. Nicky, your turn. Be our Santa Claus and give everybody their present."

"Yes Cath." The Texan guy smiled and opened the bag. put the six parcels on the table. Six parcels, all looked the same, the only difference were stickers with numbers, clued on top of them.

"Doesn't he need a white beard and a red hat?" Warrick chuckled. "And don't forget the 'ho ho ho' greeting, Santa Nick."

"How about you play Santa Warrick?"

"No, that's your job."

"Yeah, thanks. Number one is your preset, ho ho ho and now be quiet."

"Thanks Santa. And thanks you didn't make me sit on your lap."

"You're too fat for that."

"Careful." Warrick laughed and opened his present. "Sweet. A book with notes for the greatest piano songs. Who wants a private concert?"

"You know the rules, it's secret Santa, no telling who bought what." Grissom said.

"Exactly. Here's your present, Grissom."

The supervisor opened the box and an ant farm appeared. "Well, that's a change. I had them when I was a child."

"Cath, your turn."

"I wonder what I got." The reddish blonde opened her present. "Oh, a necklace, that's very nice of whoever. Could you put it on?" She handed it Warrick, who helped her with the necklace.

"Greg, your turn."

"Thanks." The former DNA man opened his parcel. "Headsets? They must be from Grissom, so I don't play my music loud anymore."

"All presents are from Santa. Sara."

"Thanks, Santa Nick." The brunette opened her parcel. "How the world celebrates Christmas. Somebody wants me to turn into a Christmas nerd. Oh well, I will read it and tell you all about Christmas in Bali and wherever else."

"Last but not least my own parcel." Nick sat down and opened his parcel. A cowboy on a horse appeared. "Like me when I was younger."

"Look, there's a button, press it, maybe there's a sound for your cowboy." Catherine said.

Nick pressed the button and a cheerful voice came out of the toy "Howdy! I love you!" The face of the Texan man turned red. "Uhm, wow, thanks."

"Santa loves you, Nick. It's what Christmas is about, love. Now, who wants breakfast? My treat." Grissom announced.

"I take the full breakfast and be back in a second." Greg said and got up.

"Same for me and I need to wash my hands first, God knows where your parcels have been. My mom taught me to wash my hands before I eat when I touched something." He followed Greg into the bathroom.

"Like your present?" He asked Greg when they washed their hands.

"Yeah, very helpful even when I doubt Grissom will let me wear them at work. What about you?"

"It's a cute present and I wonder, who gave it to me. Any idea, Greggo?"

"Me? N-no." His face turned red.

"Sure?"

"Uhm…Santa gave it to you."

"I don't know about the red coat, but Santa surely has a red face." He pulled the younger man into his arms and kissed him softly. "Thanks Greggo. We should talk about your present at my place after breakfast, what do you think about this?"

"Howdy!" Greg smiled, his face still red. Seemed like Nick looked right through him. But the present did exactly what Greg hoped it would do.