Magenta Skies

Chapter 1

One Year Earlier…

"What do you think?" Sara twirled around Grissom in a ravishing magenta gown, accented by a black lace up back. The entire ensemble was made out of fine silk, imported from China; Grissom had surprised her with it, as a Christmas gift. It was their first year together, Grissom had cherished every waking moment he had with Sara, for it was a miracle that their relationship had even begun. He could have sworn that they were jinxed, every time he finally had the courage to ask her out, someone interrupted, him or a big case stopped him from expressing how he truly felt. Now that he finally had her, he would never let her go. He could only hope that she felt the same.

"It's nice." Grissom tried to hide his smile as Sara whacked his arm in protest.

"Just nice? You're the one who spent a fortune on it."

"How can I say something as simple as fabric could be as beautiful as the woman who is under its threads? You are the one true thing that makes any gown exquisite, honey." Grissom gently touched the side of Sara's face, and instantly felt the warmth of desire radiate from her cheeks.

"You keep on talking like that we're going to miss the party." Sara didn't fight Grissom's hands from dipping under her dress and rubbing her thighs. The simple action left him feeling hard, and Sara aroused once more.

"Who wants to go to another 'Ecklie Appreciation Party' anyways?" Grissom whispered hungrily.

"Save it till' after the party, you are just finding a way to stall, aren't you?" Sara giggled as Grissom sported an innocent stare before grabbing his car keys.

"Now, why would you think a thing like that?" Grissom tried to repress his smile once more, while Sara gave him an arched eyebrow in return.

As the couple made their way out of Grissom's townhouse, a light sprinkle of rain began to fall. Sara let out a small giggle, as Grissom held the door open for her, a simple gesture that never seized to make her smile.

Once in the car they both relished in the blissful silence of the short journey to the party. As the rain gently landed on the windshield, Grissom felt his stomach churn. He knew that tonight would be the most important of his entire life; he just hoped everything would go as planned.

'Will she like it? Will she say 'yes'? Am I good enough?' The flood of Grissom's thoughts came to a halt as soon as the car did. The Las Vegas Grande hotel looked stunning even from its exterior. A red carpet lined the entrance to the establishment. Bellhops in red, velvet uniforms escorted individuals to the party, trying not to jump for joy at the generous tippers of the evening.

"Excuse me Sir?" Larry, the youngest employee of the hotel tried to get Grissom's attention as politely as possible. Gil didn't even blink at the young employee's inquiry as his mind went back to his intentions of the evening.

"OK, it's a simple question. You love her, she'll say yes... and..." Grissom was abruptly interrupted by Sara gently patting him on his shoulder.

"Honey? He wants to know if you want the car to be valeted." Sara eyed Grissom cautiously before exiting the car, allowing for the young teen to do his job and park their vehicle. The young adolescent's pimples reminded Sara of why she was thankful for no longer going through puberty.

"So what's on your mind?" Sara questioned while looking into Grissom's eyes for an answer. They walked hand in hand towards the hotel, trying to ignore the steady drops of rain.

"Nothing? Why do you think something is wrong?" Grissom somehow managed to bang into an elderly couple who were trying to make their way to the entrance. The clumsy act only buried him in guilt.

"Sorry!" Grissom blurted out.

Before Sara could press the matter further, a familiar voice made her turn around.

"Hey strangers! Didn't think I'd see you two out here tonight." Brass chuckled when he saw Grissom's unenthusiastic stare.

"Believe me, if I had a say in the matter, we would be at home by the fire...About to..." Grissom stopped in mid thought as he realized there was a hole in his pocket. The realization spread panic through his veins. His face immediately turned pale, and forced him to turn around and re-trace his steps.

"What the heck is wrong Grissom?" Sara shouted as Grissom began to run faster towards the car.

"You two go inside, I'll meet you there. I forgot something important in the car!" Grissom didn't even hear Sara's protests as he raced towards his SUV. He immediately became lost when daunted with the task of finding his black vehicle in the midst of a parking lot full of darkly painted minivans, BMW's and SUV's.

"Why did I choose black? Why not something uncommon like blue, or bubble gum pink?"