Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI:
Homecoming
Nick, Jackie, their children, and her entire family was in Jackie's hometown. Jackie knew her family was homesick and so they tried to make it back there once a year. While they were there they visited old family friends and just visited places that they missed since moving to Vegas. Jackie's uncle Rodney was reading the newspaper the day before they were going to go back to Vegas.
"Hey Jackie look at this, Westerville plays Senators tonight. We should go."
"I'm totally game." Jackie said eagerly.
Westerville and Senators were the two high schools in town. They were arch rivals, especially when their football teams played one another. Jackie's entire family had gone to Senators High, even Jackie's grandmother. Jackie on the other hand had gone to Westerville. She jokingly referred to herself as the rebel of the family because of this one fact. She loved her high school years and not once had she regretted making the choice to go to Westerville but she had taken a lot of good natured ribbing from her family for it. Especially when her two younger cousins decided to follow the rest of the family and attend Senators high. She had tried her hardest to convince them to go to Westerville but her efforts were for not. No one in Jackie's family liked that she went to Westerville but her dad took it the hardest.
"Dad what's the big deal?" she had asked him during the summer before her freshman year at Westerville.
"You don't understand Jackie, I was taught to hate Westerville, it's ingrained in me."
"You'll get over it." She had said not very sympathetically.
He eventually did get over it. He took her to a lot of the football games while she attended school there. He liked football and so did Jackie. Jackie was so close to her dad and so it was so much fun going to the games with him. A lot of times her mother would even go, and she didn't even care for football that much. It took her dad a while to start rooting for Westerville though, up until her junior year he would just sit on his hands and act miserable when Westerville did something good, but he eventually came around, mainly because she read him the riot act one night at one of the games. One of her good friends was on the team and he had gotten a touchdown, but instead of clapping for him her dad just sat on his hands.
Jackie looked at her father and said in a no nonsense tone "He is nothing but nice to your daughter, now clap."
Her dad clapped ever so slightly, but she was satisfied.
One night during Jackie's senior year of high school, Jackie, her mom, and her dad were all at one of Westerville's football games. Her dad said that he was going to go get something to drink at the concession stands. He came back a little later with a soda and a Westerville high hat on that he had bought at one of the stands. Jackie was so happy.
"Look mom, it's official, I've converted him." She said.
Her mom just laughed.
From then on every time they went to a game her dad would wear that hat.
After she had graduated though her dad said that he no longer had ties to Westerville and so he was done cheering for them, although they went to a couple more games after that and he still cheered for them, and he also wore the hat.
Jackie couldn't believe the timing of the game this year, she was excited that she would get to go and so was the rest of her family. She was also glad Nick and her kids could come with her.
Before she met Nick she just always assumed that her children would go to Westerville as well, but since she now lived in Vegas that dream had become squashed, so it was nice to think that at least they will get to go to this one game with her.
Since the game wasn't until later Jackie and her mom decided to go to the mall just to kill the time. Jackie managed to find an adorable Westerville outfit for Jasmine. The outfit featured a top with the Westerville logo and wind pants that said Westerville on them. She also bought a Westerville sweatshirt for herself.
When they got home it was time to get ready. Jackie took Jasmine into the other room so she could take her to change her clothes.
"Hey Jackie wait a second." Jackie's uncle Rodney called.
"What?" She asked turning around.
"Do you want to make a friendly wager on the game?"
"Oh yeah" Jackie said with a grin.
Her uncle and her had a history of betting on the games. She estimated that she had made over 50 dollars off of him during her senior year, not only from football but the basketball games as well. They bet on the games even after Jackie had graduated, not one time has she lost the bet, but her uncle never seemed to learn. Westerville had a history of much better athletics then Senators did but he always bet her anyways. Actually Jackie considered Westerville better in everything, not just athletics but she kept that to herself.
While Jackie was getting Jasmine ready Nick went to the room next door so he could put on a warmer shirt. When he was finished he came out of the room and almost ran into Jackie's dad Rich.
As soon as Rich saw his son in law he smirked.
"If your wife sees you in that shirt, you are going to be in major trouble." He said giving Nick fair warning.
Nick looked down at his sweater. "What do you mean, Jackie likes this sweater, she's the one that bought it for me." Nick said.
"Yeah well, I don't think she'll like you wearing it tonight." Rich responded.
Rich didn't get a chance to explain why though because just then Jackie emerged with Jasmine in her arms. Jasmine was dressed in her cute new outfit. Her hair was in a cute little sideways ponytail with a black hair tie holding it in place. Jackie herself was in her new sweatshirt. She took one look at her husband and stopped dead in her tracks.
"Dad" she exclaimed.
"I didn't tell him to wear that sweater, don't get mad at me." Her dad said immediately.
He knew instantly why she was mad.
She looked at her father skeptically.
"He didn't Jackie, honest." Nick said and then added "Would somebody please tell me what is so wrong with this sweater?"
"Nicky, that is Senators main color, you can't wear that tonight."
"Ohhhh" Nick said.
"Well what color should I wear?" he asked.
"Do you have a black sweater?" she asked.
Nick thought for a second "Yeah, I did pack a black sweater actually." He said.
"Good, go put that on." Jackie said.
Nick nodded and went to change.
When he came back everyone was ready to go.
"Wait just a second." Rich said as he disappeared into another room.
He came back moments later wearing the infamous Westerville hat.
Jackie grinned "Why did you pack that? Did you know that Westerville played Senators before we left Vegas?" She asked.
"No, it's just a lucky coincidence, I brought several hats and this just happens to be one of them."
Jackie's mom laughed
"You know your dad is obsessed with hats, he probably brought his entire hat collection."
Jackie laughed
"True" she said.
Then it was time for them to head to the stadium. Because there were 13 of them going they had to take two separate cars.
"I thought the game didn't start until 7:30, it's only 5 now, why did we leave so early?" Nick asked as they were driving.
"Because if not, we'd never get a seat." Jackie said.
Nick didn't know if he quite believed that, it was a small town, how many people could there be.
When they arrived at the stadium Nick, Jackie, Jackie's mom and dad, and Houston and Jasmine sat on the Westerville side of the field while the rest of Jackie's family sat on the Senators side. They found good seats.
"You know Jackie, you should probably wear this, you're a bigger fan then I am." Her dad said as he took off his hat and put it on her head.
Jackie laughed, it was a little big for her.
Jasmine was sitting next to Jackie on Nick's lap.
"Mine." She said as she took the hat off of Jackie's head and put it on her own.
Everyone burst out laughing, the hat nearly covered Jasmine's entire face.
"Peek-a-boo" Nick said as he lifted the hat off of her head.
Jasmine burst into a fit of giggles. Nick then put the hat back on Jackie's head.
"No mine." Jasmine said as she once again took the hat off of Jackie and put it on her own head.
Jackie laughed
"Jasmine, you can't possibly see." She said.
Jasmine just continued to giggle.
Before long the stadium was filled to the max.
"Wow, I had no idea there would be so many people here." Nick said.
"I told you." Jackie said with a grin.
Finally the game started and to Jackie's dismay Senators scored first. Right after they scored her cell phone started buzzing, indicating she had a text message.
It was from her uncle Rodney and it simply said Scared?
Jackie laughed and wrote back No, not the least bit worried.
As the game progressed though, Jackie had to admit that the game was closer than she expected. At half time Westerville only had a three point lead.
The game remained close throughout the second half as well. When Senators scored a late touchdown it put them up by three points and the Senators sideline went crazy, as did Jasmine, she started clapping and giggling.
"No, don't clap yet kiddo." Jackie said grabbing her little hands.
"Uh-oh" Jasmine said as she burst into more giggles, clearly she didn't understand what was happening and as much as Jackie did not want Jasmine clapping for the other team she had to admit that it was adorable.
When Westerville got the ball back the quarterback threw to his receiver for a forty yard completion.
"Now clap Jazz." Jackie said as she grabbed Jasmine's little hands, this time though Jackie clapped them together, Jasmine clearly was having a lot of fun, she just kept laughing.
Westerville drove the ball to the one yard line. There was 4 seconds left, time for only one more play. Westerville called a timeout.
"Kick the field goal and tie it." Jackie said under her breath.
Westerville, however decided to go for the win.
"Is the coach crazy?" Jackie exclaimed as she looked at her father.
"Gutsy move." Her dad agreed.
The quarterback kept the ball and dove at the end zone, bodies were all over the place in a huge pile near the goal line, every one of Senators players tried to dive on him so he wouldn't get the score.
"Did he get in?" Jackie asked Nick, everyone was standing in front of her and she couldn't see.
"I'm not sure, I couldn't see either." Nick said.
"Did he dad?" Jackie asked.
"I think so, but I'm not positive." Her dad said.
Jackie hoped he was right.
Players started to slowly get up from the mass pile and after what seemed like a lifetime the official finally raised his hands, it was a touchdown. Westerville had done it, they had won. Westerville players jumped on their quarterback in congratulations. Westerville students ran onto the field to celebrate and parents and Westerville supporters (Jackie and her family included) cheered wildly in the stands.
Senator's players, students, and fans were stunned. Some hung their heads in disappointment and disbelief and some booed loudly.
"That was one of the best football game's I have ever been too and that's including pro football." Nick said.
"Yeah what an awesome game." Jackie agreed.
After it had calmed down a little Rich said "We should wait here for the traffic to clear a little and then go eat."
Everyone shook their heads in agreement.
"Where do you want to go?" Her mother asked.
"Let's go to Mcmurray's, they have really good steak." Does that sound good to everyone?" Rich asked.
Everyone agreed that it did.
Jackie got her cell phone out of her purse.
"Are you calling Rodney and the rest of the family to let them know we are going to go eat?" Her mother asked.
"No, I'm calling him to tell him that I want my money." Jackie said with a smirk.
Everyone laughed at her.
"I don't want to talk about it." Rodney said into the phone, he didn't even bother to say hello.
Jackie laughed, "we are going to go eat at Mcmurray's, you guys should meet us there."
"Alright, we'll see you over there." He said and then hung up the phone.
When they got to the restaurant Jackie went up to her uncle and grinned.
"I can't believe it." He mumbled as he handed her a ten dollar bill.
The rest of the evening was fun, they laughed and joked with one another.
"I still can't believe Senators lost that game. They were so close to winning, it makes me sick." Rodney said.
Jackie couldn't stop grinning but she had to admit that the game was a lot closer than she had expected it would be.
The next day they had to head back to Vegas, and as Jackie stared happily out the window she smiled, it had been an awesome homecoming, she had had tons of fun and she was ten dollars richer.