Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
Once again, I've decided to elaborate on a story. I mentioned in "Jackson's Birthday" where Catherine suggested that they have lunch before she had to leave. So I wondered what that lunch might have been like. Also, I wanted to write something with Jackson and Catherine's daughter Lindsey (I think they might be cute together!). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story! Please read and review!
Normally, Greg Sanders would want nothing more than to grab lunch at a fast food restaurant while he was working at the lab. But he'd promised his friend and former boss Catherine Willows that he and his son Jackson would have lunch with her and her mom and daughter before she had to go back to Quantico. So, when he got a break from work, he picked Jackson up from Mrs. Russell's and they headed to Catherine's mother's house.
Lily smiled when she opened the door and saw Greg's car pull into the driveway. She'd talked to Greg when he was working on his Vegas book a few years ago, and grew to be very fond of the young CSI. And, since she, Catherine and Lindsey had gone to Jackson's birthday party the day before, they quickly grew to love the little boy.
"Hello, gentlemen!" Lily said with a big smile.
Greg got Jackson out of his car seat. "Jacks, you remember Ms. Lily? From your party?"
"Yeah!" Jackson said as he bounded out of the car. Lily laughed softly when Jackson gave her a big hug.
Catherine smiled when she looked out the door and saw Greg and Jackson with Lily. She greeted Jackson as he walked through the door holding Lily's hand and chatting happily.
"Hi, Aunt Catrin!" Jackson said when he came through the door.
Catherine knelt down and Jackson rushed into her arms for a hug. "Hey, sweetheart! I'm so glad you and your daddy could come."
Lindsey came into the living room and smiled when she saw her mom with Greg's son. "Hi, guys!"
"Hi, Lindsey!" Greg said.
"Jackson, you remember..." Catherine began, only to have Jackson rush into Lindsey's arms.
Lindsey laughed when Jackson wrapped his arms around her legs. "Thank you for coming to my party!"
"Oh, you're welcome," she said. "Did you have a good birthday?"
"Yeah! I got lots of presents, an' my nana an' papa came from California! But dey have to leave soon."
Catherine walked over to the two of them. "You wish they could stay longer?"
"Yeah," Jackson said. "But dey say dey come back."
Greg smiled at his son. "Yeah, they came for Christmas...and they came back for your birthday, just like they promised, right?"
"Yeah!" Jackson smiled at his father.
Catherine laughed softly. "Do you ever talk to them on the phone? Lindsey and Mom and I do that all the time."
"Yeah, we talk an' sometimes my daddy an' me talk on da sky."
"Skype," Greg whispered to Catherine.
"Oh," Catherine said with a smile. "That's really cool."
"Yeah," Jackson said. "I got a good family."
Lily and Lindsey laughed softly and the five of them headed to the dining room table, talking and laughing.
"It sounds like you had a wonderful time," Lily said.
"Yeah," Jackson agreed. "An' I love da books!"
"I've already read two of the books you guys gave him," Greg said. "He especially loves Curious George."
"Did you read the one where he goes to the hospital?" Lindsey asked.
"Yeah," Jackson said. "I had a owie, an' hadda go to da hospital too."
"He fell off the jungle gym at the playground," Greg quickly explained to the concerned women. "Sprained his ankle."
"Yeah," Jackson said softly. "I not bwoken, but I had owie."
"Oh, my." Lily smiled at the sweet boy. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Me, too," Catherine said. "I'll bet your daddy was scared."
"Nope!" Jackson insisted.
"Just a little," Greg whispered with a wink to Catherine.
The five enjoyed the company even more than the pot roast Lily had prepared for lunch. Lily and Lindsey both enjoyed catching up with Greg and getting to know Jackson, and Catherine loved talking to the little boy who had become his father's whole life.
"Aunt Catrin, did you help my daddy be a scientist?" Jackson asked as he took a bite of the roast.
Smiling at the young man she practically watched grow up, Catherine said, "I helped a little, but he did most of it himself. He's a pretty smart guy, huh?"
Jackson giggled and nodded. Greg smiled as his son smiled at his former boss.
"Your daddy's a good man," Lily told him. "I'll bet he's a good daddy."
"He da bestest!" Jackson insisted. The women smiled at the sweet boy.
Having practically grown up with Greg, Lindsey couldn't stop smiling at him and his son. "You know, Greg...I'm at college most of the time, but if you ever need a babysitter..."
Greg nodded and smiled. "Thanks. I might just have to call you and Lily sometime. How's college life going?" He asked as he cut Jackson's meat.
"Great. I'm majoring in science. I'm thinking of becoming a teacher."
"That's great!" Greg said. "Really, that's awesome."
Lindsey smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, I guess Mom kind of rubbed off on me." Catherine smiled with pride at her daughter.
"What's dat mean?" Jackson asked.
"It means that my mom and your dad and all the team at the lab were such good scientists, that I thought I might be one, too." Lindsey smiled at the inquisitive child.
Jackson nodded and smiled. "Yeah, my daddy's a good scientist. Did, um...did you know dat my Uncle Nick an' Aunt Sara are good scientists, too?"
Catherine smiled. "Yes, they are. And so is Morgan and D.B., right?"
"Yep!" Lily and Lindsey laughed softly.
The five of them enjoyed lunch and visiting with each other. Jackson really enjoyed meeting his Aunt Catherine, and Greg loved seeing her again.
"So, Jackson," Catherine asked as they sat in the living room after lunch. "How do you like all your aunts and uncles?"
"Dey da bestest!" Jackson said with a big smile. "Sometimes, when I go to Uncle Nicky's, he lets me play wif Sam!"
"His dog," Greg clarified.
"Wow, he has a dog now?" Catherine asked. Jackson nodded. "Wow! Nick's got a dog and your daddy's a daddy." Catherine smiled warmly at the smiling boy.
Greg smiled at his friends. "You know, I can't remember my life before Jacks."
Catherine smiled at the CSI. "That means you're a good daddy." She smiled at Jackson. "Isn't he a good daddy?"
"Da bestest!" Jackson said.
Lindsey couldn't help but softly laugh. "That is so cool!"
Catherine looked at her daughter, confused.
"No, I just..." she smiled at Greg. "Remember when you used to babysit me in the lab?"
"Yeah," Greg said with a nod and a smile.
"And now," Lily said, smiling at her granddaughter and Greg. "Now you're a beautiful young lady and he's a handsome young dad."
Catherine smiled at her and Greg's families. "Jackson, you are a very lucky kid."
"What's dat mean, Aunt Catrin?"
"It means your daddy..." Catherine smiled warmly at the two of them. "...is a very good daddy."
Jackson smiled. "Yeah!"
Lindsey took out some paper and crayons. "Jackson, your daddy said you like to color."
Jackson smiled and joined Lindsey at Catherine's table. Catherine, Greg and Lily smiled as the watched the two of them chatting happily.
"Greg, have you heard anymore from..." Lily gestured toward the happy child.
Clearing his throat, Greg said, "She sent him a card...but other than that, no. She won't talk to him on the phone." He looked at his son coloring with Lindsey. "You know, her supervisor in Chicago said that he was being raised by daycare and babysitters...when he first arrived, he wouldn't let me out of his sight."
"Sounds like yours is the only home he's ever known," Catherine said as she watched her daughter with Greg's son.
Greg smiled softly. "As much as I wish I could have been there from the start, I know my son is where he belongs. We are a family."
Catherine felt happy tears form in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Greg."
"Thank you," Greg said with a warm smile.
Jackson gave Lindsey a pink crayon. "You wanna use dis one?" He asked.
"Oh, thank you." Lindsey began coloring a heart on the paper. "You know...I only met her once." Lindsey looked up at her mother. "Remember, that night at the club?"
"Oh, yeah." Catherine nodded. "You were grounded for a month after that."
Lindsey shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I got the feeling...she just didn't like me."
"I like you," Jackson said, coloring happily.
"Well, I like you, too." Lindsey squeezed Jackson in a one-armed hug.
Catherine shook her head. "You read what she wrote in the exit interview?" She asked Greg. He nodded. "I got the feeling she kept a lot of things bottled up."
"We talked about that a little bit," Greg said. "She said she was mad, but..."
"Ray once told me she was trigger happy," Catherine said.
"I heard about the case on the news," Lily said. "I am so sorry that happened, but at least this little sweetheart is where he should be."
"Thank you, Lily." Greg smiled at his happy son.
Lindsey smiled as Jackson showed her his drawing of flowers. "That's really pretty, Jackson."
"Dat for you!" The happy boy said. "It 'cause you come to my party."
"Aw, thank you!" She colored a heart for him. "This is for you. Do you like it?"
"Uh-huh. It pwetty!"
Catherine couldn't help but smile as she watched Greg's son with her family. She'd watched Greg grow from a goofy lab tech to a capable CSI, and seeing him as a loving dad was something she treasured.
Jackson climbed onto the couch between Greg and Catherine. "Aunt Catrin, did you hab a good time at my party?"
"I sure did," Catherine said, smiling at the sweet boy. "I really loved meeting you and seeing everyone again."
"Yeah, we really missed your Aunt Catherine," Greg said. He smiled at his friend and former boss. "I am so glad you all got to come to meet you."
"We're glad too," Lily said. "He is adorable."
Jackson smiled at Catherine's mother. "I like seeing you at my party."
"Well, we liked seeing you, too. You are one sweet little guy."
"Thank you," Jackson said as he snuggled next to Catherine. He looked up at Catherine. "Do you hafta go again?"
Catherine smiled warmly. "Yeah, I have to leave tomorrow. But Lindsey and mom and I loved meeting you so much, we had to see you and your daddy again."
"I like you, too." Jackson smiled and hugged Catherine.
Greg smiled as he watched his son with Catherine and her family. "You know, Jacks...we can talk to your Aunt Catherine and Lindsey on the computer sometimes, like we do with your Uncle Gil."
"We can?"
"Yeah! And since Lily lives here in Vegas, we can come visit her sometime."
"Dat be okay?" Jackson asked.
"Yes!" The three women answered.
Jackson smiled. "I like dat!"
"Me, too," Lily said as she pulled the little boy into a hug.
Catherine couldn't help but smile as she watched her mother and daughter with Greg's son. She remembered Greg as the goofy lab tech who became a confident, good CSI. Watching Greg talk to Jackson, Catherine could tell he was a good father and he and Jackson loved each other very much.
Putting a hand on Greg's shoulder, Catherine smiled. "He's amazing, Greg. Really, congratulations."
"Thank you," Greg said with a warm smile.
Jackson laughed and chatted with Lily and Lindsey, loving them and Catherine very much. "I glad you came to my party."
"Well, so are we," Lindsey said with a smile. Lily hugged Jackson and smiled.
"You're both very lucky," Catherine told Greg as she watched Jackson smiling and playing.
Greg smiled at the little boy who had become his whole life. "Yeah," he said, glancing at his former colleague. "I'm glad you got to meet him."
Catherine smiled at the little boy who was part of her extended family. "So am I."
The End.