SARA'S CHRISTMAS WISH LIST 1?
Spoilers: May have some through theaired episodes of season 6.
AN: Response to Cookie Challenge on CSI-GrissomSara Yahoo Group. The
movie Sara watches is one of my holiday favs.
Disclaimer: GSR, the movie and cookie recipe aren't really mine, but I hope you enjoy this story anyway.
Christmas had always been one of the hardest holidays when she was growing up. While her classmates looked forward to Christmas
vacation, she always dreaded it. She hated the weeks of tension, the way her stomach knotted because she knew something would set off the fighting again. School and homework were her usual refuge they gave her an excuse to be away from home or hide in her room to avoid the fights and the hospital visits that sometimes followed. The drinking was always worse near the holiday.
Grabbing the remote she turned on the television and curled up on her bed to watch yet another sappy Christmas movie. It was part of the homework her Counselor had assigned before her next visit. She watched the credits scroll and smiled to see Mimi Rogers starring
in "The Christmas List."
Within minutes she found a kindred spirit in Mimi's character Melody a thirty something woman who was passed over for a promotion,
involved with an emotionally distant guy who couldn't quite commit. Sara watched as Melody was convinced by her best friend Naomi to
write a Christmas List of things she wished for. She found the theme of the movie charming as Melody began to get everything she wanted in unexpected ways. Sara cried as she sympathized with the main character's trials and tribulations. Cheering as Melody eventually got her happily ever after.
Sara muted the television when the movie ended. She liked the idea of writing a Christmas List. Reaching into her nightstand she
pulled out a pad and pen. Across the top of the page she wrote in capitals 'SARA'S CHRISTMAS LIST.' She tapped the pen against her leg as she began thinking about what she wanted. The most obvious was Gil Grissom, but she couldn't just write his name down. Her
cheerful smile turned into a wicked grin as she considered the ways she'd like to have him, but decided to PG down her list. So she
wrote down her first wish was to be kissed by Gil Grissom. Anything more than that might be more of a miracle than even Santa could
manage.
Once the first item was written down she found the others followed quickly. Some were silly and impractical, but after she was done
Sara found herself suddenly wanting to be more festive. Which could help fulfill wish number five: to have a truly Merry Christmas.
Throwing on a pair of tennis shoes she decided she'd head to the mall and pick up some decorations.
She had never bothered with the traditional tree because that was a reminder of the annual fights that usually lead to screaming, broken
ornaments and a visit to the local emergency room. Normally the most festive thing she did was pick up a couple of presents and send
out greeting cards, but this year would be different. Sara stopped in front of the store display window enchanted by the 'tree' a large
manzanita branch. Instead of colored ball ornaments it was decorated with ceramic ginger bread people, metallic cookie cutters and candy canes. It had a ribbon garland and small globe lights. "It's perfect. Exactly my kind of Christmas tree."
After getting the decorations home, Sara plugged in the lights and was pleased with the festive feel her apartment was starting to
get. Turning the stereo onto the local channel that was playing Christmas Carols until Christmas Day she felt more festive than she
had in years, but it wasn't enough. With her hands resting on her hips she thought about what was missing. She could see and hear
Christmas, but she wanted to taste and smell it too. Cookies would fill that need. Sara remembered one of her happy Christmas memories when her mother would let Sara make the Peanut Butter Kisses.
Moving quickly around the kitchen she checked to see if she had all the ingredients. Pulling out the new jar of peanut butter, pulling
out two eggs, the bag of sugar and her stash of chocolate kisses smiling as she checked each ingredient off her mental list. She did
in fact have everything to make the cookies. In a mixing bowl she creamed the peanut butter and sugar. Then added the eggs one at a
time, beating the mix well after each one.
Dipping her hands in flour Sara rolled the dough into 1-1/4-inch balls that she placed 2 inches apart on the ungreased baking sheets.
She caught herself humming "Joy to the World" as she put the cookie sheets into the 350 degree oven. Now she just had to wait 14-16
minutes or until the tops cracked before she could remove them to thewire cooling rack. Then came her favorite part, when she would press the chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie. When she was done she'd have more than 4 dozen cookies to share with her co-workers.
Sara washed her hands and realized she felt happier than she had in a long time, maybe there was something to writing down her heart
desires on her Christmas List. One was down and she had five more days to check the others off.