Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.

Spoilers for Merchants of Menace.

I loved the episode Merchants Of Menace. I wondered, since Nick offered the miniature in the murderabilia auction, what Sara thought. Then I wondered how Jackson might comfort his favorite aunt. So here's what I came up with. Please read and review!

As soon as Greg and Nick returned to the lab, Jackson rushed to greet them. "Hi, daddy! Hi, Uncle Nicky!"

Seeing Jackson so innocent and happy - especially after the team's latest case - was just what Greg needed. "Hey, Jacks."

"Hey, big guy," Nick said with a warm smile.

"When did you get here?" Greg asked.

"Just now," D.B. said as he and Barbara approached the two.

"Yeah!" Jackson said. "I had a good day in school, an' Mrs. Barbara made cookies!"

Greg smiled with love at his happy son. "Oatmeal raisin?"

Jackson smiled. "Uh-huh. They my favorite!"

Everyone smiled. D.B. nodded at Nick and Greg. "I just talked to her. She's in my office."

Jackson said goodbye to D.B. and Barbara as Nick and Greg nodded and headed towards D.B.'s office. There, they found Sara sitting at D.B.'s desk.

Before Greg could stop him, Jackson wriggled out of his arms and rushed to her. "Aunt Sara!"

Sara cleared her throat and smiled. "Hey, sweetie!"

Jackson saw Sara's eyes were red from crying. "What the matter?"

"Oh...just something reminded me of a bad case," Sara said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Nick said quietly.

Sara shook her head. "Don't be. We needed to solve the case. And...I was just thinking."

"Bout what?" Jackson asked.

Sara took a deep breath and softly smiled at her dear friends. "Something bad happened a long time ago. I was taken and..."

"We were really scared," Greg said as Sara trailed off.

Jackson looked at his father and uncle, then back to Sara. "What happened? Did you get owie?"

"I did," Sara said with a sigh. "I was hurt badly. But I was so determined to stay strong and get back to your uncles and everyone."

"I remember when we looked for you," Greg said. "I was in a helicopter, and we looked and looked all over the desert to find you."

"Oh," Jackson said softly. "You were far away an' had owie? Were you scared?"

"I was," Sara said. "But I knew in my heart that your daddy and Uncle Nicky and everyone were looking and they wouldn't give up."

"An' they found you," Jackson said.

"Yeah, we did," Nick said. He looked at Sara and said, "I remember when we found you. I was so happy...but you wouldn't wake up."

Sara smiled softly as Jackson gasped quietly. "Aunt Sara, you didn't wake up?"

"I didn't," Sara told him. "But then the medics and your Uncle Gil came and put me in the helicopter to go to the hospital. Then I woke up. And...well, seeing your Uncle Gil there, I knew it was going to be okay. And I had to wear a cast cause I broke my arm." She smiled softly as Jackson's eyes widened. "But I got better."

"Oh!" Jackson said softly. "I glad you did!"

Sara couldn't help but smile at her sweet godson. "I still hurt. And everything got so...I was overwhelmed. So, I decided to leave."

"You went away?" Jackson asked.

Sara nodded. "For a little while. Sometimes, when grown-ups feel overwhelmed, they need to take a break. So I left."

"She needed to get stronger," Greg said.

"And we know she's stronger than anything that bad person did to her," Nick said with a warm smile.

Jackson smiled up at Sara. "Yeah, you strong Aunt Sara!"

Sara smiled and kissed Jackson's forehead. "Thank you. And you know what?"

"What?"

"Even though it was a really sad time, I got through it."

"Yeah!" Jackson said as Nick and Greg smiled with love and pride.

Sara sighed deeply as she looked at Greg and Nick. "You know, that was around the time your Uncle Warrick died. And we all miss him very much."

Nick sighed and Greg nodded. "Yeah," Greg said. "But we came through all that."

"And we still think about him every day," Nick added. "And I think he'd love that you and Eli are such good pals."

Jackson smiled. "We talk about his daddy all the time! An' his mommy said you an' daddy an' Aunt Sara help her."

Nick and Greg nodded as Sara said, "Yeah."

"I glad you came back," Jackson said. "Cause you a good scientist an' know so much about amials!"

"Well, thank you," Sara said with a smile.

Jackson smiled, then looked at Greg and Nick. "I bet you wish she never went away!"

Nick and Greg smiled, and Sara smiled thoughtfully. "Well..." she said. "Even though that was really sad, some good came out of it."

Greg smiled and knelt beside Sara and Jackson. "If she hadn't...you wouldn't be here, Jacks."

Jackson looked confused, then Sara said, "A little while after I left, that's when your birth mom came to work with the team."

"Oh," Jackson said with a soft gasp.

Greg smiled and rubbed Jackson's back. "We missed Sara...but if your mom hadn't come to work with us...I wouldn't have you."

"Yeah," Sara said softly. "And you mean so much to me, sweetheart."

"Me, too," Nick said.

"And me," Greg said as he hugged his son. "Love you, Jacks."

"I love you," Jackson said. He smiled up at his aunt and uncle.

"Even though something really sad happened," Sara said. "We got you." She smiled at her sweet, smiling godson.

"And you are the best, most wonderful gift I've ever gotten," Greg added.

"Me too," Nick said.

"And me," Sara said with a warm smile.

"Cool!" Jackson said with a big smile. "I love my family!"

"We love you," Greg and Nick said as Sara hugged Jackson. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, Aunt Sara," Jackson said as he hugged her.

When he pulled away, Jackson hugged Greg. "Daddy, I glad you saved Aunt Sara. We have the bestest family!"

"We sure do," Greg said. He smiled as he held his son. "I love you, Jacks."

"I love you, daddy!" Jackson smiled and kissed Greg's cheek. Then Jackson rushed to his uncle. "Thank you for saving Aunt Sara, Uncle Nicky."

Nick smiled as Jackson wrapped his arms around him. "You're welcome, Jackson."

Sara felt her sadness from the past fall away as she stood and joined Nick and Jackson. "I know I've said it before, but thank you both."

"We're glad you're here," Greg said as he hugged her.

Nick smiled at his dear friends. "We've got a good family, huh big guy?"

"The bestest!" Jackson said with a big smile. "I love my family so much!"

"I love you," Greg said as he took Jackson in his arms. His heart soared when he saw him smile.

"I love you, daddy! An' my family is the bestest!"

Nick and Sara smiled as Greg tickled Jackson and his laughter carried through the lab. They truly were a family. Even though so much had happened in the past, Sara knew she was meant to be with her CSI family.

The End