Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
Once again, I decided to expand a little on a story of mine. I mentioned in "Our First Christmas Together" that Jackson had talked to Greg's parents on the phone and knew who they were. So I wondered what their first phone call would have been like. And here's what I came up with. I hope you all enjoy it, and please review!
Greg Sanders watched his son Jackson enjoy a cup of chocolate milk. He smiled as the little boy drank his favorite drink and got a milk mustache on his upper lip. Greg had only learned of his son two days before, but he loved him with all his heart and couldn't imagine his life without Jackson. Now that he had full custody, he was determined to be the best dad he could be for his son.
Jackson had already talked with Greg's friend and former colleague, Catherine Willows, and Sara had promised to let him talk to Grissom via Skype very soon. But there were two other people that Greg really wanted Jackson to talk to.
"Hey, Jacks?" Greg asked, leaning on the table.
"What, daddy?" Jackson asked as he sipped his chocolate milk.
"Remember when I told you that I am so happy you're my little boy?" Jackson nodded. "I am. You're the best gift I've ever got. You are the most important thing to me, and I love you soooo much!"
"I love you, too!" Jackson said.
Greg smiled at his son. "You know, we're a pretty cool family."
"Yeah," Jackson said. "We family, daddy."
"Yeah," Greg said with a soft smile. "And you know..." Greg looked at his watch. "I think they're home."
"Who home?" Jackson asked.
"Your Nana and Papa," Greg said, smiling at Jackson's confused expression. "They're your grandparents."
Jackson's eyes widened and he smiled. "I hab a grandma an' grandpa?"
"You sure do! They live in California, and they're your Nana and Papa. And when I called your Nana yesterday, she said that she loves you already."
"Yeah?!" Jackson got even more excited. "She loves me?"
"Yes she does." Greg smiled at his excited son. "And she's probably told your Papa about you, so I'm sure he loves you too."
Jackson had the biggest smile on any little boy Greg had ever seen. "Yay!"
Greg took Jackson's hand and led him to the couch in the living room. He picked up his phone and dialed his parents' number. After two rings, a woman with a cheery voice answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Mom."
"Greg! Kjære, hello!"
"Hi." Pulling Jackson up on his lap, Greg said, "Is dad there? There's someone here who'd like to talk to you both."
"Daniel!" Marina shouted. "Honey, pick up the phone! It's our grandson!"
After a few seconds, a man came to the phone. "Hey, Greg!"
"Dad! Hi!"
"What's this I hear about my grandson?" Daniel asked.
"Well...are you and mom both there?"
"Yes, we are," Daniel said. Marina said, "We're here."
Greg smiled and gave the phone to Jackson. "Hello?"
Marina gasped softly. "Jackson?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, Jackson," Daniel said.
"Hi. Are you my papa an' nana?"
"Yes we are!" Marina said. Greg could imagine both his parents smiling widely.
"I'm your Papa Daniel," Greg's father said. "I'm your grandfather."
"And I'm your Nana," Marina said. "Oh, darling! I love you so much!"
"I love you, too!" Jackson said.
"I'll bet you look just like your father," Daniel said.
"He does," Greg said. "Just like me except for his hair."
Marina laughed softly. "Yes, you told me he has red hair. Oh, I cannot wait to see you, my darling!"
"Are you gunna come over?" Jackson asked.
"Soon," Daniel said. "We're in California, do you know where that is?"
"No," Jackson said. "Is dat near Vegas?"
Marina laughed softly. "Not quite, honey. We're in San Gabriel, that's where your daddy grew up."
"Yeah, it's got lots of cool places," Daniel said. "And I bet you like playing on the playground."
"Yeah!" Jackson said. "I like to swing up high!"
Both grandparents laughed softly. "I'll bet you can swing high, can't you?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah! I like to swing, an' I can slide on da slide too!"
"You can?" Marina asked. "My goodness, you must have so much energy!" Jackson just giggled.
Greg eased Jackson off his lap and sat him on the couch while he grabbed his camera that was sitting on the coffee table. He smiled as Jackson chatted away with his grandparents, getting to know each other and already loving each other very much.
As Jackson chatted with his grandparents about everything from his aunts and uncles in the lab to chocolate milk, Greg quietly took a few pictures of Jackson on the phone. Jackson looked up and smiled at his father. "Daddy, take my picture!"
"I am, Jacks." Greg smiled and took another picture of his smiling son. "And I'm going to send these to your Nana and Papa."
"You are? Nana, Papa...daddy's gunna send you pictures of me!"
Both grandparents laughed softly. "Well good!" Marina said. "I cannot wait to see what you look like, my darling!"
"I look like daddy!" Jackson said. "Ebrybody says I look like daddy!"
Marina laughed softly. "I'll bet. Your father loves you very much, and so do we!"
"Yes, we do," Daniel said.
"I love you!" Jackson said. He thought for a moment. "My daddy loves me, an' he happy I his little boy!"
Greg smiled at Jackson. "Yes, I am," he whispered.
"And we are so happy you're our grandson," Marina said.
"You better believe it," Daniel said.
Jackson giggled. "I happy, too. But, um...I miss my mommy."
Greg frowned. He knew Jackson would always love his mother, and may never truly understand why she just left. "I know, Jacks," Greg said as he cupped Jackson's face in his hand.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Marina said. "But I know your father loves you very much, and he's taking very good care of you."
"And we love you too, Jackson," Daniel added.
Jackson smiled. "I love you, too. An' my daddy say I his best gift eber!"
Greg smiled. "You are, Jacks."
"Of course, you are!" Marina said with a soft laugh. "Oh, sweetheart, you are so loved! Don't ever forget that."
"I won't," Jackson said with a smile.
"And we love you, too," Daniel said. "We love you so much already!" Jackson giggled.
Greg put the phone on speaker. "So what do you think of each other?"
"He's wonderful," Daniel said. "Jackson, your Nana and Papa love you so much."
"Yes, we do!" Marina added. Greg could tell she was crying happy tears.
"We just had to call you," Greg said. "I wanted Jackson to talk to his Nana and Papa."
"An' my daddy loves you too!" Jackson said.
"Yes I do," Greg said. "I just took some pictures and I'll email them to you, and I'll try to mail some to you soon. Oh, I wish you guys could be here."
"So, do we, son," Daniel said. "He's amazing."
"Oh, kjære," Marina said. "I cannot wait to see him. We'll try to come for Christmas, how about that?"
"Yeah!" Jackson said. "An' den we go see Santa!"
Greg smiled and hugged his son. Jackson laughed and looked up at his daddy. "Daddy, I gotta go potty."
Greg's parents laughed softly, and Greg smiled and rolled his eyes. "Okay, can you say bye-bye?"
"Bye-bye, honey," Marina said. "We love you so much."
"Love you," Jackson said.
"We'll talk to you later, okay?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah!" Jackson said as he climbed off Greg's lap. "Bye-bye!" Jackson headed for the bathroom.
Greg laughed softly. "He's so amazing," he said as he turned the speaker off.
"Oh, Greg," Marina said. "He's wonderful! I love him so much already!"
"We both do," Daniel said. "And we will try to come for Christmas. We gotta help you two celebrate your first Christmas together!"
"Yes we do!" Marina added. "And, Greg, we love you so much!"
Greg smiled. "I love you too." He smiled as Jackson ran back into the room and clambered back onto Greg's lap. "I gotta go fix dinner, but I'll email you those pictures today."
"Yes, Greg, please!" Marina said.
Greg rolled his eyes playfully. "Why do I get the feeling you've already told everyone that you have the most amazing grandson?"
Marina laughed. "I haven't told everyone yet, but I do have the most amazing grandson. And I cannot wait to see his pictures."
"We do have the most amazing son and grandson," Daniel said. "We'll talk to you later, and we are so proud of you both!"
"Love you, honey!" Marina said.
"We love you," Greg said. "And we'll talk to you again soon."
"Love you Nana! Love you Papa!" Jackson yelled as he got situated on Greg's lap.
"Love you!" Marina and Daniel said simultaneously.
They said goodbye and Greg hung up the phone. He looked at his smiling son, who picked up his crayons and paper. "So, Jacks, what do you think of your Nana and Papa?"
"I love dem!" Jackson said. "Dey nice, an' dey already love me!"
Greg smiled and rubbed his son's shoulder. "Yes, they do. And you know what else?"
"What, daddy?"
Greg smiled warmly at Jackson. "I love you, too."
Jackson smiled and hugged Greg. "I love you, Daddy."
The End.
