Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
I'd like to thank JennaTN for this story idea!
Dolly's Bath
Jackie was busy doing the dishes at the sink. Nick hadn't gotten home from work yet and the kids were all in the living room, except for Sloan who was sitting in his baby swing contently watching Jackie.
Jackie had dragged the swing out into the kitchen so she could keep an eye on the little one and make sure the other kids weren't trying to pick him up without her knowing it like Johnna tried to do a couple days prior, Jackie had walked into the living room and had found Johnna trying to pick him up out of his swing, she had gotten him about half way out of the swing before Jackie had come in and caught her, the look on Sloan's face had been one of fright as if to say help, my sister doesn't know what she is doing.
When Jackie had asked her why she was talking him out of the swing her answer was very sweet "me hold him, him cute" but none the less Jackie explained to her that she couldn't pick him up unless she or Nick was there to help her because he was very heavy and he'd get a very bad owie if she accidently dropped him.
From that day on she hadn't tried to do it again but Jackie wasn't taking any chances.
Jackie continued the boring chore of the dishes until she heard the sound of water running in the upstairs bathroom and a loud ruckus. She raced upstairs and found all four kids leaning over the tub and Dolly inside the tub trying desperately to get out and run away from the kids.
"What is going on in here?" Jackie demanded as she hurriedly turned off the water.
"Dolly bath, her dirty." Jasmine said.
Jackie sighed, Dolly was soaked but luckily she was the only thing that was all wet.
"Guys you can't give Dolly a bath by yourselves, you'll make a huge mess." She told them.
"Dirty." Jasmine insisted.
Jackie sighed again. Well she could use a bath and she is already all wet. Jackie thought to herself.
With Jackie's help the kids gave Dolly her bath, much to Dolly's dismay, the dog squirmed all over trying to get out.
"Stay Dolly, we're almost done." Jackie told her.
They had a removable shower head in the tub so Jackie took it off the wall and squirted the dog with it so she'd be rinsed off, and then they were finished.
"There she is all clean, and we didn't even get that wet." Jackie told her kids with a smile.
Jackie had spoken to soon though because Dolly shook herself in an attempt to dry off and water went everywhere, all over Jackie and the kids as well as on the floor.
"Oh no." Jackie said.
Had the kids not been within earshot she would have cursed like a sailor but she bit her tongue. The kids were all giggling like crazy, apparently unlike their mother they liked the surprise shower they had just gotten.
"Stay." Jackie told Dolly before she hurriedly went and grabbed an old towel and then dried Dolly off with it, drying her paws extra well so she wouldn't track water through the whole house.
She then led Dolly outside to the backyard so the dog would dry off completely. After that she got another old towel and cleaned up the bathroom floor.
"Alright kids, I'll pour us all some juice and we can drink it out on the back patio so we can dry off." She told her four little ones as she ushered them down stairs in to the kitchen.
She poured a couple glasses of juice.
"Come on kids." She said as she carried the cups outside and set them on the patio table.
She then went back inside and poured two more cups as well as a larger cup for herself and managed to carry all of the cups outside without spilling anything. She made one more trip inside to grab the baby out of his swing so he could sit out there with them.
The baby squealed happily as she picked him up.
"Are you happy you get to come with us sweet boy?" She cooed at him.
After what seemed like an hour Jackie and all of the kids were outside enjoying their juice on the patio.
"Jackie? Kids?" She heard Nick call a few minutes later.
"Out here Nicky." Jackie called back.
He came outside.
"Hi guys, are you hanging out back here enjoying the weather?" He asked Jasmine, Houston, Johnna, and Karlie who all went running at him.
"And drying off." Jackie told him.
"How'd you get wet?" He asked perplexed as he sat down in a chair next to Jackie.
Jackie told him the story about how the kids attempted to give Dolly a bath. He couldn't help but laugh, and despite the mess they had made Jackie also found the humor in the situation.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to go pour me some juice too, it's hot out here." Nick said.
As he was inside pouring his juice the baby started to fuss.
"Hon, would you make the baby's bottle too while you're in there. Please?" Jackie called to Nick.
"Yep." Nick answered.
"No cryin Sone." Johnna said as she got up and disappeared into the house.
The little girl came back moments later with the baby's pacifier.
"What a nice big sister." Jackie praised the sweet little girl as Johnna stuck the pacifier in the baby's mouth.
The baby obviously didn't appreciate Johnna's effort though because he immediately spit the pacifier out and continued to cry.
"Bad baby Sone." Johnna scolded as she sat back down in her chair.
As she drank her juice she glared at her baby brother.
"Sweetheart I bet he's just hungry because usually when he has his pacifier he's happy huh?"
"Yeah." Johnna answered.
"After he's done drinking his bottle give him his pacifier again and he'll probably love it. Will you do that for mommy?" Jackie asked the little girl, trying to keep Johnna's feelings from getting hurt.
"Ok mama." The little girl agreed.
"Thank you, you are such an awesome big sister Johnna Marie." Jackie told her with a smile.
Soon Nick came back carrying his glass of orange juice and a baby bottle. Jackie reached her hand to take the bottle.
"I'll do it." Nick offered as he set down his orange juice and then outstretched his arms to take the not so happy infant.
Jackie passed him the baby.
"Shhh, it's alright." He told the baby as he stuck the bottle into his mouth.
The baby immediately quit crying and began sucking on the bottle.
Soon the bottle started to move. Nick looked over and saw Houston moving the bottle around.
"Do you want to help me feed him buddy?" Nick asked the little boy with a smile.
"Yeah." Houston said.
"Ok, come sit on my lap." Nick told him as he shifted the baby to one side so Houston could sit on the other side.
Houston scampered up onto Nick's lap and pushed Nick's hand off of the bottle so he could do it.
"Good job, what a nice big brother you are." Nick praised.
Houston grinned proudly at him.
"You have to tip the bottle up a little bit like this though, otherwise he won't get any of the formula." Nick told him as Nick gently tipped the bottle upwards.
Houston followed Nick's instructions and then once again pushed Nick's hand off of the bottle, apparently he didn't feel he needed Nick's assistance.
"I'll be right back." Jackie said as she got up and went inside the house.
She came back out moments later with a camera.
"Nick, Houston, look at me and smile." She said as she held the camera ready to take their picture.
Nick and Houston smiled at her so she took the picture and then turned the camera towards Jasmine, Johnna, and Karlie who were all sitting next to each other enjoying their juice.
"Girls, look at mommy." She said.
Jasmine and Johnna immediately looked at her and smiled but Karlie seemed oblivious.
"Karlie Lou, look at mommy." Jackie said, using the pet nickname she had for her.
Karlie finally looked at her and gave her the cutest smile.
"Aww that's going to be a good picture." Jackie told the three little girls.
It was afternoons like this that Jackie treasured the most. It wasn't that they were doing something special but they were all together as a family and everyone was happy and healthy.
The End!