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

This story came when I thought about a friendship piece between Sara and Sofia. I always liked their chemistry, and with all that's happened, I wondered how they would enjoy some time with Jackson. So here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and pretty please review!

Sara Sidle walked toward the break room at the lab, ready to get back to work after the long weekend. She wanted to get a cup of coffee and maybe read the newspaper before going to work. As she got closer, she smiled when she saw her godson, Jackson Sanders, with her former colleague, deputy chief Sofia Curtis.

Jackson held up his small cup of chocolate milk. "Now, dis is how my friend Katie showed me. You say 'clink' an' clink your glasses together."

"Like this?" Sofia asked as she clinked her coffee cup with his chocolate milk.

"Yeah, but don't forget to say 'clink'." Jackson said with a smile. Sofia and Jackson clinked their cups together and said "clink" and enjoyed their drinks.

Jackson smiled and jumped down to greet Sara as she came in the room. "Aunt Sara!"

"Hey, sweetie!" Sara said as she hugged her godson. She smiled at her former colleague. "Hey."

"Hi," Sofia said with a warm smile. "Jackson, do you think Sara would like some tea?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jackson said as he pulled his smiling aunt to the table. "It not really tea, but we drink it like high tea."

"Oh, I see. Can I get a cup of coffee?"

Jackson smiled and climbed back into his chair. "Aunt Sara, Aunt Sofia say she worked wif you an' daddy an' Uncle Nicky."

"Yeah," Sara said with a smile. "She worked with us before she became the deputy chief. Congrats, by the way," Sara told her.

"Thank you," Sofia said as she sipped her coffee. "Yeah, I had to get an update with the day shift supervisor on a case. And Greg had to check on some evidence with Hodges, so I offered to watch Jackson for a little bit."

"Aunt Sofia is nice," Jackson said. "She help me get a chocolate milk, an' now we having tea...not really tea, dough."

"I see," Sara said with a smile. "Your daddy told me Katie and Mrs. Barbara treated you to high tea when Katie first visited." Seeing Sofia watching them, she added, "Katie is Russell's granddaughter."

Sofia nodded as Jackson said, "Katie is my friend. She an' Mrs. Barbara an' me, we had high tea. Dat's tea with cookies!"

"That's very important," Sofia said, smiling warmly at the sweet little boy.

Sara smiled at her godson with Sofia. The deputy chief smiled at her friend and former colleague. Tentatively, she asked, "We haven't had much of a chance to catch up lately. How are you?"

Smiling sadly, Sara said, "I'm okay. Really, I'm...doing good."

"Good," Sofia said with a warm smile. She and Sara may have clashed a few times, but Sofia always respected her former colleague. Smiling at the sweet little boy coloring a picture and singing a little song to himself, Sofia said, "You can't be too sad with this guy."

Sara's smile widened. "No, I can't. He's such a good pal." She hugged Jackson, and the little boy giggled.

Sofia smiled, knowing Sara was one of the strongest women she ever knew. "Jim told me Jackson's the reason he knows how to smile."

Sara smiled and was about to respond when Jackson said, "Uncle Jim is nice! He always has chocolate milk when I come see him, an' sometimes he draws pictures with me!"

"He does?" Sofia asked. Jackson nodded.

"Well, he is a great buddy," Sara said. "He's been one of my best pals for years."

Jackson smiled. "Does he ever have sammiches wif you?"

"Sometimes."

"And me too," Sofia said with a warm smile.

Jackson smiled at his aunts. "I gunna draw a picture of a bird, cause I like dem!"

"Okay," both women said. As Jackson continued coloring, Sara smiled at her innocent godson.

"You know," Sofia said, "I talked to Jim. He's...surviving."

Sara smiled at Jackson and nodded. Looking up at Sofia, she said, "I think he's always braced himself to...lose her. Just not like this."

Sofia took a deep breath. "I know. He did everything...more."

"So much sadness," Sara said as she shook her head. "I know...he'll be okay. Just wish it was sooner than later, you know?" Sofia nodded.

Both women sighed quietly as they watched the innocent little boy. Sara and Sofia both admired and respected Jim, and knew his family with the department and lab was the only real family he'd ever had.

"Oh, by the way, how's Morgan?" Sofia asked.

Sara smiled, knowing how much Jackson loved his adopted mother. "She's good. Getting back to work has helped, I think. And..." Sara ran her hand through Jackson's red hair. "...like you said, can't be sad with this guy."

Sofia smiled as Jackson smiled and hugged his Aunt Sara. Knowing Sara had been through so much and, like Jim, the family at the lab was the only real family she had. Seeing Sara and Jackson together and happy, Sofia knew everyone was where they belonged.

Jackson finished coloring and showed his latest drawing to them. "Here it is! It a penguin, like da one we saw in da movie!"

"Oh, yeah," Sara said with a warm smile. "Show Aunt Sofia."

Jackson showed his drawing. "Dis is a penguin, like da one me an' Aunt Sara saw in a movie we watched togedder!"

"I can see that," Sofia said with a warm smile. "You are a very talented artist."

"Thank you," Jackson said with a giggle. "Aunt Sara, I gunna put this in da scrapbook my daddy gave me."

"That's a good idea," Sara said with a warm smile.

Sofia smiled warmly. "Do you have a lot of drawings in your scrapbook?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jackson said with a big smile. "I have lots of drawings, an' some pictures of me an' my friends an' family, too!"

"Wow!" Sofia said with a smile. "You are very cool!"

"Thank you," Jackson said with a smile and giggle. "I fink you an' Aunt Sara are cool, too!"

Sara smiled warmly and hugged her godson. "Thank you, sweetie."

"You welcome," Jackson said. He jumped off his chair and hugged Sofia.

"Oh, thank you," the deputy chief said with a warm smile as she hugged the sweet boy.

Jackson pulled away and picked up his chocolate milk. "Aunt Sara, can you clink your cup wif me an' Aunt Sofia? It not really tea, but we can pretend."

Sofia and Sara both smiled. "I sure can," Sara told him. She picked up her coffee mug as Sofia did the same.

"Now, you hafta say 'clink'," Jackson explained. "Dat's what Katie an' Mrs. Barbara say when we have high tea."

Both women and Jackson said "clink" as they clinked their cups together. Sofia loved seeing Sara again, especially seeing her so happy with Jackson. And Sara knew Sofia was good to Jim. And knowing Jackson just loved his family at the lab meant the world to them both.

Greg walked in and smiled when he saw his son having a tea party with his aunts. "You giving them a hard time, Jacks?"

Jackson smiled and jumped off Sara's lap to hug his father. "Hi, daddy! We having pretend tea! Aunt Sara an' Aunt Sofia have coffee, but we drink it like high tea!"

"Oh, I see," Greg said with a warm smile.

"He's really no trouble," Sofia said with a warm smile. "I don't get to see him too often, so this was a treat."

"I enjoyed it too," Sara said.

"Well, thank you for watching him," Greg told Sofia.

The deputy chief smiled warmly. "Oh, it was my pleasure." Smiling at Jackson, she said, "We should get together for tea more often."

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! An' next time, we should have cookies!"

Both women smiled softly as Greg kissed his happy son's cheek. "We should, huh?" He asked his giggling son.

"Yeah! Cause I like having high tea wif my aunts!"

"Well, I enjoyed it, too," Sara said with a warm smile.

"So did I," Sofia added. She stood and added, "I really did have fun, but I do have to get back to work."

Sara smiled at her former colleague. "Well, thanks for inviting me to tea."

"Thank Jackson," Sofia said with a warm smile. "This was his idea."

"And a very good one," Sara said as she stood and hugged her godson.

Greg had to smile at the sight of his son with Sara and Sofia. Just being together and with his CSI family made them both so happy.

Jackson hugged Sofia. "Next time, we might have real tea, if dat's okay."

Sofia smiled warmly. "Sure. I enjoyed this...and the company the most."

"Me too," Sara said.

"Me three!" Jackson said with a big smile. He really loved just enjoying time with his family.

The End.