A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I thrive on them! So, here's the next part. Hope you like! It's a party!! And it's a lot longer than usual. I didn't want to make this a song fic, but everytime I hear this song, I think of Gil and Sara. I hope you like!! So please read! Please leave a review!!

Chapter Seven

The Night Shift was buzzing with talk of Catherine's party. She had not only invited the CSI team, but also Jim Brass, Sophia, the Lab Rats and Doc Robbins and David Phillips. Sara was looking forward to singing with Greg. She had picked a song that was actually for Grissom, but Greg didn't have to know that. She was keeping it a secret from everyone, but as Greg pestered her all shift long, she decided to tell him what song she wanted to sing. He smiled coyly at her and said "Yeah, I know that song, Ms. Sidle." She just hoped he didn't get the wrong idea.

"Hey, Cath, you all ready for us to invade your home?" Warrick asked from beside Catherine who was processing some bloody clothes in the layout room.

"Well, I have caterers bringing in food and I rented a tent to put in the backyard. My living room is NOT big enough for all of us. Plus I got a karaoke machine rented and a bar set up in the tent. Should be fun." She moved to grab a small glass container to put a sample in for DNA. "So, uh, you bringing the missus?"

"Well, I wanted to, but she's working. We cant seem to get our schedules in sync."

"Oh, well, that's too bad. Maybe next time, huh?"She didn't seem too disappointed.

"Yeah." Warrick smiled weakly at Catherine and exited the room.

"Hey, Rick!" Nick called to Warrick from the Ballistics lab. Warrick walked over to see what Nick wanted. "You, uh, bringing Tina to Cath's party?"

"No, uh, she has to work."

"Bummer." Nick looked concerned.

"So, uh, Nick, you bringing that hot red head you been trying to get a date with?"

"What? You didn't tell me about her?" This from Bobby Dawson who was examining a bullet under his microscope.

"Yeah, she's gorgeous." Nick smiled widely, his infatuation with her obvious. "I met her at the drug store a couple weeks ago."

"Nice." Bobby nodded his head smiling. "So, are you bringing her?"

"Yup! I called her up and she thought it sounded fun. You bringing anyone Bobby?"

"Well, uh. No. Kinda hit a dry spell." He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his bullet.

Warrick slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, man. She's out there somewhere."

"Yeah, yeah."

Warrick took off down the hallway again. He entered the locker room and came upon Sara, who was humming some old love song.

"Hey, Warrick." She smiled brightly at him and continued humming.

"That the song you and Greg are going to entertain us with?" He chuckled.

"Actually, yes. But don't tell Greg I told you. I don't want him to be upset. It was supposed to be a secret." She grinned at him and pulled her vest off. "I am headed to an autopsy, then I am off. I am going to get some sleep and see you at Catherine's tonight."

"Yeah, Im about to head out myself. I'm sure the rest of the crew will be leaving on time today. So, uh, Sara? You bringing anyone with you?"

"Nope. Just me. Why? Who's bringing a date to this?" She laughed at the thought of bringing a date to a function where Hodges was in attendance and squirmed.

"Nick. And I think Sophia. And of course Super Dave's bringing his woman. Oh, and of course Doc won't go without his wife."

"Tina not making it?" Warrick shook his head. "Well, you will just have to hang out with us single folks." She smiled at him and shut her locker. "I'm sure Greg will be more than happy to try and drink you under the table."

"Yeah, I'm sure he would."

"Well, see you later, Warrick." Sara exited the locker room, leaving Warrick alone.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Sara and Grissom decided to drive to Catherine's together. They picked up Greg on the way to keep the appearance of simple car pooling. When they arrived, they were in awe of the tent that was set up in the yard. It wasn't necessarily the tent that was amazing, but what had been done with it that was amazing. White lights surrounded the top of the tent, both inside and out. Tiki torches burned around the perimeter of the tent, giving the yard a warm glow.

"WOW! This is just...AWESOME!!" Greg spun around, taking in his surroundings. Inside were white lights winding their way around the tent and across the top towards the center. In the center of the tent stood a large decorated Christmas Tree. In the corner there was a bar set up and in another corner a buffet table with all kinds of food. Christmas music was playing over the speakers.

"Yeah, this is great!" Sara stood beside Grissom and smiled at him as he rolled his eyes in response to Greg's childish reaction.

"HEY!" Greg pointed at them and smiled mischievously. "You are both standing under the mistletoe!!"

Grissom's eyes got wide and Sara just chuckled. Sara turned to Grissom. "Well? It's tradition. Don't want to ruin tradition." He turned towards her and stepped closer. Greg was standing there watching them, huge grin on his face.

Just as Grissom was about to place a gentle kiss on Sara's lips, he noticed a small crowd had gathered. "Uh, Sara. People are watching." He stated through clenched teeth, hoping no one would hear him.

"Well, then get this over with so no one else sees?" She said under her breath. He just stared at her. Sara couldn't take Greg's chanting "KISS! KISS!" any longer so she just grabbed Gil by the back of his head and pulled him in for a gentle smashing together of their lips.

"WHOO HOO!!" Greg whooped and clapped.

"What's going on over here?" Catherine approached Greg in time to cath a glimpse of Gil and Sara pulling away from their liplock. "What the hell?" Cath smiled at the pair.

Sara jumped away from Grissom, wiped her lips and pointed above them. "Mistletoe. Greg wouldn't let us get away without kissing."

"Oh. Ok." Catherine just smiled at the pair. "Come on. We got booze and food. And, Greg, the Karaoke is over there."

"SWEET!" Greg bounded over to the machine and began inspecting it. Catherine told him he could be the official DJ for the evening, glad she didn't have to worry about the damn thing.

Grissom and Sara made their way to the table where Doc Robbins and his wife were sitting. Sara took a seat next to Mrs. Robbins and began talking to her about the decorations. Grissom took drink orders from them all and went to the bar. This is where Grissom caught up with Jim.

"Hey, Barkeep! Get me a beer will ya?" Jim laughed as Gil shot him an annoyed glare. He poured out some tonic water and gin into a glass.

"Gin? I know you don't drink that stuff. Who's that for?"

"Mrs. Robbins. Sara's sitting over there with her and Al. I volunteered to get their drinks."

"Well, as long as your pouring..." Jim smiled at him.

"Scotch? I'm assuming." Gil got another glass and poured a generous portion for himself and Jim, then grabbed a bottle of some German Beer for Sara.

"Get those two, will ya, Jim?" Gil asked as he carried drinks for the three seated at the table.

"Sure, sure. I'm right behind you."

As they approached the table, Al and Sara were telling Mrs. Robbins about some case. Grissom put the drinks in front of Al and his wife and handed Sara her beer, winking at her. She smiled at him and took a swig of the beer.

"Hey, Jim! I think you've met my wife before. Right?" Al shook Jim's hand across the table.

"Yeah, I think so."

Greg's voice came over the speaker system. "This is by special request for Doc Robbins. The way you look tonight. Get your woman out on the dancefloor, Doc!!"

"Oh, Al, our song!" Mrs. Robbins smiled at him.

"Shall we?" Doc stood up and took his wife's hand and led her to the small dance floor area. Nick and his girlfriend were there dancing, as well as Sofia and her date. Grissom chanced a glance at Sara. She seemed uninterested in the dancing, but he knew that look. She wanted to dance. Grissom was about to get up and ask her to dance when Greg appeared at her side, pulling her up and onto the floor. Sara shot Gil an apologetic look, then turned her attention to Greg.

"Hey, don't worry, my friend. The night is still young!" Jim chuckled from across the table at Gil. "If you ever get your head out of your ass long enough to act, that is."

"Jim...don't start." Grissom sipped his drink.

"Get you another, Gil?" Jim drained his glass.

"No. I'm on call. I probably shouldn't even have had this one but its early yet and I'm not on call til Midnight."

"Ok, I'll just have to drink your share then." Jim chuckled and got up to get a drink, leaving Grissom alone at the table. He watched as Greg danced with Sara, a little too fast for the song. Before the night was over, he was going to dance with Sara. He drained his glass and thunked it down on the table.

"So, you and Sara!" Catherine sat down next to him.

"What?" Grissom's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the comment. Did she know? Was she just fishing for clues? He looked again at Sara who was laughing and twirling around with Greg.

"The mistletoe. You finally kissed her!" Catherine laughed at Grissom's face.

"Oh. That."

"Yeah, that. Aren't you glad I put some up?"

"Catherine, are you drunk?" Gil furrowed his brow at her.

"Come on! It's a party! Let loose a little, Gil. You aren't on call for a couple hours yet. Go get another drink!"

"I'm fine."

"If you say so." Catherine sat back and sipped her drink, watching the couples on the dance floor. Sophia brought some guy she said she met at the shooting range, and Nick was hugging his redhead, Tess, close. Then there were Greg and Sara. She looked over at Gil. He was intently watching Sara. She wished those two would just get their shit together and do it already!

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Catherine shook her head out of her reverie and looked at Gil. "I was just thinking, sorry."

"About what?" Ok, that was a mistake, Gill thought to himself.

"Well, about the couples and how we are just two lonely old single folk."

"Hmmm." Gill just tapped his fingers on the table, trying to keep from laughing. If she only knew the truth!

Jim sat down at the table, putting a glass in front of Gil. "You aren't on call for another couple hours. Drink up!"

"See that's what I told him, Jim! You gotta loosen up, Gil!"

"Fine. There's no point in arguing with you two." He grabbed the drink and downed it in one gulp.

"YEAH! NOW IT'S A PARTY!" Catherine whooped at him.

"What's going on over here?" Warrick stood next to catherine.

"Just trying to loosen up!" She smiled up at him and then stood, taking his hand and pulling him towards the dance floor. "Come on let's dance!"

"Be back in a bit, guys!" Warrick yelled over his shoulder.

Greg put on some dance tunes, so Al and his wife made their way back to the table, as well as Sara. Sara took her seat, eyeing Gil, seeing he had two empty glasses in front of him. She raised her brow at him in question. He just shrugged his shoulders slightly and glanced over at Jim.

They sat chatting and drinking and eating when Greg's voice once again came over the speakers. "Ok, gonna slow it down now. This one's for my Texan friend, Mr. Nicky Stokes." A slow country ballad began to play. Grissom saw this as his chance to get Sara on the dance floor. He stood up and held out his hand to her. She smiled at him and put her hand in his and let him lead her out to the dancefloor.

They were careful not to get too close, but Gil was finding it hard to keep his distance. He wrapped his arm around her waste a little farther, pulling her close. "Gil." Sara shot him a glare.

He just smiled at her. "What?"

"You know what. People are watching." Nick looked at them then and smiled. "Shit."Sara mumbled.

"Sara. We are just two friends, enjoying a dance. Besides, Greg was holding you closer than this."

"Well, yeah, but..." She just chuckled and looked at him lovingly. "Fine. They're probably all too drunk to remember much anyway." They both laughed.

Catherine watched as Gil pulled Sara just a little closer. She also noticed how Sara responded. She seemed put off by it, but then soon after relaxed after exchanging some words and a laugh with Grissom. Those two were an odd pair.

"Watching the Geek twins?" Jim interrupted her thoughts.

"What?"

"Gil and Sara. They are the oddest people sometimes. But fully deserving of one another."

"Yeah. I was just thinking the same thing." She took a drink of her beer then turned to Jim. "Hey, Jim? Did they have a thing back before she came here?"

"Well, uh..." He hesitated.

"Come on Jim. I know you know something!"

"Well, I'm not sure how involved they got. But then we all know about the hickey incident."

"Oh, Yeah!! I forgot about that!" Catherine smiled.

"As far as anything other than a heavy make out session, I'm not sure. Seems they moved into friendship and then coworkers. But I know he was quite affected by her. Now, who knows..."

"Yeah. I told him he needed to get his head out of the microscope on more than one occasion."

"Yeah, well, I didn't use the microscope analogy, but it was the same intent." Jim chuckled.

"OK! It's Karaoke time!!" Greg howled into the microphone.

Everyone took their seats as Greg cued up the first song for Nick and his girlfriend to sing. When "I got you, Babe" began, Sara nearly lost it. She glanced over at Grissom, who was hiding a smile behind his drink. Everyone whooped and clapped for them when the song was finished.

"Ok. Now, Ms. Sara Sidle and ...ME!!"

Gil flashed Sara a grin and she winked at him. She made her way up to the 'stage' area next to Greg. She wiped her palms across her pant legs before taking the microphone from Greg.

Greg Began:

"Love like a road that never ends
How it leads me back again
To heartache
Ill never understand"

Sara smiled and sang:

Darling I put my heart up on a shelf
till the moment was right and I told myself"

Greg and Sara faced each other, singing together the chorus:

Next time I fall in love
Ill know better what to do
Next time I fall in love
Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
The next time I fall in love
The next time I fall in loveIt will be with you

Sara tried to not look straight at Gil, but was finding it difficult during the chorus.

As she sang the next verse she glanced at him and held his gaze for just a moment:

Now as I look into your eyes
Well I wonder if its wise
To hold you
Like Ive wanted to before

Catherine watched as Sara sang, wondering if she was singing with Greg, or about Gil. She noticed she held his gaze once, but broke away quickly. Gil's face was unreadable, as usual.

Next time I fall in love
Ill know better what to do
Next time I fall in love
Ooo ooo ooo
The next time I fall in love
The next time I fall in love"

Everyone whooped and hollered as they ended the song. Greg pulled Sara in and kissed her full on the lips. She shoved him away playfully and smiled and bowed to the crowd of her coworkers. She took her seat as Hodges and Henry picked a song. She sat down, draining her glass, never looking directly at Grissom.

"That was great, Sara! I didn't know you had such a lovely voice!" This from Mrs. Robbins.

"Thanks! I don't think its anything special, but I do love to sing, usually not in front of an audience this big." She glanced at Gil, who was just staring at her.

Catherine watched the two, not really knowing what was happening, but she knew something was going on. Gil was too quiet and seemed to be brooding a little. Was he jealous of Greg? She would have to talk to him later about this.

Just then, Gil's cell phone went off, then Sophia's could be heard at the next table. Sophia made her way to Grissom's table after taking the call. He was on his cell.

"Yeah, ok. Be there in 15". He shut his phone and clipped it back onto his belt. "I'm sorry, but it looks like duty calls." He got up to leave and noticed Sophia standing there. "You get called in too?"

"Yeah. Need a lift?"

"No, I got my car." Sophia left, her date in tow.

"Griss? How are Greg and I going to get home?" Sara inquired, arms crossed over her chest. Her disappointment was obvious. She was hoping he wouldn't get called in.

"Oh, uh..." He looked around the table.

"We can drop them off." Al volunteered.

"Ok. Settled. Sorry, Sara." He shrugged apologetically at her.

The party continued for a couple more hours before Doc and his wife needed to leave. Sara went and grabbed Greg, but he insisted he'd find a way home. So, Sara found herself leaving the party earlier than anticipated and alone. When she got home, she kicked off her shoes and took a shower before crawling into bed. She was just about to fall into a deep sleep when her phone rang. She grabbed it from the night stand, then smiled when she saw the call was from Gil.

"Hey, sexy. How's it going?"

"Oh, uh, hey. I'm about done." He lowered his voice. "Wanna come over and sing to me?"

Sara laughed. "I'll be there in 20 minutes."