A/N: We hope there are a few GSR fans around-waiting for a holiday story! This one is short and sweet!

Please leave a word or two if you are reading-Fanfiction no longer tracks and sends statistics to authors so we have no idea how many readers are out there except for those who send a review, a hello, or a supporting sentence! Thanks in advance!

What's More Fun than A Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

Chapter 1

"You know, there's mistletoe hanging in the lobby."

A smile ticked at the edges of Sara Sidle's mouth. "I've seen it." Her eyes lifted to meet Greg Sanders' eyes. "And I'm avoiding the lobby."

A quiet laugh came from Greg. "It's the holidays—and magic can happen," he whispered.

Twinkle lights and a small tree with red bows had appeared by some magical hand in the break room several days ago. The city council had delivered a gigantic wreath with red and green lights and a large menorah during the first week of the month. Both were now shining brightly—but not as bright as the normal lights of Las Vegas.

Sara shuffled the papers on the table before she responded. "Catherine will be happy to create all the magic you can handle, Greg."

At that moment, Catherine Willows appeared at the doorway. "We got a body off Kyle Canyon—UPS driver noticed what looked like a pack of dogs, called it in, and uniform found a partly buried body. Grissom and Warrick are already on a domestic somewhere near Green Valley."

Sara gathered the papers, placed them in a folder, and added it to a stack. "I'm ready—all three of us or you pick one?"

"Let's all go," said Greg. "Better than sitting here looking a papers."

"I agree," Catherine said. "Come on—by the time we finish, I'll be ready for some time off."

A few minutes later, the three investigators crawled into one vehicle with Catherine driving and Greg in the back seat. Catherine explained what little information was known about the decomposed body as she maneuvered through holiday traffic.

Before arriving at the site, Catherine had changed to complaining or bragging about her upcoming trip with her mother, her daughter, and her father. Sam Braun had more money than a king so the trip involved flying first class and luxurious accommodations at an exclusive resort.

Sara glanced at Greg who appeared to be sleeping; she knew he was faking it. He was flying to be with his parents for several days as soon as shift finished.

Catherine kept a steady stream of one-sided conversation going with only an occasional word of acknowledgement from Sara who had holiday plans to work a full shift. She could not remember the last time she'd had Christmas day as a holiday which was fine because she got extra pay for working. And any plans she had would remain private.

Leaving strip malls and new subdivisions behind them, flashing blue lights provided easy directions to a desolate area of scrubby bushes, small rocks, and sand. Half dozen uniforms formed a loose circle around a shallow pit. None were closer than twenty feet.

Catherine stopped the vehicle as close as possible and left the head lights pointing in the direction of the pit. When the three got out of the car, an officer called, "We stayed away—the smell is—it's pretty bad."

Immediately, Greg, Sara, and Catherine placed hands over their mouths and noses as they approached the shallow depression. Signs of animal activity were strewn around the area with small bits and pieces dragged from the pit.

Greg and Sara kept walking when Catherine stopped to talk with one of the uniforms. Yellow tape circled an area much larger than usual and, as Greg lifted the tape for Sara, she made a quiet laugh, saying, "They don't want to smell, do they?"

Greg had removed his hand from his nose and said, "Smell, Sara. This is—odd."

She knew her clothes would reek of decomp odor; her nostrils would remember it for days. "Why odd?" She'd taken the last steps to the edge of a small depression in the soil. Part of a large tarp had been pulled away, holes torn by animals in an attempt to tear it away from its contents. Sara pulled on gloves and crouched over the bundle.

Using her flashlight and lifting the torn tarp, she looked closely at what appeared to be a decomposing body. Her hand moved more of the tarp, exposing a tangle of bones.

"Should you wait for Dave?" Catherine's voice carried from several yards away.

Sara pulled a face and motioned to Greg who seemed to know she wanted him to shine his flashlight into the shallow depression. She pulled more of the tarp away and reached her hand into the tangled smelly mess.

"You were right, Greg. It does smell odd." Her hand held a pale bone. "This isn't human—I think—it may be a deer."

"Hey! I told you guys to wait…" Catherine's face changed to one of puzzlement as Sara rotated, holding the bone in her hand.

It was half of a long mandible, a row of rough teeth with deeply ridged surfaces along the surface that did not resemble human teeth.

Greg's gloved hand produced another bone. "Scapula—not human. I think the skull is gone—maybe the trophy?" He handed the flat bone to Sara and reached again. "You know, I think it is a deer but the fur and maybe the layer of fat has been removed."

By this time Catherine had walked near the depression. She said, "A deer? Why on earth would someone come out here and bury a dead deer? I'm calling animal control. This smells awful—it'll take hours to get rid of this stench!" While talking she was backing away as if that would reduce her contact with the stink.

After calling animal control and leaving a couple of uniforms to roll up the crime tape, Catherine suggested a drive-thru for food. "We smell too bad to go inside."

Immediately, Greg said yes; Sara agreed as she sent a two-word message to her supervisor and her lover.

A/N: More to come! It is a short story! Let us hear from you. Peace!