Jackson is my original character, but that's all I own.
This story came about when I thought about how Jackson might call Katie (I mentioned that he might call her in my story "Glad You're Here), and I thought it might be cool to have Jackson, D.B. And Barbara talk to her via Skype. So here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and pretty please review!
"Jackson, come on in the living room!" Barbara Russell called to him while she was connecting to Skype. Since she began taking care of Jackson Sanders, the little boy had become a great friend to her granddaughter Kaitlyn. And, since her husband D.B. had told him that Katie had another nightmare recently, Barbara thought it was a good idea to call Katie and her mother Maya.
Jackson came into the living room and smiled when he heard Maya and Kaitlyn's voices saying hello. His smile grew when Barbara gestured for him to come to the computer and talk to Katie.
"Katie!" Jackson happily said as he climbed into Barbara's lap. "Hi! I miss you!"
"I miss you, too," Katie said with a smile. "Are you still taking care of Ella?" She left a toy elephant that Jackson loved to play with.
"Yeah, she here." Jackson picked up the toy from the couch and showed it to Katie on the screen. "Say hi, Ella!"
Katie giggled. "Hi, Ella! I'm glad Jackson's taking good care of you. I miss you, too!"
"I miss you, Katie," Jackson said as he hugged the toy elephant. "Did you get my drawing?" Jackson had sent Kaitlyn a homemade card for her birthday.
"I did. It's beautiful, thank you!"
Jackson smiled. "I glad you like it. I wish you were here, so I could gib you a big hug!" He wrapped his arms around himself in a big hug.
"Aw, I wish so too." Kaitlyn smiled at the little boy she'd become such fast friends with.
"Honey, did you get the gift card Grandpa and I sent you?" Barbara asked.
"Oh, yeah! I'm wearing a shirt I got at the store, see?" Kaitlyn straightened up to show Barbara a yellow shirt with flowers on the neckline.
"Oh, how pretty!" Barbara said. She and D.B. sent Kaitlyn a gift card for a popular clothing store she and Maya often shopped at.
"And she's got more clothes in her closet," Maya added. "She can't wait to show them to you next time you and dad come up."
Jackson thought for a moment. "Why can't you come here?"
"I will," Kaitlyn assured him. "We're going to come for Christmas."
Jackson saw Maya and Barbara smiling sadly. "I hope you get to come for Christmas. Den if you want, we can go see Joshua. An' I like playing wif you!"
"I like playing with you, too," Kaitlyn said.
Maya sighed quietly. "Um...who's Joshua?"
"Oh, you remember meeting the coroner's assistant and his wife while you were here for Jackson's birthday?" Barbara asked.
"Oh, yeah."
"They had the baby?" Kaitlyn excitedly asked.
"Uh-huh," Barbara said with a warm smile.
"His name is Joshua," Jackson said. "An' he da smallest person I eber seen, but he getting bigger."
"I'll bet," Maya said with a warm smile. As scared as she was when Kaitlyn was kidnapped, she had to admit her parents and brother had made a good home and had a wonderful extended family in Vegas.
Jackson smiled. "Katie, your grandpa say you had a bad dream."
Kaitlyn nodded. "Yeah, but I haven't had another one in a while."
"I glad," Jackson said. "I don't like it when you're sad."
"Aw," the three women said. "That's so sweet," Kaitlyn said. "I'm okay. Like grandpa said, the bad people went to jail and won't hurt me or anyone else again. And I like coming to visit him an' grandma in Vegas."
"And Uncle Charlie too," Maya reminded her.
"Oh, yeah!"
"Charlie's cool," Jackson said. "He show me how to shoot da basketball, an' when I get bigger, I can dunk it in da net!"
Barbara smiled and laughed softly. "You're growing so much, I'll bet you'll be able to do that before you know it."
Jackson and Kaitlyn giggled. "Oh," Jackson said. "Did you know my Uncle Nicky has a doggie now?"
"No," Maya and Kaitlyn said. "He's the Texan, right?" Maya asked.
Barbara nodded. "Yeah!" Jackson said. "Da doggie's name is Sam, an' he used to be police."
"Yeah," Barbara added. "He's a beautiful German shepherd."
"An' he plays fetch wif me!" Jackson happily added.
"Cool!" Kaitlyn said. Maya added, "Sounds like a cool dog."
"Yeah," Jackson said. "Da udder day, me an' Uncle Nicky gave him a bath, an' he got us all wet!"
Maya, Kaitlyn and Barbara laughed.
D.B. and Greg arrived and smiled when they saw Jackson and Barbara talking to Maya and Kaitlyn. "Looks like we're missing the party," D.B. said, smiling at Greg.
"Hi, Grandpa!" Kaitlyn said happily. Maya said, "Hi, dad!'
"Hi! What a great thing to come home to." He bent down and kissed Barbara. "Hey, doll."
"Hi, Mr. Sanders!" Kaitlyn said.
"Hey," Greg said, smiling as his son talked to one of his best friends. "How's everything in Seattle?"
"It's good," Maya said. "Jackson sent Katie the cutest card for her birthday."
"Yeah!" Kaitlyn and Jackson said. Kaitlyn held the card up to the computer screen. "It's really cute. I like the kitty!"
"I glad you like it," Jackson said. "But I still wish you were here."
"Yeah," Kaitlyn said. "But I'm going to be there for Christmas, and we can always call each other."
A smile came to Jackson's face. "My Uncle Nicky say dat ebry time I fink of somebody I miss, dey send me a big hug!"
"Aw, that's very sweet," Maya said.
"So ebry time you fink about me, I send you a hug!" Jackson told his friend.
"Aw, that's cool," Kaitlyn said. "So I can send you a hug when you think of me!"
"Yeah!" Jackson said. He wrapped his arms around Barbara. "And dis a hug for Mrs. Barbara because she takes good care of me an' loves us sooooo much!"
Barbara smiled and laughed softly. "I love you, too." She hugged Jackson.
Kaitlyn giggled and wrapped her arms around herself in a hug. "Okay, Jackson. I'm sending you a big hug now!"
Jackson smiled and wrapped his arms around himself. "An' dis a hug for you!"
Greg had to smile as he watched his son. "Well, we've got to get home so I can fix you some dinner, Jacks."
"Aw, do we hafta go?"
"It's okay, Jackson," Kaitlyn assured him. "You can call me again soon. And I'll see you when I come back for Christmas. I promise!"
"Okay," Jackson said. He frowned but climbed off Barbara's lap. Looking at the computer screen, Jackson said, "Next time you have a bad dream, I send you a big hug. Dat way you won't be sad!"
Kaitllyn smiled at the sweet little boy. "Thank you, Jackson!"
Both friends said goodbye and Greg and Maya agreed to let them talk via Skype again soon. As they were gathering up Jackson's things, the little boy rushed to D.B. And Barbara and gave them both hugs.
"Oh, thank you!" D.B. Said with a smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Barbara said.
As Greg lifted Jackson into his car seat, the little boy leaned over and gave Greg a hug. "Oh, thank you," Greg said as he hugged his son. As Jackson leaned into his seat, he said, "Dat's cause I miss you today."
"I missed you, too."
Jackson smiled at his father. "An' you can't hug a computer!"
Greg laughed. "No, you can't. That's what I love about being your daddy and having you here...I get the best hugs."
Jackson giggled. "I love you, daddy!"
Kissing his son's forehead, Greg smiled. "I love you, Jacks."
The End.