Disclaimer: I disclaim everything. They are not mine.
Spoilers: None.
Pairing: GCR and WS
Summary: The four younger CSIs formulate a cunning plan whilst intoxicated (on vodka jelly) one Christmas Eve. GCR and WS. Yes, I know it's May but I just read sitarra's Christmastime fic "King and Queen" and it really got me into the Christmas mood and I really couldn't wait until Christmas to write this one up.
I must take the chance to say thanks a lot to the reviewers of my earlier standalones, though.
For the GCR "On The..." series, thanks to: sitarra, Diana Prince Wayne, Taybri, dawn2323, Leatha, Danni and September.
For the WS "Just To See You Smile", thanks to: LisaMR, firestorm13, Megara1, Gonna Marry A CSI, StuntChini and Lifeguard as well as helsinkibaby aka J9 who set the challenge on the LJ community.
And for the WS "Citrus", thanks to: Megara1, Geeky Annie, Kelly, MissyJane and Hayesfever.
It was all very
much appreciated as will any reviews for this be.
Now I'll get on with it. Think Christmas, kids! Enjoy! Love LJ xXx
- o -
To All, A Good Night. Chapter One. Deck The Halls
- o -
"Catherine," Greg began with a smile as he swung into the break room on his way out. "I hope I'll be seeing your pretty face round my place tonight."
"Huh?" she blinked confused, setting down her mug of coffee. Warrick and Sara, standing by the door and waiting to go, grinned at her bewildered expression.
"Christmas drinks – round my house," Greg elaborated. "I hope you'll be coming; everyone else is – even Grissom."
"Oh really?" Catherine turned to the man quietly shuffling papers at the table with a smirk on her face. "Is that true, Gil?"
He shrugged. "Just dropping by."
"Okay Greg – only for a bit: I've got eleven-year old who needs a little convincing that Santa still exists." Catherine relented.
"You won't regret it!" Greg told her, pulling on his coat. "It'll be the time of your life – we're making vodka jelly." And with that, he left with Warrick and Sara.
"Should I be scared?" Catherine wondered out loud to Grissom and Nick.
"Without a doubt," Nick replied.
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Sara rummaged through the cupboards of the unfamiliar kitchen.
"If you were Greg," she asked Warrick with her head in a drawer that seemed to be full of cereal boxes. "Where would you keep your kettle?"
Warrick pondered that for a while as Sara continued searching.
"I don't think I'd have one," he concluded after much deliberation. Sara, her face beside a frying pan that didn't look clean enough for her liking, sighed.
"Greg! Where's your kettle?" she yelled and paused before she heard his shout come back from the bathroom of his apartment.
"Don't have one."
"Great." she muttered and pulled her head out of the cupboard, banging it on the upper drawer as she did so. She swore loudly, a dark look creasing her face.
"You okay?" Warrick asked, concerned. She nodded whilst frowning and rubbing her head.
"Why did we offer to help again?" she grumbled. Warrick grinned.
"I think that'd be because we can't trust Greg to prepare anything fit for human consumption." he answered. "Even if it is just vodka jelly."
"Right – of course," she rolled her eyes and pulled out the largest saucepan she could find to boil some water with.
Warrick took the large bottle of vodka out of the grocery bag, setting them on the counter as Sara stirred the jelly into the water.
"The whole bottle?" he checked, holding it above the pan.
"Oh definitely," she said with a smile and, taking a sip from the bottle herself, she poured the whole lot in. He laughed and reached around her to grab the other wooden spoon on the counter.
"Can you taste the vodka in it?" he peered uncertainly into the green liquid in the pot. He felt Sara shrug her shoulders beside him and she lifted a spoon to his lips.
"Don't know – try it," she offered. Warrick examined the emerald sludge on the spoon with suspicion before tasting it apprehensively.
"Hey, it's not so bad. Kind of – lime." he smiled.
"You've got some right here..." Sara said vaguely and instinctively reached up a hand to wipe away the unset vodka jelly on his chin.
The next moment, they were paused like that. Both faces turned to each other and staring uncertainly into each others eyes in the most cliché way they could've imagined, nevertheless making the breath catch in their throats just for a moment.
"Are you drunk?" he whispered. She felt his breath on her lips.
"No." she replied.
"Good. Neither am I." And he leant closer.
"How's it coming along, kids?" Greg breezed into the kitchen, rubbing his wet hair with a towel and causing them to jump apart from each other, a guilty look spreading on each of their faces without either of them knowing why. Greg, however, didn't seem to notice as he looked into the saucepan and poked it doubtfully with the spoon.
"It's good, it's going good," Sara assured him, hurriedly, smoothing out her shirt for want of something to do.
Greg grinned. "Okay, well we'd better shift this into the fridge before our guests turn up." And with that, he was gone again, leaving a quiet kitchen behind him.
"Sara, I –" Warrick began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the floor. To his surprise, she only laughed.
"Forget it, Warrick," she said brightly. "It's Christmas!" She kissed him flippantly on the lips and smiled.
"Give me a hand with this, will you?" she chirped, struggling to pour the swirling contents of the saucepan into the small jelly moulds.
"Sure...yes, sure," he nodded, astounded for a second before taking hold of the handle for her. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"
An indignant jab in the ribs from the wooden spoon told him that she wasn't.
- o -
T.B.C. It gets better, I promise. I hope.