Chapter Two: Shopping

"Don't say a word," Sara warned as she sat down next to him. Her nose was still swollen, as well as bruised, and her voice was muffled, leaving her sounding congested. It was a constant reminder of the guilt that rested on his shoulders.

"I was going to say that you didn't look too bad," Greg offered up, letting a smile cross his face.

"Right," Sara resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Grissom has promised a short shift tonight; after we get something to eat we'll need to go shopping."

"Shopping?"

She nodded. "I don't have anything to wear for the dance tomorrow night, and I know you don't have anything either."

"A pair of slacks and a button-up shirt," he offered, to which she laughed.

"I've seen your button-up shirts, they're hideous."

"They are not," Greg argued, "they're classic."

"Outlandish," Sara shot back.

"Unique."

"Obscene."

Greg held up his at the last comment, a signal for her to stop. "Only that one was, and I got rid of it."

"They're still appalling," she stated, trying to make her point come across. Sara knew he took pride in his… individuality, but there was little to no chance that she would go to the dance when he was dressed like that.

"Fine," he spread his hands apart, an indication that he was giving up. "We'll go shopping."

She smiled, taking pride in the simple fact that she had won. "After shift then…"

He had heard all the horror stories from friends, had read about them in magazines, even watched several scenes unfold on the television. Still, Greg had never thought that he would find himself in one. The man didn't shop, not by his definition. When it was needed he ran into a store, grabbed what was needed, and ran back out. Toiling around in a public place such as this was by no means enjoyable.

He had long ago found a decent tuxedo, Sara wouldn't let him get away with anything less. Not only did it look nice on him, but it was one he could afford without having to lose an arm or leg. Now all he had to do was wait, the same thing he had been doing for the past two hours.

Leaning against the wall he let out a sigh, checking over his shoulder. "Come on Sara, there has to be something you like in there."

He knew how many different dresses she had tried on, mainly because he had continuously ran them back and forth between the changing rooms and the racks. His feet were tired from being on them all day, but his mind was beyond exhausted from constantly doing nothing but think.

"You do want me to look good, right?"

Greg scowled, hating how she could use that against him. "You look good in anything," came his strained reply.

She said something in return, but it was lost and he was too weary to ask her to repeat herself. Instead he wandered off, staying close to the adjacent room in case she needed something else to try on, or if by some miracle she finally made up her mind.

Some of the clothes in there were questionable; stuff that he only seen woman wear in magazines. Hardly could he imagine Sara wearing something of the sort. He fingered a multicolored outfit, pulling it to the side so that the light shone through the fine material that you could more or less see through. A grin covered his face as he glanced up in Sara direction, letting the garment fall back into place. That would be the next outfit he would bring if asked of him.

Before long he found himself resting once more against the wall. He was growing anxious now; at this point, working a double probably would have been easier. Behind him the door opened, and he glanced up hopefully as Sara poked her head out.

"Get over here," she hissed under her breath, her eyes scanning the area around them. Greg made no sudden movements, but only walked over slowly, till the point he was within arms length of Sara. It was then she closed a hand around his wrist, pulling him in quickly.

"What are you doing?"

She motioned for him to be quiet, turning away from him so that she was facing the mirror, her hair drawn over her shoulder. "Zip me up there."

Shuffling the clothes from his arm to over his shoulder he worked at the zipper, stepping back to admire her outfit she had chosen as she turned for him. "What do you think?"

She was breathtaking, Greg had to admit, studying the sleek black dress. It ran the length of her body, sliding over her hips, widening out as it neared her legs, ending just under her knees. There was silver trim at the bottom, in a flowery pattern, small enough to not draw attention, but a lovely accent if noticed.

"It comes with a jacket too," she breathed, taking his silence as a sign of disapproval. She reached for the thin jacket that was still hanging on the rack, but Greg stopped her, shaking his head.

"You look wonderful…"

He leaned in, their lips catching one another. He wasn't sure how she would react, but was ecstatic when she returned the kiss, arms wrapping around his neck. His hands ran the length of her body, working to find a way under the fabric, but she stopped him with a laugh.

"Not here," she giggled, a resemblance of school girl who had been caught doing something naughty.

He pretended to pout, though knowing that she was right. "Why not?"

"For one I haven't even paid for the dress," she reminded him, "and you'll have to leave so I can change back."

Greg huffed, rolling his eyes. One minute ago she had been eager and willing, and now she was shying away. If that wasn't the only problem, he had to get out of there without anyone noticing.

Sara gave him an extra boost, pushing gently on his back even before he had checked to see if the coast was clear. As soon as he had been invited in, he had been tossed out. Thankfully no one was around to see.

It took little more than a few minutes before she was ready, for which Greg was thankful. The only high point of this shopping trip had been in the changing rooms, and that had been cut short. With a simple smile she waltzed out, Greg close in tow. They were all ready for dance tomorrow night, but Greg was beginning to worry. If he didn't get any sleep soon, that was all he would be doing during the best night of his life.

TBC