Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
No CSI tonight, so I thought it would be good to post a new story.
Spoilers for 13x04!
My favorite episode this season was "It Was A Very Good Year," where a former girlfriend of Greg's is killed. I wondered...how Greg might introduce his son to Frank Sinatra's music. Of course, I had to write it! Hope you enjoy the story! And pretty please review!
Greg Sanders sat on his couch listening to Sinatra At The Sands, the album his former flame Alison Bailey had bought for him and Morgan had given him. He still thought about the beautiful music journalist since she helped him write his Vegas book five years before, and he was surprised to learn she wanted to get back in touch with him. The album was to be a gift to Greg, but she was murdered when the man who bought it for her learned she wanted to give it to Greg.
Greg shook his head sadly and thought about the last time he saw Alison - they'd shared a romantic night together, and he promised to look her up if he ever got to New York. Now she was dead, and Greg couldn't help but feel a little responsible.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard soft footsteps. He looked over and saw his son Jackson, rubbing his eyes and holding his teddy bear.
"Hey, Jacks," Greg said. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
Jackson shook his head. "Nope." He smiled when his father pulled him up onto his lap. "What dat?" Jackson asked as he heard the music.
Greg smiled softly. "That is a song by Frank Sinatra. He was really cool."
Jackson leaned his head on his father's chest. "I like it, daddy."
A small smile crossed Greg's face as he thought about Alison, who was a huge Sinatra fan and would have loved seeing Greg's toddler son listening to the crooner for the first time. "I'm glad, Jacks."
Jackson looked up at Greg, who was looking at the album cover. "Daddy, you sad?"
Greg sighed deeply. "Yeah. A really good friend gave me this album, but..." Greg looked at his innocent son, wondering if and how he should tell him about his girlfriend's murder. "Do you remember your Uncle Nick and I telling you about your Uncle Warrick?"
"Yeah," Jackson said softly. "Uncle Nicky say he in your heart."
Greg smiled softly, wishing he could feel as innocent as his son. "Well...this friend of mine...her name was Alison...I keep her in my heart now, because I really cared about her."
Jackson looked at his father. "She not here?"
"No," Greg said, slowly shaking his head. "She's not here anymore."
Jackson wrapped his arms around his father. "I sorry, daddy. Don't be sad."
Greg swallowed hard, trying not to cry. "Okay, Jacks. I'll try not to be sad."
Jackson pulled away and smiled softly at his father. "You wanna hold Cubby? He help me not feel sad." Jackson offered his father his teddy bear.
Greg couldn't help but smile at his sweet little boy. "That is so sweet, but I'd rather hug the little guy holding him."
"I big, daddy!" Jackson said with a giggle.
Running his hand through his son's red hair, Greg laughed softly. "You sure are." He looked down at the coffee table and saw the book he'd written with Alison five years before. "Hey, look at this." He picked up the book and showed it to Jackson.
Jackson looked at the picture of Greg on the back of the book. "Dat you, daddy!"
"Yeah," Greg said with a smile. "I wrote this with my friend Alison a few years ago...about a year or so before you were born. And..." he found the photograph of Alison he'd put in the book. Pointing to the beautiful woman, he smiled sadly. "That's my friend that helped me."
"She pretty," Jackson said with a soft smile.
Greg smiled sadly. "Yeah. Her name was Alison. And you know how you like to sing and make up songs all the time?" Jackson nodded and giggled. "Well, she would have loved you. She knew a lot about music."
"Cool!" Jackson said as he laid his head back on his father's chest. "I sorry she not here, daddy."
"Me, too." Greg squeezed Jackson in a one-armed hug.
Jackson looked up at his father. "Daddy, don't be sad. She in your heart."
Greg smiled sadly at his son. "Yeah, she is. And you know what?"
"What, daddy?"
Looking into his son's beautiful, innocent face, Greg said, "You're always in my heart."
Jackson gave Greg a lopsided smile. "I am?"
"You are," Greg said with certainty. "You are the most important thing in my whole life, and you are always in my heart."
Jackson smiled. "You in my heart, too!"
Greg couldn't help but smile as he hugged his son. "I love you, Jacks."
"Love you, daddy."
As Jackson sat in his father's lap listening to the music of Frank Sinatra, his eyes drifted closed. "Daddy?" He said sleepily.
"Hmm?" Greg asked as he held his son and thought about Alison.
"You not sad?"
Greg looked down at his son, dozing off to sleep. He thought about Alison, and how she loved Sinatra. He imagined she'd like his son discovering Sinatra's music. Cradling his son, Greg sighed. "I'm okay, Jacks."
The End.