Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
Inspired by the last scene in 14x06. No real spoilers.
Also, please read and review my last few stories. They've only gotten one or two each. I love writing my Jackson stories, and I hope you all enjoy them too!
I thought about writing a story where Jackson meets Sean Yeager (and I still might), but I thought of this one first. Since Jackson loves Mrs. Barbara, and she mentioned finding the house in Seattle in "Passed Pawns," I wondered what Jackson might say if he thought she was leaving. So, here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and please review!
Greg arrived at Barbara's house to pick up Jackson after a long case at work. He and Morgan did enjoy working with the swing shift CSI Sean Yeager, and Morgan had some paperwork to finish up at the lab, so Greg was at the Russell's house to get his son.
Jackson came running up to his father when he came to the door. "Hi, daddy!"
"Hey! Did you have a good day?"
Jackson smiled at his father. "Daddy, Mrs. Barbara saw Katie!"
Greg smiled, knowing Barbara had visited Maya and Kaitlyn in Seattle over the weekend. "She did? How's Katie doing?"
"She good! An' she got da birthday card we sent her!"
"She did? Uncle Henry liked his birthday card, too." Jackson colored a homemade card when Greg told him it was Henry's birthday.
Jackson nodded and smiled. Barbara was still on the phone when Greg came by. She smiled to him as she chatted with Maya. "No, honey. I told him about that. Yeah, it would be the perfect house..."
"Daddy, Mrs. Barbara is talking to Katie's mommy," Jackson said with a smile.
Barbara smiled at the father and son. "Yeah, and there are some good things here, too. You know what? Greg just got here to get Jackson. Can I call you back? Okay. Love you!" She smiled at Greg. "Hey."
"Mrs. Barbara, are Katie's mommy an' daddy gunna buy a new house?" Jackson asked.
Barbara smiled softly and shook her head. "No, sweetie. There's this great house in Seattle that your Uncle D.B. and I used to love. And it's up for sale. Maya wondered if we were going to buy it."
Greg raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"
"But you live here," Jackson said. "An' Seattle far away."
"I know, honey," Barbara said. "But I miss my home in Seattle. So I wondered if we could buy it."
Jackson's eyes widened and he frowned. "You go 'way?"
"Oh, no," Barbara assured the worried child. "I might buy it someday, but..."
"No!" Jackson insisted. "You stay here!"
"Jacks, it's okay," Greg assured his son. "She's staying here." Looking at his son's babysitter, he asked, "You are, right?"
"Right." Barbara rubbed Jackson's back. "Honey, it's okay."
Jackson began crying. "No! You gunna go 'way?"
Greg held his son as he cried. "Jacks, she's not going away. It's okay." But Jackson cried and held onto his father.
Barbara did miss her family and friends back in Seattle, but she loved Jackson and her Vegas family. And she had to admit D.B. and her son Charlie were thriving. At first, she hated having to come to Vegas. But having Jackson to take care of made her happy. So seeing the little boy so upset broke her heart.
"Daddy, I don't want Mrs. Barbara to go away!" Jackson said as he cried and tightly held onto his father.
"Ssh," Greg said as he comforted his son. "It's okay, Jacks."
"You know what?" Barbara asked Jackson. "How about we sit down and talk?" She led Greg to the den and he sat down with Jackson on his lap.
Jackson sniffed and looked up at his father. "Daddy, I don't want her to go 'way!"
"Oh, me neither," Greg said as he hugged his son close.
Barbara smiled softly. "When I found out we were moving to Vegas, I wasn't happy. I miss Maya and Katie, and my friends there. But then I met your daddy and Uncle D.B.'s friends here, and Charlie's friends. And I made some new friends too."
Jackson wiped his eyes and stared at Barbara. "You miss dem?"
"I do," Barbara said with a nod. "But we've made a pretty good start here. And if we hadn't moved here, I never would have met you." She smiled warmly at Jackson.
Jackson pouted and looked at Barbara. "When my mommy leabed me here, I didn't know anybody either. But my daddy loves me, an' so does mama an' Uncle Nicky an' Aunt Sara an' ebrybody. Dis my home!"
Greg hugged Jackson close. "Yeah. And I am so happy you're here. I love you."
"I love you, too, daddy." Jackson smiled up at his father.
Barbara realized Jackson already had far more upheaval in his young life than anyone should have. Knowing the little boy loved his father so much and Greg loved him, Barbara knew she couldn't abandon him. "Honey..." she started. "I know you belong here. And who knows? Maybe someday I'll move back to Seattle. But I've got a pretty good thing going here."
Jackson rubbed his eyes and sniffed back tears. "You stay?"
"I'll stay," Barbara assured him with a warm smile. "I do miss my family and friends back home."
"No," Jackson said, shaking his head. "Dis home, Mrs. Barbara. I love my home, cause I got my daddy an' mama. An' my daddy loves me soooo much!"
Greg smiled warmly as Jackson held out his arms like he was measuring something big. "I do, Jacks. I love you so much more than you'll ever know."
Jackson smiled up at his father. "Mama say you love me more dan all da toy cars an' chocolate milk in da whole world."
Greg couldn't help but smile. "She's right, Jacks. I love you more than anything, how about that?"
"Wow," Jackson said softly with wide eyes. Greg smiled and kissed Jackson's forehead.
"And I love you, too, sweetheart," Barbara assured Jackson. She smiled as she watched him wipe his runny nose on his sleeve. "Honey...I'm always going to love my home in Seattle. Just because I want to go back there sometime doesn't mean I don't love you."
Jackson stuck his bottom lip out and frowned. "Promise?"
"I promise," Barbara answered with certainty. "You and your daddy and mama are family to your Uncle D.B. and Charlie and me. And I'm always going to love you."
"And when she goes to Seattle to visit Maya and Katie, you can call her," Greg said. "You know, like we talk to nana and papa?"
"Oh, yeah," Jackson said as his frown slowly turned into a smile. "We talk to dem on da phone an' da sky."
"Yeah," Barbara said with a warm smile. "I talk to Katie and Maya on Skype all the time."
A smile inched onto Jackson's face. "I like talking to my nana an' papa, an' I like talking to Katie too. An' I like being wif you, Mrs. Barbara."
"Oh, I like being with you, too, honey."
Greg smiled at Barbara as he held Jackson. "You know what, Jacks? Mrs. Barbara helped me out big time."
Jackson pouted at his father. "She did?"
"Yeah. Remember when you first came to live with me?" Jackson nodded. "Well, I've always loved you, but I didn't know who would take care of you while I was at work. Mrs. Barbara smiled and said she'd do it." Smiling at his boss' wife, Greg said, "You'll never know how much that really means to me."
Barbara smiled warmly. "It means a lot to me, too. I missed having a grandchild to spoil." She smiled at the little boy on Greg's lap
Jackson smiled. "You not gunna go way?"
"No, honey," Barbara said as she took Jackson's hand. "But sometimes I'm going to go to Seattle to see Maya and Katie. But I'm going to come back here."
"You will?" Jackson asked.
Barbara gently wiped a tear from Jackson's cheek. "I will. And you've got so many people here who love you. Especially your daddy."
Greg smiled as he hugged his son. "Yeah. I love you, Jacks."
"I love you, too," Jackson said as he wrapped his arms around his father. When he pulled away, Jackson smiled at his father. "Daddy, can we call Katie when we get home? I wanna tell her dat her grandma's okay."
Greg and Barbara both smiled at the sweet boy. "That's a good idea," Greg said. "And Uncle Nicky said he's going to call tonight, so you can talk to him, too."
"Oh, yeah!" Jackson said as he smiled wider. "I forgot Uncle Nicky gunna call. He gunna come back soon, dough, right?"
"Right," Greg assured him. "And you know what? I think we should send him and Katie some big hugs."
Jackson smiled as he wrapped his arms around himself. "Yeah! I gunna send some extra big ones!"
"Wow!" Barbara said with a smile. "I think they're going to feel those big hugs and send some extra big ones to you!"
Jackson giggled softly, then looked at his father. "Daddy, I glad you here. I love you!"
Greg smiled warmly at his beautiful son. "I love you, more."
Barbara smiled as she watched father and son hug. She did miss Seattle, but loved her new life in Vegas. And she adored Jackson. She loved having the sweet little boy to care for and knew he adored his extended family.
Jackson sniffled and laid his head on Greg's chest. "Mrs. Barbara, when you go see Katie, will you tell her I miss her an' I wish she was here?"
"I sure will, honey," Barbara said as she smiled at the sweet boy. "And I'll tell Maya that you're okay and sending Katie lots of hugs."
"Thank you," Jackson said with a soft smile. "An' I glad you here an' help my daddy."
Barbara and Greg smiled at the sweet boy. "So am I, honey," Barbara said.
Jackson looked up at his father. "An' I glad you here, daddy."
"So am I, Jacks." Greg hugged his loving son. "I'm not going anywhere, Jacks."
Barbara did miss Seattle, but she loved her and her family's new start in Vegas. When Jackson smiled at her, she smiled warmly and thought of her families in both cities. Knowing Jackson loved his father and family including her meant so much to her.
"Mrs. Barbara, you stay?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah," Barbara said softly. "I'll always love my home in Seattle, but I love my family here, too."
Jackson smiled softly. "Good. I glad you an' Charlie an' Uncle D.B. are here."
"Me too," Greg said.
Barbara smiled warmly. "Me too."
The End.