Birthday Surprise

Written By: Chella Belle/Edited By: Tigger

Chapter 6: The Party


"Get off the ladder Greg." Catherine warned. The last few guests were arriving and they were trying to find room to hide everyone.

Nick and Miranda had arrived shortly after the incident with the ladder; Archie, Bobbie, David, and Brass were next. Jackie, Judy, Rusty, and Alex from days came afterwards. Finally, Grissom's college room mate Arthur Reynolds and his wife Jessica arrived.

Warrick and Nick had teamed up and parked all the cars in the back yard, and Greg covered the tire treads. Catherine was trying to quiet everyone down when she had gotten word from a neighbor down the street that Grissom and Sara were spotted.

Warrick walked up to Catherine. "Where are they?"

"I don't know. Mrs. Williams said that they were right down the road." Catherine shrugged. "Tell everyone to get down and turn off the lights. I don't want them sneaking up on us if they are right down the road." Catherine went to direct the guests. Warrick walked over to the light switch and turned it off, covering them all with darkness. He crouched down and sighed.

Catherine knelt next to him and they all waited…and waited…and waited.

20 minuets later, the car pulled into the drive way. Catherine shushed everyone. "They're coming!" Catherine whispered frantically. The door handle jingled and Grissom and Sara emerged from the foyer.

"Honey you look absolutely divine in that dress." Grissom commented, darkness still covering them.

"Yeah…but we're in a dark foyer…that isn't really sayin much." Sara joked.

"So." Grissom pushed her up against the wall between the foyer doors and the parlor, where everyone was hiding. Grissom and Sara were standing in the moon light and everyone could see the steamy make-out session.

"Gil. Gil honey. Gilbert, Gil." Sara tried to pry herself from his grip, knowing everyone was watching them. "Honey, turn on the lights."

"No, I want to ravage you, against our wall, in the dark." Grissom chuckled and, even though they couldn't see her, everyone knew Sara was beat red.

Warrick stood up and hit the lights and everyone popped up yelling, "SURPRISE!"

Grissom yelled and pulled away from Sara. "Damn Sar." Nick scanned her up and down with his eyes and wiggled his eye brows. "Nice." He complimented, and his date, Miranda, smacked him upside the head playfully and rolled her eyes.

"Oooh. I like her." Cat said and smiled. The two high five'd and Nick rubbed his head.

"I feel like Sanders."

"Um, hello! Why are you all here?" Grissom asked.

"Didn't you here the 'Surprise'?" Greg asked teasingly. "Yeah, we decided, the new thing from now on is…hide in your friend's house and jump out when they come home."

Grissom rolled his eyes and Brass smacked Greg upside the head.

"Well, at least someone else is getting slapped." Nick commented. They all chuckled.

"Yeah. And that's the most action you've had for a couple months." Archie joked.

"Burn!" Greg yelled and everybody laughed.

"Yeah, you're one to talk." He shot back smirking.

"Burn!" Greg shouted again. Grissom held up his hands in a time-out gesture.

"Hang on. So…is this a surprise party?" Grissom asked and everybody smiled.

"Told you there was something planned."

"No you didn't." They giggled at the inside joke, leaving everyone confused.

"Okay, your clothes are laid out on the bed. Go get changed and we'll start the party." Catherine instructed pushing them up the stairs. She reached and closed the double doors, hiding the staircase from view. Sara and Grissom stood on the steps; confused and looking at the door.

"How much time do you think we have?" Sara grinned mischievously.

Grissom stared at her a moment, "Fifteen minuets at absolute most." Sara grinned wider, "No Sara."

"Awe come on honey. Are you worried you can't do it? Because I think you can, I have faith in you."

"No, I'm just worried about the fact that we have a houseful of investigators, timing us, and not worrying about what they see if they happen to intrude." Grissom pointed out and Sara sighed.

"Yeah, okay."

She began to ascend the stairs morosely. "But…" Grissom began and she turned around hopefully. "The quicker we get dressed and get back down there, the quicker we can get this party over with and get them outta here…so the real party can start." Grissom wiggled his eyebrows and Sara lit up.

"Oooohh you are bad!" She rushed up the stairs and he chased her. Doing things backwards from other couples, they had a race to see who could get dressed and downstairs fastest…Grissom won.


Ten minuets later the party had officially begun. Food had been served. Butts had been seated. And stories were being told. "Now you see you guys," Catherine began while taking a sip of her alcohol, "this night isn't special for just you. When you got married vows were made, to love, cherish, honor, to have and hold, blah, blah, blah." The group gave a chuckle and Sara turned around to look at Grissom lovingly and patted his knee. "These were to be held for all time, most of us hoped so." They laughed again. "But as for the rest of you who thought and prayed this marriage was doomed to fail before its first year…pay up."

Grissom and Sara dropped their jaws as everyone in the room exchanged money with at least three other people.

"We had a few bets going." Greg clarified.

"Such as…" Grissom asked.

"Well," Nick stood up, "$50 all around for who said you wouldn't make it through the first year, $20 said there would be inside jokes from dinner, $90 said ya'll would brake before Griss turned 50, and a whopping $100 said ya'll would show lots of PDA." Nick explained and sat back laughing. Miranda laughed and patted his knee.

"We are so going shopping."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're in on it too. You just came into the group how could you already be in on the bets?" Sara asked incredulously.

"They explained it when I got here. I place my bets and prepared to collect my money."

"But you hardly know us." Grissom stated and Miranda shrugged.

"Just my woman's intuition." She giggled and Sara pursed her lips to hide her humor.

"How much did you clear?"

"Total? About 480 bucks."

"Damn! You go girl." Warrick complimented.

"Hey…you can hang with me later." Greg moved closer to her and put his arm around her. She raised an eyebrow and Nick shoved him off.

"Okay, so…who thought we wouldn't make it?" Sara asked and several people raised their hands. Such as Greg, Archie, Bobbie, David, and Nick.

"More of a prayer than a thought." Greg admitted and the rest nodded. It was no secret that the men had been eyeing Sara.

"You're all fired." Grissom joked. They laughed.

"A Joke! We drink!" Brass exclaimed and everyone besides Grissom and Sara took a shot of their drinks.

"I'm not gonna ask." Sara replied.

"Well good. Cause we weren't gonna tell ya." Miranda replied. Sara and Grissom just shook their heads.

"Alright…we have decided to honor Grissom's old age by remembering our favorite times of him." Catherine began.

"I have that one." Grissom's college roommate began, "back in college, when the power went out, that was frequently-"

"Yeah, considering woolly mammoths still walked the Earth and we were living in caves when we were in college." Grissom joked.

"Drink!" Archie exclaimed and everyone took another shot.

"Anyway, Gil told me that you could create light by using a pickle and hooking it up to battery powered jumping cables. So…we powered our room by using a pickle. It was great for a while, but after the power came back, the entire floor smelt like pickles for a week!"

Everyone laughed. Catherine sat up. "Okay, so when I first met Eddie he was drunk. I mean big time drunk. He would come home most nights totally trashed. Well, at that time I was still an exotic dancer and was working long hours. And Eddie decided to get shit-faced when I wasn't home. Now the house is locked with Eddie on the outside, so he brakes in and sets off the alarm. Well, Grissom heard the sirens and came running, or should I say swinging a bat, and busts into the house. Eddie's drunk and falling everywhere, and Gil's freaked and chasing him." By this time everyone was on the floor rolling around with tears of laughter in their eyes. "Now, my shift had just ended so I come home to a bleeding Eddie, guilty Gil, and upset cops. I was so scared that something really bad had happened. Instead, I realized how much Gil cared and how much of a drunken ass Eddie was." Everyone awed as Gil blushed.

"I need a drink." Gil replied and took a long swig of whiskey.


Sara stood up and adjusted her maroon blouse and jeans. "Okay, present time." She grabbed Grissom's hand and pulled him to his feet and everyone followed them into the dinning room where the presents were placed on the table.

"I guess I'll open this one first." Grissom timidly picked up a green box. He pulled out the complete first season of the three Stooges. Grissom looked up questioningly. "Wow…thanks."

"Now you'll always think of us." Greg said and put his arms around Warrick and Nick. Together, they began to act out one of the Stooge's most famous comedy routines.

When they had finished, everybody laughed and clapped. Grissom shook his head. "Thank you." He picked up the next present to reveal an entomology book. "Wow! Thanks Cat!"

She smiled, "You're welcome."

Thirty minuets later he had opened almost all of his gifts. "Okay," Sara began, "My turn." She took his hand and led him to their garage. Soon, the entire party was crowded around The Grissom's tiny door. "Alright. Happy Birthday!" She opened the door to reveal what was in the garage.

"Wow! You got me a glass tank! Thanks honey I love it!" Grissom replied cheerfully and kissed her.

"He said 'honey'." Nick stated.

"We drink!" Everybody but the couple proclaimed.

"A glass tank? No." Sara walked over to it confused.

"Yeah…an empty glass tank for my cockroaches."

"No it already had…"

"COCKROACHES!" Miranda screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Oops." Sara said softly. A look of horror crossed his face as he watched the blonde jump up and down to shake the insects off of her.

"Don't kill my present!"

"Well get them off my date!" Nick asked.

"Get them off me!" Miranda pleaded.

"Get them off her!" Brass shouted.

"Get her off my foot!" Warrick bawled.

"I got her!" Greg yelled.

"Keep Greg away from Miranda!" Nick ordered.

"Keep Greg away from my babies! They'll die if they get too close to his hair!" Grissom declared.

"Get your hands off my ass!" Miranda barked.

"Sorry! It's such a blur!" Bobbie apologized.

"Nick!"

"No, Bobbie."

"Move out of the way!" Catherine reasoned.

"Now you're on my foot!" Miranda yelled.

"Sorry!" Warrick hoped off her foot. He jumped back and everyone stopped when they heard a crunch.

A look of dread crossed Grissom's face. "It's okay! It was only David's glasses."

"Crap!"

"They're down my SHIRT!" The commotion started again. "Eww! Eww! Ewww!"

"I got 'em!" Greg smiled.

"No!" Everybody yelled.

"I'll get 'em!" Grissom stated.

"NO!" Nick and Sara chorused. Neither person wanted Grissom going anywhere near Miranda's C cup knockers.

"Nick can't do it!"

"Yeah I can't do it!" Nick agreed.

"Why!" Sara asked.

"Because…I don't want to feel her boobs for the first time in your house at Grissom's 50th birthday."

"Wait….I thought you two made nooky before you got here." Warrick said.

"No."

"You told them we were gonna have sex!" Miranda yelled temporarily forgetting about the creepy crawlies clawing at her cleavage.

"NO! They just assumed that!"

"So you guys haven't…" Archie began.

"No!" Miranda and Nick yelled at the same time.

"Okay, someone help her!" Doc ordered.

"Catherine, go in after em!" Greg stated.

"No! She's too vicious! She'll hurt them." Grissom objected.

"The bugs or the boobs?" Sara joked and Greg laughed.

"Honey, you go after them." Arthur told his wife.

"No! I'm not touching a cock roach!"

"SOMEONE GO DOWN MY SHIRT!" Miranda yelled.

"Fine!" Warrick stuck his hands in her shirt and searched for the bugs. "Got one!" He yelled and threw it at Grissom. "Got another one!"

"No you don't!" Miranda yelled.

"Well what is it!"

"My nipple!"

"Oh." Both people blushed. "Got one." He handed it to Grissom. "Two more comin." He handed them to Grissom

"Anyone think he's prolongin the bug gatherin process?" Bobbie asked.

"I would." Greg joked and he, Archie, Bobbie, and David snickered. Nick slapped them all over the heads.

"One more." Warrick said handing the fifth one to Grissom. "Got it!" He yelled.

"My babies!" Grissom rejoiced.

"My baby!" Nick exclaimed.

"My boobs!" Miranda smiled happily. She sighed. "I'm good."

Grissom put his bugs in his tank. "You didn't see the rest of your gift." Sara said.

"Please don't let it be more bugs." Miranda pleaded and shivered.

"No." Sara gestured to the shelves where a set of entomology encyclopedias lined the shelves. At the end of the shelf was the framed plaque of his certificate for Carter the Centipede.

"HONEY!" Grissom was jumping up and down like a little boy. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He ran to the shelf, then to her, then to the shelf, then back to her.

"You're welcome baby."

"We drink!" Everyone yelled and took a shot. Sara shook her head.

Catherine turned to Warrick. "That was fun." She noted as they all began to make their way towards the living room.

"Yeah…you didn't have bugs down your shirt." Miranda joked.

"I think there's a song like that." Greg noted.

"By Pearl Jam." Sara said.

"What's it called?" Catherine asked.

"Bugs." Sara and Greg noted at the same time.


Okay darlings. Sorry about the wait. I'll try to update quicker next time. I've got another chapter book in the works. In fact…I've been writing back and forth between the second chapter of that, and the sixth of this. he he.

P.S. the present opening process is split, half of it is in the next chapter too. So…the next chapter is probably going to be the last one. -sniffle-