Title: Secret Santa

Author: DarkDreamer56

Archive: If you want it, ask please!

Rating: PG-13 (eh, probably lower, but just to be safe…)

Pairing: N/S

Disclaimer: If I owned them, they would be together by now…

Spoilers: Slight spoilers to Mea Culpa (5x09)

A/N: Another holiday fic for all the Snickers out there! And I didn't torture Sara this time. Pure fluff. Happy Holidays!

Sara walked out to her car, shielding her eyes in the bright morning sun. Though Ecklie had tried to break up the camaraderie of the graveyard shift, he had not succeeded. They still found time to spend together, ways to help out with each others cases. In fact, she was walking out to her car, after spending the morning eating breakfast in their favorite diner, and exchanging Secret Santa gifts with the original members of the night shift.

It had been nice being squeezed in a booth again, between Warrick and Nick, who had been mercilessly teasing her for only ordering pancakes and coffee.

"I'm not really that hungry," she replied to their protests, only to steal pieces of egg and toast off of their plates.

"Sure Sar, not that hungry, right?" Nick asked with raised eyebrows, after the third time she had used her fork to filch a piece of egg from the edge of his plate.

"I didn't want my own eggs, just a couple pieces of yours," she replied, trying to keep a relatively innocent look on her face as she popped the bit into her mouth.

"Yeah, and you didn't want a whole piece of toast either, just part of mine?" Warrick added, gently nudging her in the ribs.

"I'll make you breakfast, anytime you want Sara," Greg announced, suggestively waggling his eyebrows at her until she kicked him under the table and laughed. Nick and Warrick chuckled, exchanging amused glances.

"It'll never happen, Sanders. Never," Warrick told him.

"Sorry Greggo, but you've got just about as much luck as Hodges there," Nick added with a laugh.

Greg feigned a hurt look, before grinning across the table at them as Catherine gave them all a mock glare.

"Quiet children," she teased, "Now I believe we came here to exchange presents, and I could use some good holiday cheer right about now…"

As was their tradition, everyone pulled out their gifts and piled them in front of Grissom. He looked up at them, before dryly proclaiming, "Why yes, I was done with my waffles, so nice of you to cover them with gifts."

"Hey, don't get syrup on the wrapping paper, it'll seep through," Warrick complained, trying to search for his own gift until Sara swatted his hand away from the pile.

Grissom rolled his eyes at the display, before checking the tags and distributing the presents to their proper recipient. After the gifts were opened and the food was eaten, the group lingered over coffee, unwilling to give up the only sense of normalcy they had felt in the past few weeks. They chatted about cases they were working on, games they had caught on TV, and holiday plans. Catherine told them all about Lindsey's latest Christmas pageant, and how she had been chosen to sing a solo.

Finally Warrick broke the spell, claiming he needed to get a few hours sleep before swing shift started that afternoon. Catherine asked to catch a ride home with him, and the two got up to pay their bills, before Grissom grabbed the checks from their hands.

"Hey, this is our holiday party. Ecklie can pay for this one."

The group smiled as they slowly left the table, making sure to gather up their belongings. Sara was now on her way to her car, admiring the cranberry sweater/scarf combination that Catherine had picked out for her. She was about to unlock the door when Nick jogged up behind her.

"Hey, Sar, thanks for those tickets. They must have been really hard to get."

She flashed a smile at him, "Don't worry about it, I've got a friend over at WLVU who owed me a favor. I remember how much you said you wanted to go to the Rice/WLVU game last year…I'm just glad you like them."

"I do. And Greg and Warrick are already fighting over who gets to go with me."

Nick leaned up against the door of her Denali, pulling something out of his pocket. He motioned for her to lean in, and whispered in her ear. "Don't tell the others, but I got you something."

Sara looked up at him, half surprised that he had gotten her a gift, and half surprised at her body's reaction to his breath hitting her ear.

"Nick, you didn't have to do that…"

"I know, but when I was shopping for Catherine's Secret Santa present, I saw this, and I thought of you, so I had to get it." He held out a tiny gift wrapped box, complete with a red ribbon.

She quirked an eyebrow as she accepted the present, and then proceeded to carefully unwrap it. She found herself holding a small gold box, and discovered a locket nestled inside. It appeared to be antique, held on a delicate chain and inscribed with a miniature sun and half moon.

Sara wasn't sure how long she had been staring at it before she heard Nick clear his throat. When she looked up at him, she saw the tell tale sign of a blush creep up his cheeks, and she knew that her face held the same pinkness.

"I know it's a lot more girly than something you usually wear…but for some reason, it just said 'Sara' to me. I…uh, I hope you like it."

"Thank you so much Nick. This is…well, it's just perfect." She reached out to give him a hug, relishing in the warmth of his embrace. He returned her hug fully, earning a few raised eyebrows from Grissom and Greg who were walking to their own vehicles.

They stood there, unsure of how exactly to break their hold without being awkward, until Nick finally pulled away.

"I think Warrick had the right idea about getting some sleep. It's been hell trying to adjust to this schedule. But, I'll see you on Christmas, right?" Nick had invited his colleagues over for Christmas, and Warrick, Greg, and Sara had all accepted.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Can I bring anything?" Sara inquired, trying to divert her attention to anything but Nick's face.

"Just you. And maybe some of those homemade chocolate chip cookies…"

"I think I can manage that."

They stood awkwardly for a few more seconds, before Nick leaned in, dropped a gentle kiss on Sara's cheek, and whispered, "See you later." When he pulled back, Sara noticed that the blush on his face had deepened, and with a smile, he turned and walked to his car.

Sara couldn't ignore the slight weakness in her legs as she got into her vehicle. She shook her head a few times, trying to clear the haze that had descended as soon as Nick had touched her. As she drove home that morning, she decided that the sweater Catherine had given her would go perfectly with her new locket on Christmas Day.

FIN.

Happy Holidays! Please Review!