Author's Note: OMG so so so sooooo sorry. Stupid musical, eating all my spare time...grr…
Shutting up now, will talk more after the chapter.
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"Greg, come on, where are you taking me?" Sara asked, her voice full of laughter and questions.
"You'll see in a minute," he answered, hands still over her eyes as he led her out the front door and onto the porch. "Ready?" he questioned. Sara nodded. He lifted his hands away, revealing the horses that were tied to a sleigh in front of the house. Sara gasped, eyeing the white and brown creatures with wonder as snow began to settle in her hair.
"Oh my God, Greg! They're gorgeous!" She said, bounding down the steps and running a hand over the one horse's mane.
"So you like it?" Greg queried nervously, hands in his pockets.
"I love it!" she ran back onto the porch then, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. "Can we go for a ride?" she asked eagerly. Greg laughed, nodding as he took her hand, leading her to the sleigh and helping her up into it. He then hopped up, sitting down beside her and covering their laps with the wool blanket that was spread on the seats. "Where did you get them?"
"Well, the darker horse, her name is Bea, she's Kali's and Leo, the lighter one, is Mary's. The sleigh was a recent acquisition of my sister and she said I was more than welcome to use it as a part of your gift," Greg explained, clicking the reigns and making the horses trot forward. Sara giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder.
The light from the lanterns on the front of the sleigh glowed brightly as the horses pulled them through the snow and towards the forest edge. The lights flickered in Sara's eyes, making them sparkle against the snow which was coming down in a constant light mist, making everything look like it was from a snow globe or a Christmas movie. Sara was absolutely calm which was the polar opposite of her lover. Greg was gripping the reigns for dear life, mainly because of his nerves.
He had gone over it a thousand times since they had gotten to New York. What he would say, where he would do it, how he would sound. Everything. And yet, now, as they neared the spot he had chosen, he was scared senseless. Were they moving too fast? Was this the right course to take? Sara had said she hated weddings once, what if she...
No, he couldn't think like that. He loved her and she loved him. That was all that mattered in the world. Grissom and Ecklie could shove it for all he cared at that moment.
He pulled on the horse's reigns, making them stop just under the cluster of tree branches that covered the path. The moon shone down, the fire from the lanterns making the snow brighter than normal. Greg cleared his throat.
"Sara, um, there's something I've been meaning to talk with you about," he started. Sara turned to him then, concern in her eyes.
"Okay..." she said, not sure what to expect. Her stomach clenched, hoping that her brain wasn't moving too quickly. Was he going to ask her what she thought he was?
"Sara, from the moment I met you I've loved you. I know that sounds stupid and everything and that everyone thought I just had a huge crush on you but they were wrong. They are wrong. I have loved you since day one and I know that I will love you until the very last breath escapes my lips. And, even then, even though I won't be on this earth I will still love you. No matter what anyone says, nor what they try to do to us. I love you and that's all that matters." Greg started, shifting so that he was on one knee in the bed of the sleigh. "Sara Sidle, when we first met it was love at first sight and I want to spend every minute of my life with you. Will you marry me?" he asked, pulling the ring from his pocket and holding it up to her.
Tears sprung to Sara's eyes as she gazed at him. He had asked her to marry him. Greg Sanders, the love of her life had asked her to marry him. Why hadn't she said anything in response yet?
"YES!" she screamed, jumping on him. "Yes! Of course! Oh my God Greg!" she cried and laughed at the same time. Greg beamed, kissing her and slipping the ring into her hand.
"Read what it says," he whispered in her ear. Sara squinted in the dim light, trying to read the engraving.
From first look, to last breath, I will always love you.
Sara couldn't even fathom words anymore. Instead she slipped the ring on her finger and kissed him again.
"I love you so much Greg," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder again.
"I love you too, soon to be Mrs. Gregory Sanders," he laughed. Sara grinned.
"So, how long have you been planning this?"
"Since before we came out to New York. Mary and Kate were helping me via email." he explained.
"You do realize everyone is going to go crazy back at home," Sara commented with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, I'm counting on it. I think I'll bring a video camera the day we tell them."
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Ten o'clock that evening found Greg sitting on the couch with Sara. He was smirking at her random giggle fits and constant gazing at her engagement ring. The rubies and diamonds glittered in the firelight as the two waited for the rest of the family to get home.
"Is it weird that I want to call Catherine and tell her about this?" Sara asked suddenly, sitting up and looking at Greg with a serious expression. Greg smiled at her, cupping her cheek with one hand affectionately.
"It's not weird at all Sar, Cath is our friend and you have every right to want to tell someone about us." He rationalized. "You can go call her if you want to," he said, pulling her close and nuzzling his nose in her hair.
"You don't think Mary will mind?"
"Are you kidding? Mary's going to be so ecstatic you could total her car and she would just laugh and dance around." Greg replied. Sara smiled again, jumping off the couch and scrambling to find the cordless phone that was in the office. Seconds later she came bounding back in, jumping back onto the couch and frantically dialling Catherine's number.
"Hey Cath, its Sara! Merry Christmas! Yeah, I'm having a great time. But um, no, actually, I'm in New York. Yes, I am with Greg. Um, Cath, I have something to tell you, but you can't tell the others. No, I did not get arrested." Sara glanced at Greg, biting her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from screaming with excitement. "I'm engaged!" she finally exclaimed.
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Catherine ran into the kitchen, pulling the phone from its cradle and switching it on.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hey Cath, its Sara!" an overly bubbly voice said from the other end of the line. "Merry Christmas!"
Sara…as in Sara Sidle? No. Sara never sounded that happy. Catherine raised an eyebrow in confusion. Something was up.
"Merry Christmas to you too. Are you having a good time in…uh…San Francisco?"
"Yeah, I'm having a great time. But um, actually, I'm in New York." Sara replied, her voice bubbling with excitement. Catherine was perplexed. New York? Wasn't that where Greg was going?
"Are you with him right now?" the blonde queried.
"Yes, I am with Greg. Um, Cath, I have something to tell you, but you can't tell the others." Came the reply.
"Did you get arrested?" Catherine asked, her tone joking but her mind serious. For all she knew, Greg could have gotten himself and his mentor arrested for God knows what.
"No, I did not get arrested." Sara laughed. Catherine let out a sigh of relief, at least they weren't in legal trouble.
"Well, that's a relief because I was not going to fly up there on Christmas day to bail you two out of jail or anything because Lindsey and I-."
"I'm engaged!" Sara blurted. Catherine stopped her sentence. Shock setting in.
"Engaged? As in, going to get married?"
"Yes!"
"OH MY GOD! Who's the guy?"
"Greg. He and I have been together since the last time we were out here in New York and, oh my God Cath, I'm so excited! But you can't tell the others! I want to see their faces when Greg and I tell them!" Sara rambled. Catherine couldn't believe it.
"Okay, I won't say anything…wow. I'm really happy for you guys! You have to show me the ring the minute you get back!" the blonde laughed, easily settling into the girlish discussion with her co-worker.
"I will Cath, I promise. Anyways, I've gotta run, I think Mary is going to be back any minute. See you after New Years! Bye!" and with that the younger CSI hung up. Catherine just sat at her kitchen table dumbfounded for a moment. Sara was getting married. Workaholic, Sara Sidle was engaged. To Greg. Greg Sanders, the ex-lab rat with the loud music, crazy band t-shirts and flamboyant hair. Things were certainly picking up on the interest scale.
Catherine was happy for the two though. She knew Greg had been in love with Sara for a while and she had had her suspicions about the two of them being together for the last while. But, up until that moment she hadn't had anything to prove her theory. Oh, was Gil ever going to be angry when he found out.
"Hey Cath, you ready to go?" Warrick asked, walking into the kitchen, Lindsey at his heels. Catherine beamed, getting up from her chair and going towards him.
"You bet, come on," she said.
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Mary walked up to the house; carrying Michelle's sleeping form in her arms. Kevin, Cody, Clara, Mark, Alanna and Kali had gone through the garage but Mary had decided she didn't want to try and navigate the various sleds and skis with her daughter in her arms. She unlocked the front door, slipping in and toeing off her boots on the mat. The rest of her family, she assumed, had already headed upstairs seeing as it was nearly eleven.
As she moved through the house and towards the main stairs she stopped, seeing the fireplace burning in the living room. Mary frowned, moving through the doorway and towards the couch where she found Greg and Sara asleep. She grinned softly, adjusting Michelle in her arms so that her youngest child didn't slip from her grasp. She turned to leave and take Michelle upstairs when she noticed something flickering in the firelight. Glancing down she saw the engagement ring on Sara's finger.
It took all of her strength not to scream with excitement. Instead, Mary hurried out of the room and upstairs, placing Michelle down on the bed before scrambling to her own bedroom where she tackled Kevin to the bed.
"Whoa, Mare, what is it?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"She said yes!" Mary hissed, her eyes dancing. Kevin smiled pulling her down and giving her a kiss.
"We're getting another sister-in-law" he whispered. Mary nodded happily.
"Guess I'm actually going to have something to put in the photo album!" his wife giggled.
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A/N: There we go. FINALLY. Ugh, I hate the fact that semester 2 has murdered my life and therefore I have no time to write anything. I literally wrote most of this during math class one day and probably failed part of my test because I stopped paying attention. Oh well, it was worth it. I think.
Anyways, let me know what you though, reviews will probably keep me from going insane with musical practice every day.
Reviews get serenades of music from Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA :D
PS - there's a link to a picture that goes with this chapter on my profile page