Chapter Eight, Story Eight: Your Turn

Summary: "I wanna get something for my momma," Sam said. Little did anyone know in the beginning of the case that young Sam would manage to wrap one certain CSI around his finger. My response to Kates89's Children Challenge. I got Mac & Sam (From S2's "Necrophilia Americana"), hopeful and flowers.

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"I wanna get something for my momma," Sam said.

Mac couldn't help but smile softly. Let's all be realistic, he had a soft spot for the kid. "Ok. I think I can help out with that," he said. The two of them stopped in the hallway of the lab as Mac pulled out his wallet and handed Sam a five. "That should be enough to get her something nice."

Sam flashed a bit of a sheepish smile as he looked up at Mac. "Your turn for a story," he said with a giggle.

Mac smiled and was unable to stifle a soft chuckle. "My turn? Again?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Why don't we see if we can't find your mom something and I'll try to figure something out?" Mac offered, holding out one of his hands for Sam to take.

"Ok," Sam said, a huge smile Mac figured was as wide as the Hudson was long quickly taking shape on the kid's face.

So, down to the parking garage and in to the Avalanche they went. He should honestly be at the lab and on the case…but that kid had powers. Mac swore it. He couldn't say no. Especially after figuring out the whole mess of family ties that had complicated the case. Who would've thought that Sam was their vic's sister's daughter? And his father had been in jail for drugs? Even Mac wouldn't have guessed that one without the evidence.

They headed away for the lab and Mac parked along the sidewalk before him and Sam wandered up and down the streets, hunting down "the one", as Sam constantly told Mac.

Mac watched as Sam wandered from his side to look at the flowers for sale in one shop.

The look on the boy's face when he looked back at Mac was seriously too much for Mac to take. It was official: this kid had Mac in the palm of his hand. Mac couldn't help but smile.

"What'd you find, kiddo?" he asked as he walked up and kneeled down at Sam's side so he could be at Sam's level.

"Flower!" Sam said, pointing to a pretty arrangement of red roses and a few other flowers Mac thought he recognized, but didn't stop to think about their exact names.

Mac almost laughed when he saw Sam's disappointment at the price. He shot a hopeful look at Mac and Mac finally couldn't help himself.

"Relax, I got it," Mac soothed, pulling out two ones from his wallet and handing them to Sam.

Another humongous smile crossed the youngster's face and Mac went inside with him to get the flowers for his mom.

Ok, maybe "mom" wasn't the term many would use. They'd say "adopted mom", probably, but Mac didn't care to bring that up to Sam. The kid had already been through enough.

"When will I see her?" Sam asked. Mac nearly chuckled again as the little boy had insisted on carrying the flowers by himself and they were almost as big as Sam himself.

"Soon," Mac assured him with a soft smile. They'd see them once they were back at the lab, and Mac was certain his parents would be glad to have him back. He knew his actual mother had threatened a custody trial and hearing, and Mac had simply said, "I'll see you there."

He personally thought Sam was perfectly happy where he was with his parents. He definitely knew he was better off with the family he had instead of his actual parents: a jealous sister and a man who'd just gotten out of jail after being put away for drugs.

He shot a glance back at Sam sitting in the rear seats of the Avalanche as he drove to see him still wearing a huge grin. Once again, Mac found himself smiling.

Stella and Lindsay are so not going to let me forget this one too fast. He almost smirked at the thought.