Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
This story was bound to happen! I've written several times where Jackson and Greg go on "bug hunts" together, so I thought it would be kind of cool to have a story where they look for bugs. And I thought ladybird beetles - or ladybugs, as we call them here in the USA - would be cool if father and son found some in the yard. So...enough rambling! Hope you all enjoy...and pretty please review!
Jackson Sanders loved helping Mrs. Barbara in her garden. One day when Greg arrived to pick Jackson up, Barbara led him to her backyard, where Jackson was happily looking at the plants he'd helped her plant.
As he was looking at the latest zucchini blossoms, a small bug caught his eye. "Daddy! Come here!" Jackson grabbed Greg's hand and pulled him to the plot of dirt he was just staring at. "Lookit! Lookit!"
Greg and Barbara smiled as the saw a ladybug walking across the plants. "Oh, it's a ladybug!" Greg said.
Jackson watched the insect crawl across the garden bed. "It a lady?"
"Maybe," Greg said with a small laugh. "They're called ladybugs."
Jackson thought for a moment. "Eben da boy bugs are ladybugs?"
"Yep," Greg said.
"I think they're pretty," Barbara said as she watched the father and son. "And they're not hurtful."
"What's dat mean?" Jackson asked.
"It means that they don't hurt people." Greg smiled as Jackson closely watched the bug.
"Oh," Jackson said. "Dat's good."
"And most of them eat bugs that might hurt plants," Barbara added. "So I don't mind them being in my garden."
Jackson smiled as he watched the ladybug scurry across the plant in front of him. "Daddy, is he lookin' for bugs?"
"Yeah, he might be," Greg said as he held out his hand.
Jackson watched as the ladybug climbed onto his father's palm. "Daddy, you holdin' da bug!"
"Yeah," Greg said with a soft laugh. He took Jackson's hand. "Hold still," he whispered as he placed the ladybug on his son's hand.
"Oh!" Jackson said with wonder. He watched in awe as the tiny insect sat in the palm of his hand. "He likes me!"
"I think he does," Barbara said with a warm smile.
"Just be very gentle," Greg said.
"He cool," Jackson said. He giggled softly as the ladybug moved slightly. "Dat tickles!"
"Yeah?" Greg asked. He loved moments like this with Jackson.
Jackson nodded. "I put him back?"
Greg nodded. "That's a good idea." He helped Jackson move his hand so the ladybug could safely crawl back into the garden.
Jackson smiled as he watched the ladybug. "He gunna help your garden, Mrs. Barbara!"
"Yeah," Barbara said. "Ladybugs are pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah!" Jackson said as he watched the ladybug sunning itself on a leaf. "I like ladybugs!"
The End