 | ShatterStorm Productions
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| ShatterStorm Productions
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A/N: I was going to do this for the X-Files challenge, but it didn't get started in time. Then I was going to do it for the Virtual Rewind last week, but it didn't get finished in time. Thus, you have it now, barely in time for this challenge.:P
A/N2: Twisted Christmas, and other fine collections of mock-popular music, are performed by Bob Rivers (and his cohorts at Bob Rivers radio). I highly recommend them, as they are completely hilarious.
A/N3: I finished Dave Eggers' "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" about halfway through this story, so it may get a bit disjointed. I'm like a sponge when it comes to...well, everything, but also writing styles;) Also, I had a lot of trouble with the reality of this story; I had the idea, could see everything in my head, but it was really awkward writing it, so if it sucks, that's why;P
"Man, Greg, what is this crap?" Nick griped from his seat on the sofa. "It's not Christmas music."
Greg walked over to turn up the stereo, which was currently blasting a Black Sabbath tune. The recently separated night shift was gathered in Greg's living room for a Christmas party, joined by most of the lab techs, Brass, Doc Robbins, and David. "See, the problem with you, Nick, is you have no sense of humor. Wait for the lyrics, man."
"I am Santa Claus." The irreverent lab tech boomed along with the voice, pointing a brief air guitar riff in Nick's direction.
"I stand corrected." Nick said begrudgingly as Greg gave him an expectant look.
"Twisted Christmas?" Sara had grabbed the CD case from the top of the stereo and was now examining it in her seat. "Leave it to you, Greg."
Greg stopped dancing long enough to shoot the brunette CSI a mock- wounded look. "I'm hurt, Sara. I thought we had a connection."
Sara opted not to respond with more than a raised eyebrow.
"You never give up, do you Greg?" Catherine laughed as she rose from the cushy armchair she was sitting in. "I'm gonna get a refill. I think I might need it." She smirked at Greg's antics before sauntering into the kitchen.
"So Sara, since you're not into our resident rock star here, how is the love life going?"
"Nick, shouldn't you wait until everyone's drunk to ask something like that?" Warrick piped up from the couch across from Nick. Sara just sat in uncomfortable silence.
"Hey, I'm only asking 'cause I have this friend-"
"Can we not do this again, Nick?" Sara cut him off with a pointed glare. It wasn't that she didn't want someone. It wasn't even that she didn't trust Nick's judgment- he was a good guy, all things considered, and a friend of his would have to be at least decent. The problem was, Sara did want someone- a very specific someone. But going there would create all sorts of problems, not the least of which being the fact that it was very one-sided, at least as far as she knew. And she'd learned her lesson about co-workers- off-limits.
"I could use a drink myself." She said distractedly, standing to go to the kitchen. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the subject of them heading straight toward her. The two women narrowly avoided colliding in the doorway.
"Sorry." Sara apologized, her cheeks flushing a bit. There's a way to show her you care. Mow her down- better than a Hallmark card. "I, uh, wasn't looking where I was going."
Catherine smiled. "Don't worry about it. I obviously wasn't either." Neither woman was eager to admit the reason for their distraction, considering each had been thinking of the other.
"'Kay, I'm just gonna-" Sara began to motion her intent to enter the kitchen when she was stopped by Greg's delighted exclamation.
"Yes! I knew that stuff would be useful!" Impossibly blue eyes met warm brown, a look of mutual dread in both. They looked up at the same time, knowing what they would see. They'd both imagined their first kiss in a variety of ways, but never had they thought it would take place in Greg's kitchen doorway, under the mistletoe while at least ten of their co-workers looked on. Their eyes drifted from the mistletoe to reconnect awkwardly.
"C'mon ladies, we don't have all night here." It was quickly becoming obvious that Nick was an obnoxious drunk. Everyone else in the room merely watched with interest; Sara and Catherine gave every indication of not being able to stand one another at work- except for when they worked a case together, when they were a phenomenal team- and everyone had to admit this was an intriguing situation.
It wasn't really such a big deal; a tiny peck on the lips and it would be over, and the boys would be- if not completely satisfied- at least quieted. But as controlled as Sara was, she knew that all bets were off as soon as she felt Catherine's on hers.
"How 'bout I just owe you one?" Sara said awkwardly.
Catherine smiled, nodding her acquiescence. "Sure thing." Their bodies brushed as they slipped past each other, and both women suppressed a shudder at the all-too-brief contact.
"Aw, man, what a cop-out." Nick whined, taking a hearty swig of Greg's "special" eggnog. Catherine laughed as she sunk back into her chair.
"Careful Nicky, I think there's some eggnog in that alcohol." She teased, taking a sip of her own.
"Gee, Greg, you comfortable?" Sara asked sardonically as she returned to find her seat occupied.
"Hey, no one's saying you can't still sit here." Greg offered suggestively, his eyes gesturing toward his lap.
Sara rolled her eyes. "In your dreams."
"Every night." Greg shot back, a playful grin on his face. Truth be told, he'd just wanted to sit next to Nick.
Sara scanned the room for an empty seat, and came up- well, empty. Catherine noticed the search, and its results, and she'd had enough eggnog to make the offer easy to make.
"Here, Sara, you can come sit with me." She scooted to one side of the oversized armchair. "Plenty of room for two."
Sara hesitated a moment before sinking down onto the edge of the chair next to Catherine. She was right; it was big enough, but just barely; the sides of her arm and thigh pressed against Catherine's, and she was more than aware of how the warmth was affecting her body. She took a long drink from her glass, hoping the cool liquid would keep her from overheating.
"Water, Sara?" Nick cajoled. "You're really getting into the holiday spirit."
Sara glared at Nick to cover up her discomfort with the question. She'd hoped no one would notice; Grissom and Brass were the only ones who knew about her drinking.
"I'm driving later." She explained feebly. "You don't expect me to sleep here, with him around?" She nodded toward Greg, who was starting on yet another glass of eggnog. A round of understanding laughter went around the room, everyone pretty much accepting the excuse. Everyone, that is, except Catherine, who was looking at Sara curiously.
Sara's skin burned under the gaze, and she was grateful when the focus shifted back to Greg.
"'Toy Sack'! I love this one!"
_)_)_)_)_)
There were plenty of opportunities for Sara to find a seat of her own; the other guests rose several times to refill their drinks or use the restroom, and as it got later most of them left, leaving just the core night shift with an abundance of seating. Sara stayed where she was, though, the physical contact- minimal as it was- too pleasant to give up.
It became considerably more than minimal as the evening wore on, and Catherine grew drunker. She'd managed to get her drink refilled several times without leaving her seat. This allowed her to gradually increase the contact, leaning heavily on the taller woman's shoulder, until finally she drifted to sleep.
Sara's arm was now pinned uncomfortably to her side, so she extricated it as gently as possible, placing it the only place she could- across the back of the chair, almost around Catherine's shoulders. She hoped no one would notice; no such luck.
"She's wiped." Warrick commented softly. "She should get home." His suggestion was accompanied by one of his trademark all-knowing looks, and Sara wondered just how much he did know.
She nodded, her cheeks flushed from both embarrassment and the delicious warmth of the woman curled into her side. "I'll give her a lift. You've got your hands full." She smiled teasingly, regarding the dozing DNA tech snuggled up with him. Warrick glanced down at Mia, then back at Sara, shrugging. A smug smile teased his lips.
Sara turned to Catherine, nudging her gently in the side. Leaning close, she whispered in the sleeping woman's ear. "Hey, Catherine. Time to wake up."
Catherine responded with a groan, snuggling further into the taller woman, her head resting in the curve of Sara's shoulder. Sara bit back a moan as she felt hot breath tickling the skin of her neck, and the warmth of Catherine's arm stretched around her, hand curled into the side of Sara's waist. Sara wasn't sure how much more of this torture she could take.
"C'mon, Cat, we gotta get you home." Her breathing was labored, and she prayed Warrick wouldn't notice, was thankful that Nick and Greg were still- where were they, anyway? She nudged again, a little more firmly than last time. "Cat?"
This worked, to a certain extent. Catherine woke, her hand sliding across Sara's abdomen as she pulled herself to an upright position. "Sara?" She asked groggily, eyes blinking.
"Mmhmm." Sara replied, her patented half-smile tugging at her lips. She slipped her arm down, around Catherine's waist, applying gentle pressure. "C'mon, let's get you home."
"'Kay." The sleepy blonde replied, slipping her own arm around Sara's shoulders, allowing the taller woman to help her up.
"I'll, uh, see you at work." Sara directed at Warrick, who was content to let Mia doze for the time being. He opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by a pair of very drunk, very loud CSI's.
"Hey, you guys leaving?" Nick slurred, propped up by an only slightly-less-drunk Greg as they emerged from the back of the apartment.
"Yeah. Thanks for having me-" Sara paused as she considered Catherine's very probable inability to respond- "well, us, over Greg. It was fun."
Greg scoffed. "Hey, as long as you and Catherine provide the entertainment, you're always welcome at my parties."
Nick giggled- who knew he could giggle?- and put in his own two cents. "Hey, but don't go paying off that debt until we can watch." Sara rolled her eyes.
"Goodnight, guys." She wasted no time in hurrying out the door- as much as she could hurry while half-carrying a barely-conscious Catherine.
Warrick eyed the two men and their disheveled appearances skeptically. "I don't even want to know what you two were doing back there, do I?"
_)_)_)_)_)
The drive to Catherine's house was blessedly quiet, Catherine having fallen quickly back to sleep as soon as she was buckled in. It allowed Sara some time to breathe, as Catherine's near-constant affection all evening had made the simple action next to impossible. It all seemed so surreal; the look in her eyes as they were caught under the mistletoe- she could swear Catherine looked like she wanted to kiss her- the armchair, Catherine all but sleeping on top of her. It was almost as if one of her frequent dreams- the ones she had when she finally got around to sleeping- was playing out in reality.
She pulled up to Catherine's house, putting the car in park so as to devote all of her attention to waking the blonde up.
"Hey, Cat. You're home." She said softly, giving Catherine's shoulder a gentle shake. Catherine blinked drowsily as she was awakened for the second time that evening.
"Mmm. So I am." She said sleepily, her voice low and husky and irresistible, sending chills through Sara's body that only intensified with the placement of Catherine's hand on her thigh. "Thank you for driving me home."
"Hey, don't worry about it." She replied, smiling. A long moment passed where neither of them moved nor spoke, and Sara could feel the car filling with the tension that had been building up all night. "Cat? You gonna go inside?"
Catherine chuckled, still half-drunk. "You know, I always hate it when people call me that."
"Sorry." Sara's cheeks flushed; she kicked herself for the faux pas.
"Don't be." Catherine said, a lazy grin on her lips. Her thumb was gently moving back and forth on Sara's thigh; it seemed she didn't even notice she was doing it, but Sara certainly did. "From you, it sounds right."
"Okay." Sara was at a loss. She was trying hard not to give in to the desire to just grab her coworker and repay that debt right here, right now, with interest. Lots of interest. Another moment and she might have lost the battle, but Catherine broke the awkward silence with a weary sigh..
"I'd better get inside." She said, taking her hand back. Sara missed the warmth almost immediately.
"You gonna be okay to walk?" Catherine grinned at Sara's concern.
"I'll be fine." She said, opening the door. Before stepping out, she reached over and squeezed Sara's hand, lingering for a few moments. "Thank you. For everything."
Sara smiled back. "Merry Christmas, Cat." If possible, Catherine's smile widened even further.
"Merry Christmas, Sara."
"Hey, didn't we just do this?" Nick joked as he stepped through Catherine's front door. Music was playing softly in the background, under the chatter of the various CSI's and lab personnel scattered around the living room. It was New Year's Eve, and they had all been gathered at Greg's apartment just over a week ago, but- and few would admit this- the shift split had them all missing one another, and any excuse to get them all in the same room was considered a good one.
"Well, Nicky, you're welcome to leave if it's too much for you." Catherine teased. She was about to close the door behind him, but Nick stopped her.
"Wait- uh, Greg's parking the car." He explained, avoiding eye contact. Catherine smirked, and was about to speak again when Greg rushed in the door.
"Sorry, uh, there's not a whole lot of parking."
"Well, at least you carpooled." Catherine said, eyeing the two CSI's in front of her. "That was...smart."
The two men blushed, and headed into the party. She closed the door, and almost made it back to her guests before she heard a knock. Opening it again, she was met with a sheepish Sara.
"Hey, Cat. Sorry I'm late. I was finishing up some paperwork at the lab."
"Sara, it's New Year's Eve." Catherine said, her smile cushioning the criticism. Sara shrugged in response, returning the smile. "C'mon in. I'll get you something to drink." The invitation was joined by Catherine's hand taking hers, and leading Sara to the kitchen. She was left with no choice but to follow.
Once in the kitchen, Catherine glanced around warily before pulling a bottle from the fridge. "I, uh, got this for you." In her hand was a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. At Sara's confused look, she continued hurriedly. "If I'm out of line, you can tell me. I just- I noticed. And whatever reason you have for not drinking, it's your reason. You don't have to tell me anything. Hell, you don't even have to accept this. I just thought it might help keep the questions at bay."
Sara was speechless. It was such a small thing to do, but so incredibly thoughtful. It amazed her to think that Catherine had paid enough attention to notice.
"Thank you." She finally managed, standing awkwardly with her hands fidgeting at her sides. It was obvious- at least to Catherine- that she wanted to hug her, so Catherine decided to give her a break and initiate it herself.
She felt the smile as Sara wrapped her arms around her, and couldn't help responding with her own. It felt good to be here, like this; it felt right. It also felt really dangerous- if they stayed like this for too long, Catherine was sure Sara would catch on to what she was feeling, and if Sara didn't feel the same way...
But there was a nagging voice in the back of her head that told her Sara probably did feel the same, and it grew louder as they pulled apart enough to make eye contact. Their smiles faded as the stare grew more intense. Catherine could feel Sara's breath on her lips, could practically taste her, and it was such a simple choice just then- but she chickened out, pulled away awkwardly, the bottle still in her hands.
"I'll, uh, pour you a glass."
_)_)_)_)_)
As the evening wore on, Catherine tried to build up the courage to do what she really, really wanted to do. Midnight approached quickly, and at 11:59, Sara found herself once again being dragged into the kitchen.
"Cat?" She was puzzled. Catherine smiled involuntarily at the nickname. "We're going to miss the countdown."
The smile turned into a full-blown grin. "This can't wait. And don't worry, we won't miss it." The loud voices of their coworkers starting the count carried into the kitchen, proving her point.
"10!"
"What are you up to?" Sara asked with a curious smile. Catherine thought for a moment before responding.
"6!"
"I'm collecting on a debt."
"3!"
Sara froze as she realized what Catherine was referring to.
"2!"
With a sneaky smile playing on her lips, Catherine stepped into Sara's personal space.
"1!"
She moved closer, slipping her arms around Sara's neck. Their lips were inches away.
"Happy New Year." She breathed before hesitantly pressing her lips to Sara's. When she didn't pull away, Catherine deepened the kiss, pressing her body tightly to Sara's, her hands losing themselves in dark hair.
Once Sara got over the shock, she slid her arms around Catherine's waist, hands burning into the skin of the woman's back. Catherine slid her tongue out to tease Sara's lips, moaning when she was granted the access she sought. Sara soon found herself pinned between Catherine and the refrigerator- not a bad place to be by any means. They kissed for long moments before they heard Warrick clearing his throat, a knowing smile touching his lips.
"Ladies, the countdown's over." The two women paid him no heed, finding their current activity far too pleasurable to give up. Soon Warrick was joined by Greg, who called out to Nick.
"Aw, man, see? I told you she'd try to pay it off when we couldn't watch." Nick hurried to the doorway.
"Hey, don't complain, Greggo, you're seeing it now, right?"
Catherine could feel Sara smiling into her lips, amused by the conversation, but not enough to make her stop. The three men in the doorway watched for a few seconds more.
"Cath? Sara?" Warrick prodded.
"Hey, you think they'll ever come up for air?" Nick snickered.
"Alright, c'mon guys, let's give them some privacy." Warrick said abruptly as he took note of Catherine's hand slipping under the fabric of Sara's shirt. When he had successfully herded them away, Catherine pulled her lips from Sara's, smiling into the soft flesh of her neck. Sara shuddered at the contact, but smiled as well.
"Happy New Year to you, too."
fin.
