Yes, I'm back with another chapter! Sorry for the delay, I promise it won't happen again!
Thanks so much to Grissomgal71 for her continuing beta job, as well as helping me out when I was stuck!
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Grissom groaned as his mother's house came into view. Sara glanced at him.
"Something wrong?"
He shrugged. "Well, my back feels a little sore. And to top that off, we get Mr. Wonderful himself over for lunch and dinner," he said, gesturing to the car parked in the driveway. Sara recognized it right away as Richard's.
She groaned as well, moving her hand to grasp Grissom's. He didn't make a move to pull his away, instead he squeezed hers and leaned close to her. "Just pretend that you're really tired, and then retire to your room early."
"That'll never work"
He shrugged. "Never hurts to try."
They stepped inside of the front door, pausing to remove their shoes and snow paraphernalia. Then they moved into the living room, where Richard was sitting comfortably, reading a newspaper. He nodded at Grissom when the criminalist stepped into view, then just glanced at Sara.
Grissom sank down onto the couch, sighing comfortably. Sara plopped down beside him, sitting a little closer than a colleague would. Richard noticed the transition and arched an eyebrow. He thought about saying something, but decided to bite his tongue. Instead, he simply turned the page, pretending to be interested in the sports section.
Sara noticed that Grissom was eyeballing her gift, still under the tree. She smiled and leaned closer to his ear. "It's Christmas, you know."
"Yes, I know," he said, deadpan.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That means you can open it without breaking family tradition."
"My mother isn't here."
"Grissom!" she said, raising her voice. Richard glanced over the paper at them, wondering if they were going to get into an argument. But, to his slight disappointment, Grissom smiled in return. Then he leaned forward and lifted up the box from beneath the tree.
He shook it a few times, sending Sara a sly grin. She laughed. "I padded the sides. You know, so stuff wouldn't break. And also so you couldn't shake it to see what it was!"
He shook his head, then carefully undid the ribbon. "You really didn't have to get me anything, Sara."
She shrugged. "I felt like getting it. And you did give me something." Though I do think I got a little carried away.I wasn't really planning on giving it to him, I think. And it was true. When she had bought Grissom's Christmas gift, a part of her thought she would panic and bring it back.
She watched as he put the ribbon onto the table. She sighed. "Could you take any longer? Please tell me you're not the kind of guy who saves wrapping paper."
He smirked, then made a point by ripping the paper down a side. He finished tearing up the paper, then pried the tape from the sides of the cardboard box. When he was finally able to open the box, he found it lined, top, bottom and sides, with light foam. He shook his head, then pulled the top part of the foam out.
He grinned from ear to ear as he pulled out the first thing. In a small glass case, much like the ones he kept his butterflies in, were eight different types of cockroaches. Another glass case below that held another eight species. He turned to her, pointing at one of the cockroaches. "I have one of these."
She made a face. "And I'm pretty sure I have at least a few of those in my kitchen."
He gave her a small smile, then glanced inside the box again, noticing that it still wasn't empty. He reached down and pulled out cloth. After unfolding it, he saw that it was a dark blue, Oxford-style dress shirt.
She shrugged when he turned back to her. "I thought.it would bring out your eyes."
He smiled softly, putting a hand on her knee. "Thank you, Sara."
She smiled lightly. "You're welcome, Gris. I mean, I know it's nothing compared to what you gave me..."
She stopped speaking when he put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "It's wonderful," he said softly, a tiny smile on his face.
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The rest of the afternoon was spent in the company of Grissom's aunt and cousins. Richard took the time to tell his mother all about his latest venture into the stock market, during which Sara caught Grissom dozing off. She smiled and tried to keep from laughing, gently jabbing him in the ribs to wake him up. Grissom's eyes opened with a snap, and he stared at her, wide-eyed, for a moment.
Elisa then took over the conversation, speaking about her new boyfriend. It seemed evident to Sara that Elisa was the kind of woman who had a new boyfriend every month, falling in love every time. Apparently, this month's model was named Paul, and he couldn't come due to an 'important work meeting' of some kind. Sara fought to hide a smirk, then failed when she saw the perplexed look on Grissom's face. Elisa stopped talking immediately, fixing the both of them with an angry gaze.
Grissom glanced down at the floor for a moment, then stood up and made his way to the back door. He looked briefly at Sara before stepping out. For a moment, she simply stared at the spot where he had disappeared, then looked back towards Grissom's cousins and aunt. Listening to a minute more of their conversation, she stood up and made her way out of the door as well.
She stepped out into the dark backyard, struggling to see anything in the night. Finally, her eyes adjusted, but she still couldn't spot Grissom anywhere. She frowned, wondering where he had gone. "Gris?" she called, taking a few steps into the yard.
Suddenly, about halfway across the yard, she felt a hand grasp her arm and pull her back a bit. She whirled around to see Grissom standing behind her. "Jesus, Grissom! What are you doing?"
He gestured to where she had been walking with a tip of his head. "You were about two feet from falling into my mother's pond."
Glad that the dark hid the blush crawling up her face, Sara turned and peered intensely at where she had been headed. And sure enough, she could see the dim moonlight reflecting off the water. She absently pushed a strand of hair from her face as she turned back to Grissom. "Sorry...I mean...thanks."
He smiled, though she could barely see it in the sparse light. "No problem. Besides, I'd have to explain to the guys back in Vegas how you froze to death on my watch." Then he led her through the dark, coming to a stop at the edge of the small pond. Releasing her, he sank down and settled onto the grass, not caring if the melting snow saturated his clothes. Sara cast an unsure glance at the wet ground before settling down next to him.
She turned to him, studying his features in the dim light. He was staring at the water, absently gathering rocks and tossing them into it. She grinned and put a hand on his knee. "Something wrong, Gris?"
He looked up at her, a curious expression on his face. "No. Why?"
"You just seem...distant. Again."
He smiled, looking down at the water again. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"Would you like to share with the rest of us?"
"I was just thinking that this was one of the best Christmases I've had in years." He paused for a moment, then surprised her by leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he stood up and walked back into the house, making sure to turn on the back lights for her as he stepped through the door.
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Thanks so much to Grissomgal71 for her continuing beta job, as well as helping me out when I was stuck!
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Grissom groaned as his mother's house came into view. Sara glanced at him.
"Something wrong?"
He shrugged. "Well, my back feels a little sore. And to top that off, we get Mr. Wonderful himself over for lunch and dinner," he said, gesturing to the car parked in the driveway. Sara recognized it right away as Richard's.
She groaned as well, moving her hand to grasp Grissom's. He didn't make a move to pull his away, instead he squeezed hers and leaned close to her. "Just pretend that you're really tired, and then retire to your room early."
"That'll never work"
He shrugged. "Never hurts to try."
They stepped inside of the front door, pausing to remove their shoes and snow paraphernalia. Then they moved into the living room, where Richard was sitting comfortably, reading a newspaper. He nodded at Grissom when the criminalist stepped into view, then just glanced at Sara.
Grissom sank down onto the couch, sighing comfortably. Sara plopped down beside him, sitting a little closer than a colleague would. Richard noticed the transition and arched an eyebrow. He thought about saying something, but decided to bite his tongue. Instead, he simply turned the page, pretending to be interested in the sports section.
Sara noticed that Grissom was eyeballing her gift, still under the tree. She smiled and leaned closer to his ear. "It's Christmas, you know."
"Yes, I know," he said, deadpan.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That means you can open it without breaking family tradition."
"My mother isn't here."
"Grissom!" she said, raising her voice. Richard glanced over the paper at them, wondering if they were going to get into an argument. But, to his slight disappointment, Grissom smiled in return. Then he leaned forward and lifted up the box from beneath the tree.
He shook it a few times, sending Sara a sly grin. She laughed. "I padded the sides. You know, so stuff wouldn't break. And also so you couldn't shake it to see what it was!"
He shook his head, then carefully undid the ribbon. "You really didn't have to get me anything, Sara."
She shrugged. "I felt like getting it. And you did give me something." Though I do think I got a little carried away.I wasn't really planning on giving it to him, I think. And it was true. When she had bought Grissom's Christmas gift, a part of her thought she would panic and bring it back.
She watched as he put the ribbon onto the table. She sighed. "Could you take any longer? Please tell me you're not the kind of guy who saves wrapping paper."
He smirked, then made a point by ripping the paper down a side. He finished tearing up the paper, then pried the tape from the sides of the cardboard box. When he was finally able to open the box, he found it lined, top, bottom and sides, with light foam. He shook his head, then pulled the top part of the foam out.
He grinned from ear to ear as he pulled out the first thing. In a small glass case, much like the ones he kept his butterflies in, were eight different types of cockroaches. Another glass case below that held another eight species. He turned to her, pointing at one of the cockroaches. "I have one of these."
She made a face. "And I'm pretty sure I have at least a few of those in my kitchen."
He gave her a small smile, then glanced inside the box again, noticing that it still wasn't empty. He reached down and pulled out cloth. After unfolding it, he saw that it was a dark blue, Oxford-style dress shirt.
She shrugged when he turned back to her. "I thought.it would bring out your eyes."
He smiled softly, putting a hand on her knee. "Thank you, Sara."
She smiled lightly. "You're welcome, Gris. I mean, I know it's nothing compared to what you gave me..."
She stopped speaking when he put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "It's wonderful," he said softly, a tiny smile on his face.
* * * * * *
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the company of Grissom's aunt and cousins. Richard took the time to tell his mother all about his latest venture into the stock market, during which Sara caught Grissom dozing off. She smiled and tried to keep from laughing, gently jabbing him in the ribs to wake him up. Grissom's eyes opened with a snap, and he stared at her, wide-eyed, for a moment.
Elisa then took over the conversation, speaking about her new boyfriend. It seemed evident to Sara that Elisa was the kind of woman who had a new boyfriend every month, falling in love every time. Apparently, this month's model was named Paul, and he couldn't come due to an 'important work meeting' of some kind. Sara fought to hide a smirk, then failed when she saw the perplexed look on Grissom's face. Elisa stopped talking immediately, fixing the both of them with an angry gaze.
Grissom glanced down at the floor for a moment, then stood up and made his way to the back door. He looked briefly at Sara before stepping out. For a moment, she simply stared at the spot where he had disappeared, then looked back towards Grissom's cousins and aunt. Listening to a minute more of their conversation, she stood up and made her way out of the door as well.
She stepped out into the dark backyard, struggling to see anything in the night. Finally, her eyes adjusted, but she still couldn't spot Grissom anywhere. She frowned, wondering where he had gone. "Gris?" she called, taking a few steps into the yard.
Suddenly, about halfway across the yard, she felt a hand grasp her arm and pull her back a bit. She whirled around to see Grissom standing behind her. "Jesus, Grissom! What are you doing?"
He gestured to where she had been walking with a tip of his head. "You were about two feet from falling into my mother's pond."
Glad that the dark hid the blush crawling up her face, Sara turned and peered intensely at where she had been headed. And sure enough, she could see the dim moonlight reflecting off the water. She absently pushed a strand of hair from her face as she turned back to Grissom. "Sorry...I mean...thanks."
He smiled, though she could barely see it in the sparse light. "No problem. Besides, I'd have to explain to the guys back in Vegas how you froze to death on my watch." Then he led her through the dark, coming to a stop at the edge of the small pond. Releasing her, he sank down and settled onto the grass, not caring if the melting snow saturated his clothes. Sara cast an unsure glance at the wet ground before settling down next to him.
She turned to him, studying his features in the dim light. He was staring at the water, absently gathering rocks and tossing them into it. She grinned and put a hand on his knee. "Something wrong, Gris?"
He looked up at her, a curious expression on his face. "No. Why?"
"You just seem...distant. Again."
He smiled, looking down at the water again. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
"Would you like to share with the rest of us?"
"I was just thinking that this was one of the best Christmases I've had in years." He paused for a moment, then surprised her by leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he stood up and walked back into the house, making sure to turn on the back lights for her as he stepped through the door.
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