Disclaimer: :shakes fist at Easter Chicken: You had better bring me the DVD's in my basket this year! I don't own anything yet, sadly :(Nothing here is mine, except the storyline which is going next to no where.

A/N: It's been more than two months since my last update, sorry about that. If you've read either my profile or my blog since then, you'd know what's going on with my dad's sudden desire to switch computers. Now I have basic word pad ... no 602Text, no Microsoft Works ... just word pad oO I'm gonna go insane ... sorry for any spelling errors, for the wonderful word pad doesn't come with a checker. Any other errors are also my fault, due to a non-responsive beta. If anyone wants to beta for me (for I shall be updating again with this new burst of energy and illness, where I had the miraculous idea of copying the chapters from the site to a floppy I know, I'm slow.) email me, don't just say it in a review. You'll get credit at the beginning of every chapter you beta, I promise:gets on knees and begs: And does anyone know about this refusal to allow chapters to contain asterisks and such things? It's getting on my nerves ...

Edit: This quick-edit thingy when you upload is getting on my nerves! It took away half of my exclamation marks, question marks, hyphens, underscores, and commas, so if I missed some, sorry. I did my best ...

Rambled enough, on to the belated Christmas chapter! Enjoy.

Chapter 7.

Sara poked at her eggs with a fork- steering clear of the bacon- as she pondered his question. What did she want for Christmas? After her act of sounding appalled at Grissom's statement of not even thinking about it, she couldn't say she didn't know.

"Well, there's lots of things ..."

Way to go, Sara! Stall for time like he can't tell you're lying! Excellent plan!

"Like what?" Grissom prodded, taking a bite of toast. Sara's eyes hadn't left her plate and she began to mumble incoherent things, still shoving her defenseless scrambled eggs across her plate. "Sorry, what?" Sara lifted her eyes, but averted them to somewhere across the diner.

"I said- hey, isn't that Cath and Nick?" She squinted her eyes. "And Warrick?" Grissom turned his head doubtfully, but flushed red and turned back, his head slightly facing the window, sipping nervously at his coffee. Sara looked at him.

"Uh, Griss?" Sara sighed and leaned back, sticking her eggs with her fork and nibbling at them.

Great, she thought bitterly. He's ashamed to be seen with me.

Catherine had seen Sara and Grissom notice them, and watched as Grissom turned away. Sara leaned back against the plush booth and bit at her eggs, casting a glare their way. That was when she decided it was time to leave.

Standing, she said, "Alright, Boys, head on out to the car." Warrick looked up at Cath with raised eyebrows, his lips still closed around his straw. Nick had just started to take the first bite from his burger (how he was able to get a burger so early in the morning was anyone's guess) when he was told to leave.

"But-" he started, his mouth still full.

"Oh, grab a doggie bag, we've gotta go. Come on. I'll get the bill." As Catherine walked off, Warrick watched her. Turning to Nick, he said,

"What's the sudden change of heart?" Nick shrugged, but glanced back up at Grissom and Sara's end of the diner. They weren't looking too happy. Nick swallowed and nodded in their direction.

"Seeing the tension that I am? So thick you could slice it with a steak knife." Warrick nodded.

"Wonder what happened?" Nick shrugged and took another large bite of his hamburger. Catherine returned with styrofoam boxes and cups, and the three packed up their meal.

Greg gave a soft yawn as he walked down the hall, taking his leave while Grissom wasn't looking. He needed a nap, and he sure wasn't going to get it sitting at a lab desk topped with bags of evidence- evidence, that is, for day shift.

Headphones on, magazine in hand, his attention was fully focused on fishing around in his pockets for the spare batteries he knew he put there. He was trying to escape without so much as a hesitation, but a feminine giggle accompanied by a man's laugh stopped him dead in his tracks. Tilting his head, he could see into Ecklie's office, the door ajar. A blonde woman sat in Ecklie's plush office chair, but he couldn't tell much else. Ecklie was hovering over her, and both appeared to be laughing at something on the computer screen. The woman's fingers worked rapidly on the keyboard, stopping now and then to do something with the mouse.

"This has got to work. It has got to get him fired."

"Demoted, maybe, but not fired. Besides, who would take over graveyard shift? I mean, wouldn't Willows eventually get it? She is the most experienced."

"Perhaps. I wouldn't mind anyone else getting that supervising position, as long as Grissom isn't in control. Everyone else would be much easier to sway."

"And if we get caught, I get no credit, remember? 'Sides, remember who provided the pictures?" Ecklie laughed and turned around, grabbing his coffee.

"It's time for some change around h-" Ecklie stopped. Greg stepped away from the door and began to walk swiftly away, hoping Ecklie didn't see him.

"Hey!"

Damn. Greg stopped, then proceded to walk again. He hoped Ecklie would think he hadn't heard a word, with the headphones still perched atop his head and the magazine in front of his face. When he came around the corner, he turned his head to make sure Ecklie hadn't followed and began to run as fast as he could. He would have to tell someone ... Not Grissom. Definitely not Sara. It would have to be Catherine or one of the others. Hadn't they gone to get lunch? They should be coming back ... he would have to wait for them.

Catherine had just stepped in the front door of the lab when Greg came barreling towards her. Jerking the headphones from his ears, he began a long, hurried string of incoherent words.

"-andthenthewomansaidrememberwhoprovidedthepicturesandEcklielaughedand-"

"Greg, hold on," Catherine said, halting his long winded explanation. Greg took in a long breath.

"I-I saw ... trying to get Grissom fired; or demoted; or something!" Greg relayed to Catherine the conversation he had overheard. Catherine seemed troubled, but bowed her head in through. Warrick and Nick, however, started on him immediately.

"Sofia!" they said in unison. Greg shrugged.

"Blonde. Good with computers. All I know."

The four of them were silent, but a sharp intake of breath from Greg made them turn around. Sara was approaching the door, though Grissom, several feet behind her, had his hands in his pockets staring at the ground his feet carried him over.

Like a couple of teenagers, Catherine thought, seeing the disappointed look about her supervisor. But a new thought arose in Catherine's mind ... how to tell Grissom about Ecklie without having to arrest him for brandishing a weapon.

A/N: Terribly short, I know, but just let me get back in the swing of things, k? I promise the next chapter will be considerably longer, and I'm working on a Valentine's treat and a belated New Year's ficlet for the two-month delay Don't be too angry with me ... ;;