You guys entertain me, seriously. Thank you for showing such an interest in this story. I am afraid that this chapter will once again be void of any of Anna's children or their commentaries, as I have lots of ideas to stuff into a chapter. (And another thing, Iknow nothing about dress types, so all of the descriptions were taken from a website)But, this one is the beginning of Anna and Elsie's nice little plan. Let's see how it works, shall we? Read, review, but most of all: ENJOY!

Chapter Nine: Marvelous Things

"We're doing what?" Danny asked incredulously as he stared down at my invitation. I ignored his comment and passed the invitations to the circle of CSIs gathered around the break room table. They all read the invitations, each equally puzzled. So, I took the liberty of explaining the party to them.

"My friend Elsie planned this all out for me. We'll all meet here on the 26th, and drive down together to The Harmony Suites. Once we're there, we will have dinner in one of the ballrooms, and the pairs will receive their first clues. After that, it will be like a scavenger hunt around the hotel, as each pair will look for the next clue to lead them to their next clue, and so on and so forth. The last clue will lead you to the 'murderer'. After that, we'll all gather in the ballroom once again for dessert."

Hands shot up like impatient schoolchildren. "What does it mean by 'formal attire is required'? You mean we actually have to dress up for this thing?" Danny asked with bewilderment.

"Yeah, Messer, that's the whole point. It's a formal thing. Nice dresses for the women, and tuxes for the male gender. Bow tie is not required, but at least look like you're going on a really fancy date. Okay?"

Danny rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Who're the teams?" Hawkes asked curiously. I grinned.

"I shall show you," I said with a sweep of my hand. "Messer, move next to Lindsay…" The pair looked at each other with a hint of awkwardness, and moved side-by-side next to the coffee machine. "Mac and Stella, scoot together…" Mac and Stella looked at each other, as if they were expecting it, and stood in the corner. "Hawkes with Hammerback…" The two men looked at each other, shrugged, and paired off a few feet away from Mac and Stella. "And Flack, it's you and me," I said looking up at him. He nodded and moved next to me. "Plus, there are going to be two more of my friends who will be paired together," I added. The pairs glanced around the room at the other pairs they would be facing.

"Alright, well, you all are going down…" Hawkes said with an air of determination. I laughed.

"Whatever helps ya sleep at night," Danny remarked with a laugh. Hawkes glared at him.

"Oh, it's on Messer. It's on."

"Simmer down boys, simmer down," Stella said with her motherly tone, but then added, "because you all know that Mac and I are going to whoop your butts."

"I don't think so Stella," Flack said. "I think it's safe to say that we are gonna own this game." I crossed my arms in front of my chest and appeared to look menacing, but I ended up just giggling at the sight of adults arguing like children.

"Oh, real big threat right there," Danny said with a grin, directing his comment at me.

"You know Messer, a few minutes ago, you didn't want to play this game," I stated. Danny shrugged.

"It sounds like a fun game for a bunch of CSIs to be playing, don't ya think?"

I nodded solemnly. "That's what Elsie thought."

"So, what exactly is your friend Elsie doing throughout this entire party?" Lindsay asked curiously. I was surprised to hear her perk up.

"She's going to be our victim," I said with a smile. The group nodded with satisfaction.

"Obviously, you are all off for the evening of the 26th," Mac said diplomatically. We all nodded again. "But right now, you all have cases to work on. Danny, you, me, and Anna are going to examine a DB found at a club downtown. Stella, you, Lindsay and Flack are off to Central Park. Let's get to work," he said. I sighed. The 26th was a long way off.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I will remember you,
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by,
Weep not for the memories.

I was always playing music in the lab, and had been commonly referred to as the "Music Guru". It was a Sarah McLachlan day today, as I played "I Will Remember You", while I was searching for a car to match the tire treads I found at the crime scene I was working. I heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Lindsay standing there.

"Hey," I greeted with a friendly smile. She returned the smile.

"Can I – uh – ask you a quick question?" she faltered, shutting the door. I looked up from the computer.

"Sure," I replied. "Shoot."

"Well, the thing is that, I – uh – kind of only have one really nice dress, and I know that this sounds superficial, but Danny and Mac have already seen me in it, and I was wondering…"

"Say no more," I said with a smile. "Stella already told me the same thing. We're planning on having a girl's shopping day tonight after shift. You're more than welcome to join us."

Lindsay beamed. "That would be great. Thanks Anna," she said, before exiting the room and leaving me to finish my work. I couldn't help but smile. Lindsay was one of the most genuine girls I had ever met. Maybe it was her Montana charm…

I heard another knock on the door, and Flack walked in. I looked up and smiled. "Hey Flack. What's up? Anything new in our case?"

He shook his head. "Naw. Actually, I was wondering what you wanted for your birthday, since there are limited shopping days until you hit the big 2-4."

I hadn't even thought of what I wanted for my birthday. I pulled my tire tread results from the printer and walked around him. "Surprise me," I said over my shoulder.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I pulled out an A-line dress from the rack of a department store and glanced at it, before offering it to Stella.

"You should try this one," I said. Stella studied it and nodded. Lindsay, meanwhile, was leafing through dress upon dress with no luck finding one that she liked. I had already found my heaven-sent dress: a silk emerald halter, with a V-neckline, and a long ruffled drape from a rhinestone brooch. It was the most elegant dress that I had ever seen. Stella modeled the dress for Lindsay and me, and we both gave her a thumbs up. The dress was a black, jeweled Charmeuse Gown. Stella looked stunning in it.

And suddenly, I found the dress. The dress of Lindsay's dreams.

It was a twist front satin gown, with a godget-seamed fishtail hem. I picked it up and marveled at how gorgeous it looked. Royal blue in color, it would suit Lindsay perfectly. The dress was simply gorgeous.

"Oh.My.God." Stella gasped. "Lindsay, you need to try this one on, please," she begged. Lindsay's eyes lit up as they fell on the dress and she smiled.

Needless to say, she bought the dress, and the three of us parted ways and headed back to our own separate apartments. I clicked my apartment key in the lock and hung my dress delicately in my closet.

Elsie came over and we talked for a while. Finally, near the end of our conversation, she asked about the dresses that Stella and Lindsay bought.

"Oh wow," Elsie sighed as I finished the description of Lindsay's dress. "We might be able to knock Danny over with a feather after he sees her in that."

I smirked. "That's the plan, isn't it?"

"Well, part of the plan, remember?" Elsie asked, returning a smirk. "We still have some more stuff to accomplish."

"Speaking of," I said with interest, "how is that last clue coming?"

"It's coming," she said cryptically. "But you know, it's supposed to snow on the 26th," Elsie added. My eyes widened.

"Really?"

Elsie nodded.

"This plan just keeps getting better and better," I said with a grin.

What is Elsie's plan? What does snow have to do with it? What is going to happen at her party? Be sure to find out…in the next chapter!