A/N - here is my 2nd fic. I had a very random moment whilst shopping for a friends birthday present earlier today and had the idea for this story. It's totally silly and pointless but hopefully it will give someone a bit of a laugh. I churned it out in less than two hours so it isn't designed to be an amazing piece of literature. I was just trying to get the character of Greg out a bit. It was hard seeing as I am not a man nor am I Greg but enough of my rambling, read on and enjoy.
P.S - I realise it is ages until Christmas but the shops are all stocking Christmas things and I think I have fallen slave to the hype. Spoiler for the episode with the decomposed man in a holdall. I don't know the name of the episode but it is from one of the earlier series. Dialogue from that episode is featured in here but does not belong to me, nor do any of the characters etc etc disclaimer over now read on...
Christmas Shopping
The small group of Christmas shoppers that were dawdling along the sidewalk were startled as he dashed out of the casino gift shop and onto the street. Pausing for a moment to glance behind him he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't entirely sure that the guy had actually intended to follow him but he hadn't wanted to risk it.
That was the last time he tried flirting with a hot woman in a casino. He hadn't realised she was a hooker until the man who was much taller and much stronger than he was appeared and offered to turn his 'valuables' into Christmas tree decorations if he didn't leave immediately. Wanting to keep his manhood intact he had taken the guy's advice and subsequently exited the building as fast as his legs would carry him.
Taking the disgruntled looks from the shoppers he had almost run into as his cue, he started to walk down the street again. Pissing off more than one person in the space of two minutes had to be a record even for him. Who would have thought Christmas shopping could be such a dangerous activity? That elderly woman looked like she could do more damage with her handbag than the guy in the casino could with his fist, judging by the look on her face.
He wandered along the sidewalk, looking in the shop windows as he passed them desperately searching for inspiration. That was the problem with working with such a mixed group of people – shopping for them was so difficult. And now, after his near death experience, casino gift shops were completely off limits. So far he had only managed to get an extra present for his sister. He wondered whether anyone else had left their shopping until the last minute. He was still contemplating this as his phone began to ring. Rummaging around in his jacket pocket, he took out his phone and answered it.
'Sanders.'
'Yo Greg, it's Archie, how's it going?' came the reply.
'Great, I nearly got lynched by a pimp but it's fine.' Greg answered back, trying not to laugh at how stupid the previous situation now seemed.
'What?' was Archie's confused response.
'Nevermind, what can I do for you?'
'What should I get Grissom for Christmas?' Archie asked.
Greg laughed, so he wasn't the only one who left it until the last minute after all? Then he laughed again thinking, you're asking me?
'Don't laugh dude, I'm desperate, what should I get?' Archie asked again, genuinely sounding desperate.
'I don't know, its Grissom get him something to do with bugs or something alcoholic.' Greg suggested.
'Is he much of a drinker?' Archie asked, unsure.
'He will be if you get him something. It can be his new years resolution,' Greg said and laughed.
'O.k. thanks man, you've been a great help,' Archie said, sarcastically.
'No problem, see you later,' Greg laughed and hung up.
Someone bumped into his shoulder as he put his phone away. Greg sighed angrily and watched the person, who was clearly in a hurry to get their Christmas shopping done as quickly as possible judging by the multitude of bags they were carrying, walk away. Instinctively, Greg checked that his wallet was still in the side pocket of his jeans. It was a little paranoid of him but he was relived to find it was still there and he continued on along the street looking for ideas again.
The window of a lingerie shop occupied his gaze for slightly longer than the other shops before he realised he would be borderlining on perversion if he didn't look elsewhere. Why did they have to do that with window displays when poor defenceless guys like him wouldn't be able to resist a peek? He contemplated buying something for Sara from there but his common sense told him she probably had a strong right hook but he really didn't want to find that out first hand.
Next door to the lingerie shop was a perfumery. That seemed a much safer bet and probably wouldn't result in personal injury if he bought her something from there. He headed inside, wrinkling his nose at the strong smell of several different perfumes. He was just getting the hang of breathing around the smell when an assistant sprayed some perfume practically right up his nose and tried to sell it to him. Fighting back the urge to choke he nodded and bought it without argument.
Gasping for breath once he was outside, he realised he had no idea what the present he had just bought Sara actually smelled like.
'She'd better like it,' he muttered to himself as he coughed once more, wondering if Christmas shopping really was as hazardous to your health as he had thought previously whilst escaping from the gift shop. Don't be such a baby Sanders he told himself as he took a deep breath in and started to walk down towards the corner of the street.
It couldn't possibly smell as bad as the time she had reeked of a decomp. He smiled to himself as he remembered what he had said to her.
'You know you smell like death.'
'I've heard.'
'You know a real man wouldn't mind.'
That had been back when he was still a lowly lab rat. As much as he had loved that job, he loved his new one as a CSI even better. He felt like the career change had changed him as a person as well. He had seen a lot of things in the past year that he had never imagined even existed in the world. Horrible things. Sometimes he wished he could have his childhood back. That was the great thing about Christmas, it made him think of his younger years, ripping presents open on Christmas morning, gorging himself on sweets and chocolate and doing experiments with the latest science kit he had been bought.
Those were the days. You didn't have to think about what anyone thought, not that he did now, but there were times when people made him feel inferior. People like Hodges who took every opportunity possible to make him look like an idiot. Then again, the entire CSI team made him feel inferior. Not in the way Hodges did but because he was the new guy. Well, sort of, he had been working at the lab for a few years now but he was new as a CSI. He didn't feel as confident as he would like and he wasn't sure he got on with the rest of the gang as much as he wanted. He and Nick got on well, as did he and Sara. Warrick he wasn't sure about, he hadn't really had that many in-depth conversations with the man and he had blown up at him when they were trying to find Nick after he had been kidnapped. He knew Warrick had just been stressed out and wanted to find his best friend but that was another of those moments where Greg felt like the new guy.
Shaking away the thoughts, telling himself they didn't matter, he rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks. He smiled to himself as he heard the joyful lament of 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' and saw the lights of the carousel. This reminded him of being a kid. When he was really small, his dad would take him down to the fairground that set up once every year in his hometown. Greg watched as he saw the children queuing up excitedly to ride on the horses.
He suddenly found himself wishing he could have a ride. You can't do that, he told himself, you're a grown man and you're on your own. Do you want to look like a complete and utter dork? But no one around here knows you, he argued back with himself. Besides hadn't he just been wishing five minutes earlier that he could have his childhood back?
Scanning around him to make sure there definitely wasn't anyone he knew wandering around, he joined the queue just as the ride was finishing. He avoided eye contact with some of the parents that were waiting to get on with their children. Slipping two dollars to the operator, he quickly found a horse and hopped on. He couldn't believe he was doing this, what had gotten into him? Holding carefully onto his shopping bags but keeping a tight hold on the pole that attached the horse to the ride, he scanned the busy shopping area again just to double check that he couldn't see anyone he knew.
He was contemplating giving up this silly idea when the ride started up and the music began to play. No backing out now, he thought, might as well make the most of it. Greg started to remember his childhood and the times his father had taken him on the ride. Letting his inhibitions go, he began to wave at complete strangers and cheered as he went round and round. To his surprise, several people waved back but he didn't care.
'O.k., moment over, back to present hunting. What should I get -,' he began to say to himself as he hopped down off the ride, before the startled glare from a familiar looking senior citizen with a extra large handbag brought him to his senses.
He gave the woman the most pleasant smile he could and then quickly hurried on to the rest of the shops, wondering whose gift he should risk his life for this time. That was as long as the guys in the white coats didn't catch him first. He smiled to himself and headed into a bookshop, feeling inspired for the first time that day.