***Authors Notes: Yeah, we finally got a chance to update. Xant gets most
of the credit for this part. Mostly her doing. We can't thank everyone
enough for those of you who have been so very supportive of our little fic.
Yes, it is not Christmas anymore, but hey, Christmas is good all year
right? ~Ash and Xant~
Chapter 6: Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
Grissom reentered the room about quarter of an hour later, carrying two glasses of eggnog. Nick, Warrick and Greg had formed a small huddle on one side of the room and were talking animatedly about last week's football game. Grissom walked over to where Sara was still sitting on the love seat, quietly staring at the poem that he had included with the necklace.
"Hey," he said softly. "I brought you some eggnog." He offered her one of the glasses that he held.
Sara looked up and smiled. "Thanks," she said, accepting the proffered drink.
He took his place next to her and they quietly sipped their drinks, each wondering what to do next. Eventually Grissom broke the silence. "Uh.Sara," he voiced uneasily. "You don't want to.I mean.um.would you like," he paused taking a nervous breath, his eyes firmly fixed on the glass in his hands.
Sara turned to look at him and offered an encouraging smile. "Would I like to what?" she asked, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his arm.
Feeling her gentle touch, he looked up into her smiling face, immediately becoming lost in dark pools of brown. "Well, I just wondered whether you would like to take a walk with me outside?" he asked hopefully. "It's a beautiful clear night," he added.
"I'd like that," she answered, giving him a shy smile.
He reached over to take her drink and placed it with his own on the nearby table. He stood and extended his hand. "Shall we?" he asked, smiling down at her.
The room had become deadly quiet as the huddle of men on the other side of the room watched the dance being played out before them.
Sara reached up to take Grissom's hand and he gently pulled her to her feet. He tenderly placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her out through the kitchen, past Catherine and into the backyard.
As they exited the house, Catherine raced back into the living room. "Did you see that?" she asked excitedly. "It worked!" she yelled, not pausing to think as she gave Warrick a lip-smacking kiss. Nick and Greg broke into huge grins and soon the whole group was exchanging high fives and slaps on the back.
The mood outside was a little less raucous. "Wow," said Sara, staring at the night sky. "You were right, it's amazing," she said in awe.
Grissom smiled at her childlike expression and led her over to a corner of the garden where a rug had been laid out on the lawn, complete with two wine glasses, a bottle of bubbly and a small bowl of fresh strawberries.
Sara turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Catherine," he smiled, answering her unspoken question.
She released her hold on his arm and took a seat on the rug, leaning back against the cushions that had been placed against the garden wall. "Well, it would be a shame to let it go to waste," she grinned, popping a strawberry into her mouth. "Mmmm," she said. "Where on earth did she get strawberries at this time of year?"
Grissom chuckled as he took a seat next to her on the rug. "Who knows," he shrugged. "They do however, bring out the flavor of champagne," he said, in typical Grissom-like fashion, filling the two glasses and offering one to her.
"This is the second drink you've given me tonight. Are you trying to get me tipsy Dr. Grissom?" she teased playfully.
"One can only hope," he quipped in return, his blue eyes twinkling roguishly.
They fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their champagne, observing the sparkling stars in the dark sky and quickly devouring the delicious strawberries.
They both reached for the last strawberry at the same time, startling each other with the sudden contact of their hands.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside the house, the others were speculating about what was happening outside in the garden.
"Grissom is probably boring her to death with the mating rituals of butterflies," smirked Greg.
"Yeah," agreed Nick. "That's probably his idea of foreplay," he joked.
"Shhh," hushed Catherine from her position beside the window. "I'm trying to hear what's going on," she said, attempting to peer surreptitiously around the edge of the curtain.
"Geez Cat," sighed Warrick. "Give the poor people some privacy would ya," he said, rolling his eyes at Nick and Greg.
"Yeah," added Greg. "You don't wanna risk seeing two furry Grinches making out, it might scar you for life," he sniggered. Catherine turned and gave him an irritated look, immediately putting an end to his laughter. She returned her attention to the window and peeked out once more. "Oh my," she whispered quietly.
"What?" asked the others in unison.
"I think they may have progressed from the mating rituals of butterflies," she replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 6: Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
Grissom reentered the room about quarter of an hour later, carrying two glasses of eggnog. Nick, Warrick and Greg had formed a small huddle on one side of the room and were talking animatedly about last week's football game. Grissom walked over to where Sara was still sitting on the love seat, quietly staring at the poem that he had included with the necklace.
"Hey," he said softly. "I brought you some eggnog." He offered her one of the glasses that he held.
Sara looked up and smiled. "Thanks," she said, accepting the proffered drink.
He took his place next to her and they quietly sipped their drinks, each wondering what to do next. Eventually Grissom broke the silence. "Uh.Sara," he voiced uneasily. "You don't want to.I mean.um.would you like," he paused taking a nervous breath, his eyes firmly fixed on the glass in his hands.
Sara turned to look at him and offered an encouraging smile. "Would I like to what?" she asked, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his arm.
Feeling her gentle touch, he looked up into her smiling face, immediately becoming lost in dark pools of brown. "Well, I just wondered whether you would like to take a walk with me outside?" he asked hopefully. "It's a beautiful clear night," he added.
"I'd like that," she answered, giving him a shy smile.
He reached over to take her drink and placed it with his own on the nearby table. He stood and extended his hand. "Shall we?" he asked, smiling down at her.
The room had become deadly quiet as the huddle of men on the other side of the room watched the dance being played out before them.
Sara reached up to take Grissom's hand and he gently pulled her to her feet. He tenderly placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her out through the kitchen, past Catherine and into the backyard.
As they exited the house, Catherine raced back into the living room. "Did you see that?" she asked excitedly. "It worked!" she yelled, not pausing to think as she gave Warrick a lip-smacking kiss. Nick and Greg broke into huge grins and soon the whole group was exchanging high fives and slaps on the back.
The mood outside was a little less raucous. "Wow," said Sara, staring at the night sky. "You were right, it's amazing," she said in awe.
Grissom smiled at her childlike expression and led her over to a corner of the garden where a rug had been laid out on the lawn, complete with two wine glasses, a bottle of bubbly and a small bowl of fresh strawberries.
Sara turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Catherine," he smiled, answering her unspoken question.
She released her hold on his arm and took a seat on the rug, leaning back against the cushions that had been placed against the garden wall. "Well, it would be a shame to let it go to waste," she grinned, popping a strawberry into her mouth. "Mmmm," she said. "Where on earth did she get strawberries at this time of year?"
Grissom chuckled as he took a seat next to her on the rug. "Who knows," he shrugged. "They do however, bring out the flavor of champagne," he said, in typical Grissom-like fashion, filling the two glasses and offering one to her.
"This is the second drink you've given me tonight. Are you trying to get me tipsy Dr. Grissom?" she teased playfully.
"One can only hope," he quipped in return, his blue eyes twinkling roguishly.
They fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their champagne, observing the sparkling stars in the dark sky and quickly devouring the delicious strawberries.
They both reached for the last strawberry at the same time, startling each other with the sudden contact of their hands.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside the house, the others were speculating about what was happening outside in the garden.
"Grissom is probably boring her to death with the mating rituals of butterflies," smirked Greg.
"Yeah," agreed Nick. "That's probably his idea of foreplay," he joked.
"Shhh," hushed Catherine from her position beside the window. "I'm trying to hear what's going on," she said, attempting to peer surreptitiously around the edge of the curtain.
"Geez Cat," sighed Warrick. "Give the poor people some privacy would ya," he said, rolling his eyes at Nick and Greg.
"Yeah," added Greg. "You don't wanna risk seeing two furry Grinches making out, it might scar you for life," he sniggered. Catherine turned and gave him an irritated look, immediately putting an end to his laughter. She returned her attention to the window and peeked out once more. "Oh my," she whispered quietly.
"What?" asked the others in unison.
"I think they may have progressed from the mating rituals of butterflies," she replied.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
