Disclaimer: It's not mine, I just enjoy messing with their lives!
A/N: Thanks so much everyone for the encouraging reviews! It's nice to know that even if I take an extra week or two to update (which hopefully won't be for too many more chapters), than you'll still be waiting to read, if a bit impatiently lol. So this chapter is dedicated to everyone who's been so understanding of my taking a little extra time. Now on with the chappie!
A Marriage of Convenience
Chapter Fourteen
"I can't believe Christmas is nearly here," Sara exclaimed as they drove home from shift, a week after their Thanksgiving break. "We've got just under three weeks till I meet your family."
"Oooh I know," Greg gave a laugh. "I guess that means I should think about buying some presents, huh?"
"Uh, yeah," Sara nodded, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I have to work tonight, but you've got off, so maybe you should go shopping."
"Okie-dokie. What do you want?"
"Surprise me," Sara said dryly. "Honestly, I don't care. I've already got more than I had every hoped for with you."
"I know," he replied seriously, though it wasn't stuck up, it was simply an acknowledgement. "I feel the same. Though a few more pairs of Spiderman lounge pants would be nice."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind kjære," she couldn't help but laugh. It was just like him to want cartoon-covered pants.
"You know what I'm wondering about?"
"Hm?"
"Well, two things. The first is what Nick's girl is like. He was all mysterious about her- what was up with that? The other is I have no idea what to get Warrick, he's my secret Santa. We do that tomorrow night, and I'm clueless," Greg whined.
"You don't get the point of secret Santa, do you," she laughed. "You're not supposed to tell."
"Well you won't tell, and besides, this way I won't totally embarrass you by getting him something weird, or boring," he reasoned. "But c'mon, ya gotta help me."
"Well tell me what you know about Warrick."
"Uh…I know he's lived in Las Vegas all his life with his grandmother. I've heard he played minor league ball, he likes jazz, and he had an interest in boxing. Not too much, just common lab-rat gossip," he shrugged. "Oooh, I got it! There's that Winton Marsalis concert coming to town in two months. I can get him two tickets to that along with a gift certificate to a nice restaurant!"
"See, you didn't need my help."
"I guess, but you just make everything seem so logical," he leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek as they pulled in the driveway. "Love ya vennen min."
"You too," she shook her head at his antics, something she found herself doing quite a bit.
"All righty then, I'm off," he slid over into the driver's seat as she hopped out. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'll definitely be back before you leave for work."
"Well I would hope so," she laughed, shutting the door and waving him off.
Greg quickly drove to a restaurant that he considered to have the best Italian food in the state of Nevada. Bella Notte's was a small restaurant, but what it lacked in size, it more than made up for it in quality. The restaurant was run by an authentic Italian family, with some of the best secrets for cooking he had ever had the pleasure of tasting. Not to mention, the restaurant was themed after the movie "Lady and the Tramp" and the whole spaghetti-noodle-kiss-part. Totally cool in his opinion- after all, how many restaurants decorated based on a Disney movie? So he stopped in and picked up a hundred dollar gift certificate before going on to the box office where a friend of his hooked him up with two tickets for a table at the front right near the stage.
Satisfied that his secret Santa gift would kick ass, he whistled cheerily as he drove to a local shopping centre to pick up gifts for his family, and of course Sara. He wandered around and through a few stores, easily picking out things for his family: A nice set of hand-woven Irish linens for his mother, along with another Beleek pottery ornament to add to her collection, a set of four hand-crafted Waterford brandy tankards for his father, and a bookstore gift certificate for his sister, along with two silver charms to add to her charm bracelet.
He meandered through several stores of varying wares; jewellery, clothes, perfumes. However, nothing 'spoke' to him as being right for Sara. He knew she'd appreciate anything he bought, since it was the thought that counted, but he wanted their first Christmas to be perfect. After all, he felt like he hadn't done anything else right in their whole bizarre relationship other than marry her, and he wanted to make it up to her.
Giving a little sigh, he shook himself from his thoughts and took the short trip back to reality. Walking into one of many gift stores in the centre, he picked out a few minor things; two picture frames (one of which would hold the picture of her and Dylan) a little stuffed animal that looked like Duke, and a little crystal figure that looked something like her cat. Doubling back to the bookstore, he picked up two books that were in a series she liked, and he knew she was trying to get, as well as a book his sister had recommended.
It was called "Beauty" and was a version of Beauty and the Beast. In the story, a wealthy father with three daughters loses his fortune, and has to move his family in with his daughter's new husband at their small house. One day, the father had to travel back to their old town, and he got lost in a magical forest, and wound up at a castle. An invisible voice told him that he was welcome to food and shelter, but not to take anything else. On the last day however, the father picks a single rose, having promised his daughter Beauty that he would bring her flower seeds. The Beast appears and tells him he has a week to make a decision- for the rest of his life he can stay, or one of his daughters can, but only if she comes of her own free will. Beauty knows her sisters would be devastated by their father's departure, and goes to the castle of her own free will. Thus ensues the story of how a beauty came to love a beast, and all that entails.
Still not sure what to get Sara as a special gift, he decided to just head home. He hoped that he would have a stroke of brilliance and think of something perfect. Making sure he had all his bags together, he headed out to his car and drove home. Looking at the car clock, he realized that he had spent most of the day wandering around at the mall, and that it was a little after five. He swung by a little deli to pick up a sandwich for himself, and a sweet-and-sour mahi-mahi wrap for Sara.
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO The next night OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO
"All right, gather round everyone," Grissom called out as the team entered the break room, gifts in hand.
"Happy Holidays boss," Nick grinned, pushing a shirt-sized box towards Grissom.
"I guess that answers my questions about who's starting tonight," he laughed slightly, taking the box.
"Oh come on Gil, just rip it open," Catherine chided as he began to painstakingly separate the tape from the paper.
"I was planning on it, I just wanted to see how long it would take for you to scold," he laughed, tearing the paper and opening the box to see several species of beetles mounted carefully in a mahogany shadow box. "Oh this is wonderful Nick, thank you! I have just the spot in my dining room for it."
"Beetles and dining rooms do not mix Gil," Catherine sneered slightly, shaking her head. "Anyways, it's your turn, so hurry up and give me my gift."
"How'd you know I have your gift?"
"You have spent the past week asking more questions than usual about my hobbies, trying to find out what I want," she laughed, taking the long thin box he handed over.
"Oooh, looks like a jewellery box," Greg teased as Catherine ripped off the paper to reveal a red fuzzy necklace box.
"Gil, this is gorgeous! You shouldn't have," she breathed, lifting out a thin silver chain with a butterfly charm on the end. The spots on the butterfly's wings were tiny amethysts, accented ever more by the delicate filigree of the silver.
"I never take the time to thank you for everything you do for me," his cheeks flushed slightly as he shrugged off her thanks. "I figure this is the least you deserve."
"Well isn't that cute!" Greg gave a girly squeal, ruining the moment. "Now it's my turn!"
"I feel bad for whoever the field mouse got," Warrick joked, chuckling.
"You!" Greg laughed as Warrick winced in mock disappointment.
"Let me guess, a gift certificate?" Warrick took the envelope and waved it near his ear.
"Maybe, maybe not, I'm not telling," Greg replied in a sing-song voice as Warrick opened it.
"Hey, I wanted to go to this, but it was sold out when I checked with ticket master," he exclaimed. "How'd you get these?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets, but seriously, just have a nice time with a pretty lady," Greg laughed.
"Who's next?" Grissom looked around.
"Lady's choice," Nick looked from Sara to Catherine.
"If no one minds, I'd like to save mine for last," Sara looked to Catherine and Warrick.
"Sure, I don't think that's a problem," Catherine shrugged, pulling a box out and sliding it across the table to Nick. "Here ya go Nicky."
"Thanks Cath," Nick tore into the box and pulled out a dark blue t-shirt with the country-song phrase "Save a horse, ride a cowboy," emblazoned across it in white. "Dude, that awesome!"
"Yeah well, it seemed like something for a cowboy from Texas," she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"If Sara's going last, I guess that means it's my turn," Warrick pulled a square box out and slid it across the table to Sara. "Here girl."
"You remembered," Sara gave him a smile after opening it to reveal several jazz cds from varying artists.
"About the fact that you've always wanted to listen to jazz, but you just never seem to get around to it?" He asked, and she nodded. "Yeah, of course I did. I think I was so shocked that you didn't recognize hardly anything by greats like Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. So I decided to fix that."
"Well thanks, these'll be a lot of fun to listen to," she gave a smile before turning to face Greg. "I got you kjære."
"This should be good," Greg smiled excitedly.
Sara shook her head in amusement at his child-like antics as she slid a relatively thin package across the table to him. He picked it up with a grin, shaking it and bending it, trying to get a hint as to what it was. Finally setting it down, he stripped the box of its paper, and opened it to see an envelope. Looking up curiously at Sara, he picked it up and opened it carefully so as not to tear the piece of paper inside. He read it over quickly, once, twice, and a third time, not saying anything. Pushing his chair back, he walked around the table to kneel in front of Sara and took her hands in his.
"This isn't a joke?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers.
"No, it's real," she gave a nervous laugh. "Are you mad?"
His answer was to pull her up and out of the chair into a bone-crushing hug and spin her around before giving her a searing kiss. He pulled back and laughed loudly before pulling her close for another hug, holding her for a moment to turn and look at their co-workers.
"So would you like to share what evidently neat gift your wife gave you?" Catherine stared at the two of them, a bemused smile on her face.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Greg handed Catherine the piece of paper that had been in the envelope, not letting go of Sara.
"What's it say Cath?" Warrick asked, curious like the others.
"It's a gift certificate for a book," she said slowly, reading it over.
"What book?" Nick asked, slightly exasperated with the wait.
"What to Expect When You're Expecting," Catherine read with a broad smile. "Greg's gonna be a daddy!"
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A/N: Okie dokie, not the best way to end the chappie, but I wanted to get this out to y'all. Hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, though there wasn't a ton going on except now ya know. Also x-sara-x if you'd e-mail me, many chapters back you won a guessing contest, and it's time for you to claim your "prize". And TexasTechMandy(sorry if that's not your real e-mail/pen name) please re-e-mail me the info you had earlier if you don't mind! As always, review if you want, it's cool if you don't!