Disclaimer: Why, yes, I am Carol Mendohlsohn, and I do own CSI…whoops! It was just a dream. Maybe that can be my New Years' Resolution.

Spoilers: Most likely "No Humans Involved", "Mea Culpa", let's just say all of season 5 thus far.

A/N: Okay, song fics are kinda my thing, so here's another one with one of my favorite songs by Keane. If you haven't heard it, don't worry. Many people haven't.

Somewhere Only We Know

'Twas the Christmas season once again. The lab was decked with the usual bits of garland and lights, the break room donned a Christmas tree that had been used for years and looked every bit its age. And this is where we start our story.

It was December twenty-third, the day before Christmas Eve, the day where the graveyard shift exchanged their secret Santa presents. No one ever understood why this was a good idea, but someone said it boosted morale so everyone went along with this childish idea.

Christmas wasn't an especially good time for Sara; she never really had a stable home or family and was always the odd one out. This year was no different. Out of the hat with all the names, she picked Catherine, someone who she deemed easy to buy for. Sara didn't expect anyone to know what her likes were, except for work, and she'd come to expect the gift certificate to the music store or the bookstore. But no one could give her what she really wanted, unless he did it himself.

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

She had played Cat and Mouse with him for years, and just when it seemed Grissom was ready to open up, he's cower back into his shell again. No one knows how often Sara walked down this path of disappointment, and she knew the way all too well.

December 23rd had flown by, but not without a B and E and a suspected robbery. That was it.

Now it was Christmas Eve, the last time before Christmas that they were all together. Sara had come in early as usual and set up her present under the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, as it was affectionately named. She hoped Catherine would like the Spa gift certificate that she had gotten her. The past few years weren't the best in Catherine's life and she needed to relax a bit, Sara thought.

One by one they all congregated in the break room, each in succession wishing everyone a merry Christmas and placing their nicely wrapped gift under the tree.

When the last person, Grissom, arrived and put his present under the tree, the secret Santa even t began. The supervisor picked up each present one by one, calling out its recipient. The laughter as Warrick opened his present to receive tickets to the football game, Nick receiving a DVD he just had to have, and Catherine with her gift certificate. Everyone was happy.


I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Only two gifts remained under the tree. Only Sara could guess who each was for.

"Sara, this one's for you."

Sara gingerly picked off the wrapping paper. It was an envelope, just like she had expected.

"Another year, another gift certificate," Sara thought.

She opened the envelope to find not a $10 gift certificate for Chapters, but a letter.


Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

It read:

Dear Sara,

I know throughout the years, we were both left in stages of confusion, worry, maybe even anger. This year, none of that will happen I can almost guarantee that. I don't know why I feel like I'm not a complete being without you. I'm sorry for making you feel almost worthless or even invisible, but I promise it will never be like the past few years. If you let me, the rest of our natural lives and even after that, you'll be in a state of euphoria.

Grissom

In a state of shock, Sara couldn't take her eyes off the note. Fearing that if she did, this would have all been a dream and she'd end up back in her apartment, alone for another Christmas.

"Hey, Sara? You okay?" Nick asked from across the table.

Risking reality, she looked up. Nothing dissolved, making this real.

"Yeah, fine."

"What'd you get?" he asked.

"Oh, just another, um gift certiffcate."

"Sara, you're a terrible liar. You didn't get one, so what'd you get?" Catherine prodded.

"I don't have to share it with you. Now if you excuse me, I have some paperwork to catch up on," Sara said as she took her gift and left the room.

"Whoa, someone's holidays are off to a bad start," Warrick said as he sipped his cup of coffee.

Sara sat at her desk, pining over the letter. Was he serious or was this another mind game?

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

Grissom appeared beside Sara.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"No more than usual. What about you?" She asked, holding the letter in her hand, "I hope this isn't another one of your fishing lines."

Grissom had a confused look on his face.

"Fishing lines, you know, you reel it in so far and then you release it?"

"I can assure you this letter is not a 'fishing line', it's what I really feel and was stupid enough to ignore. Sara please, this is my attempt at making peace with you and my mind, which over the course of the few years have become one and the same."

Sara put the letter down. "You're serious?"

"More than I've ever been in my life."

"What was your present, since we're on the subject of giving people things," Sara said, smiling.

"Socks."

Sara and Grissom both smiled. From now on, Christmas wouldn't be about lonely dinners at home and opening the few presents, but now about being with those you care about and who care about you.


And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

The End