Grissom snapped closed his kit, stood up from his squatting position and stretched taking in his surroundings. It was a small gallery but it had some nice pieces in it. The others had all been working when the 407 came in so he had answered the call himself. He turned towards the officer who had been left to secure the scene and noticed a painting hanging on the wall to the man's right.

"Something interesting?" Officer Jamieson asked as Grissom moved towards the painting.

"No," was the reply, "I was just trying to figure out what it was meant to be."

"Glad I'm not the only one who can't work out abstracts." The man smiled, "What is it anyway?"

Grissom reached the painting and read the title, "It's a Partridge in a pear tree." He answered raising an eyebrow. Jamieson gave a small laugh and Grissom turned and faced him with a quizzical look on his face, the painting was odd but not that funny.

"You've been so busy printing and looking for evidence you didn't notice the name of the items that were taken. One was a brooch of Two Turtle Doves and the other a sculpture of Three French Hens." The man replied. Grissom sighed, shook his head and picked up his kit.

Arriving back at the Las Vegas Police Department and Forensic Labs Grissom walked into a noisy hallway. Nick Stokes, one of the younger members of his team, was pushing his way into a group of four men dressed as birds, who were arguing furiously. Raising his voice the young Texan drowned them out, "It doesn't matter whether you're supposed to be Calling Birds or Collie Birds all I want is some DNA samples!" The men became quieter and Nick started collecting the samples.

Seeing Nick had everything under control Grissom headed for his office. He noticed Warrick Brown and Sara Sidle standing talking to Greg at the doorway of the DNA lab.

"I'm telling you," the tall African American was saying, "The guy just walked in and grabbed five gold rings. The security in the jewellers was completely non-existent."

"At least you weren't sent out to a poultry farm." Sara muttered, "I don't know what gets into people," she went on. "why can't the just buy their turkeys? The thieves got off with ten turkeys, twelve ducks and six geese."

"Were they laying?" Greg asked cheekily.

"No, they were stolen." Sara snapped back too annoyed at the irritating thefts to consider Greg's question.

Trying not to laugh the young lab tech informed her, "Well Warrick had the five gold rings; I thought you might have got the six geese a-laying." Both he and Warrick stood laughing as Sara strode away with "Men!" floating from her lips.

Smiling Grissom once more headed for his office. Two officers walked by. "That's right ..." the taller of the two was saying, "the woman walke pool and finds seven swans swimming in it. She takes a minute to figure out who to call and then phones us." Grissom stopped and looked at the two men who continued to walk along the corridor. "Turns out they had been stolen from some magician who was using them in his act. . ." the man's voice faded as he turned the corner.

Beginning to think this was some kind of a put up job Grissom walked to the corner and looked round it. The two officers were still walking towards the exit and Nick was heading to the DNA lab with his samples. Shrugging his shoulders, he considered the idea. No, he decided no one would go to the lengths of sending him out on a robbery call for a joke and Sara's reaction to Greg's comment was too real, it was simply coincidence and he once more headed for his office.

Finally reaching his office he opened the door and walked in to find Catherine Willows sitting at his desk sewing.

"Sorry Gil," she began seeing him, "it's my break and I needed somewhere quiet and safe from coffee spills to get this finished." She held up a dress with short puff sleeves and an apron. "Lindsey's one of the eight maids a-milking in the school concert." She went on, but stopped when she saw him looking over his shoulder out into the corridor. "You don't mind do you?" she asked, wondering at his manner.

"Of course not," he answered turning back to face her, "it's just things have...

. Are..." He stopped with a strange look on his face and another glan the corridor.

"What?" Catherine almost yelled trying to figure out what was going on. Just at that moment there was a great deal of shouting and yelling from the entrance. Police officers began running towards the commotion. Grissom and Cath along with anyone else who could leave what they were doing headed in the same direction at a slightly slower pace. Reaching the scene Grissom couldn't stop himself from laughing. Standing yelling and gesticulating were nine women in medieval dress along with ten men in similar attire and eleven pipers and twelve drummers.

Brass pushed his way through the crowd and reached Grissom who was standing leaning against a wall laughing. The Captain looked at the CSI and then at Catherine who was standing looking totally confused.

"What's all that about?" She asked Brass pointing to the melee.

"They were on floats in a parade; you know nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming. Anyway the lords and ladies are from one college and the pipers and drummers are from another, their floats collided and they each decided it was the others fault so. . ." he didn't have to explain any further. He turned and looked at Grissom who was still laughing. "What's with him?"

Catherine shook her head and gave a small shrug and then she looked at Grissom quizzically.

Finally Grissom managed to stop laughing long enough to gasp "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

The End