New Interests

"Go ahead and quote someone - I know you want you to."

Grissom looked up from the dishes he was doing. "What?" he asked innocently.

Sara snapped her towel at him. "You've got that look on your face. The one that says 'I have a deep thought.'" She giggled as she tried to imitate his voice.

Grissom smiled warmly at her. "Okay, here's one for you to try on. 'But children, remember Sarah Stout, And always take the garbage out.' It's in honor of this huge garbage bag that hasn't been taken out yet." He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to laugh.

Sara stared back at him with a confused look on her face. "Who in the world is Sarah Stout? Wait, are you calling me fat?"

He laughed at her outraged face. "No! It's from Shel Silverstein. Haven't you ever heard of him? He wrote Where the Sidewalk Ends. The Giving Tree?" Her face showed no recognition. "A Light in the Attic?"

Sara shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea who you are talking about."

Grissom wrung out the dishcloth he was using, dried his hands, and took Sara's towel away from her. "Then, my dear, we are going on a trip."

"A trip? Where? I have to work later tonight!" Sara was more confused than ever.

Grissom was enjoying seeing Sara, who prided herself on knowing all of the answers, so thoroughly confused. It was a view he didn't get very often, and he enjoyed being able to show her something new. He was surprised that she had never heard of Shel Silverstein since he would have been writing just as she was in elementary school. Too busy reading "light" novels like Moby Dick, he thought to himself. "We're just going to the library, Sara. I think you need to introduce yourself to Shel Silverstein. You know, kind of broaden your horizons. It's time to get beyond all of your forensic journals."

Sara looked unconvinced. "Whatever you say. I think, though, that I should get some compensation for this trip. I mean, if I have to learn something, don't you think I should get rewarded?" She smiled at him softly.

Grissom felt the familiar tingle go all through his body. Will I ever tire of that smile? he wondered. "What, exactly, did you have in mind?" he asked with a grin.

She began laughing. "Not that!" she cried. "Although, we could put that on the list as well. It's just that I have this job that I have to go to in a few hours, so I don't know if we'll be able to fit it all in. I was thinking more about stopping for an ice cream sundae. You do realize that it's about 110 degrees out there, don't you?"

"Okay, how's this sound? What do you say we go to the library and check out a couple of books? Then, we can stop and get some ice cream on our way back here, and we can read fine poetry and eat ice cream here until you have to go to work?"

Sara nodded. "It sounds good to me. Hey, how did you get out of having to go into work when I have to? I mean, what's the use of dating the boss if I can't get something out of it?"

He reached out to pull her close and dropped a kiss on her nose. "I think you get plenty out of it," he murmured suggestively. "Don't you?"

She laughed as she pushed away to walk over to get her purse. "I guess we'll see when we get back, won't we?"

An hour later, they had returned loaded down. Grissom had insisted that Sara not only check out every Shel Silverstein book the library had, but her also had her check out two Ramona books and the entire Harry Potter series. There were 123 reserves for book six, but Sara knew it was going to take her awhile to get through what she had. "Kids read this?" she had asked when she lifted the fifth book that appeared to weigh six or seven pounds. She was astonished when he answered in the affirmative. They had also stopped at the ice cream shop near her apartment and gotten hot fudge sundaes. Now, she was looking forward to a quiet evening, relaxing before she had to face the dark side of Las Vegas life.

She was laying lengthwise on the couch, her back propped up by pillows and her feet in his lap as she worked her way through Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Grissom was perusing Where the Sidewalk Ends, occasionally reading one of his favorite poems to her, including "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage out", as well as stealing bites of her hot fudge sundae. "Stop it," she finally protested.

He responded by tapping the end of her nose with his spoon.

"Grissom," she cried. "You got ice cream on my nose. Will you get it off!"

He smiled at her outraged face, set her bowl on the coffee table, and then prompted by a mischievous streak, he leaned over and licked it off of her nose. "There, all better?" he whispered, his face inches from her.

Sara felt her body respond to the look in his eyes, but she wasn't giving in, not yet anyway. "Thanks," she answered primly. "I'm trying to read. You know, this is a really good book. How come I've never heard of it before?"

"Because, Sara, all you read are forensic journals. You need to stretch out a little more and develop more interests," Grissom replied looking at her. Then, he grinned, "But that's OK. That's what I'm here for. And . . . I think it's time for you to get your nose out of that book and pay some attention to me. You have to leave for work soon."

Sara smiled as she dropped her book that she was reading to wrap her arms around his neck.

A few hours later, she was humming to herself as she walked through the lab. Stopping suddenly, she burst into laughter at the sight of Greg in a ten gallon cowboy hat. "What," she tried to ask between bursts of giggles, "is that?"

Greg turned around and preened for her. "This is a new accessory for the field. Do you think Grissom will let me wear it?"

"I think that Grissom will think you have lost your freakin' mind, Greg. And, I have to admit, I'll agree with him."

Greg grinned at her, "Of course you will. I mean, come on, you guys are practically attached at the hip nowadays." He slid up next to her, "So, tell me, what's it like actually dating him?"

Sara tried to give him her dirtiest look, but unfortunately she wasn't quite able to carry it off when she burst into another round of giggles. "So, where did you get this from?" she finally asked.

"It's Nick's. I guess his parents brought some more Texas stuff when they were here last time. Sounds like they thought he was getting too 'big city' for their liking."

"So, you stole it?"

"No, no!" Greg protested. "Nick let me borrow it!" He looked up at the clock. "Um, I better get going. Here, can you take this to Nick for me? I think he's in the Break Room." He tossed the hat to her before she could open her mouth.

Sara walked down the hallway, shaking her head at Greg's abrupt departure. She turned the corner, pushed open the door, and dropped the hat, astonished by the burst of noise that reached her. "Surprise!" everyone shouted.

She stopped for a minute to catch her breath, and spotted Grissom there, Cheshire grin firmly in place. "What's this?" she demanded.

"It's a surprise birthday party. Your birthday is tomorrow, right?" he answered.

Suddenly, it all began to make sense. "That's why you got tonight off, so you could plan this! I can't believe this. So what was the whole deal with me 'broadening my horizons' as you put it."

Nick looked at her, confused. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Sara glanced slyly at Grissom. "He seemed to think that I didn't have enough interests, so he made me go to the library and check out a whole pile of kids' books and read them. I think he was trying to distract me so I wouldn't pry for details about how he was going to celebrate my birthday." She had a feeling she was babbling, but she couldn't seem to stop in her surprise and joy that someone had thought of her. "Then, he stole my hot fudge and was not even sorry for it! He tried to make up, but I didn't give in. Okay, well, not at first," she finished with a grin.

At that, Warrick covered his ears, "Girl, don't say anymore. There's some visuals I don't want to see!"

While everyone else snickered, Nick tossed his cowboy hat at her, effectively shutting her up.