Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.
This story came from attending a nephew's birthday party at a skating rink...and I put on roller skates for the first time in several years. I wondered how Jackson might like to roller skate for the first time...and how Greg would enjoy it. So, here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...please read and review!
Jackson Sanders was so excited to go to his friend Ben's birthday party. Greg smiled at Jackson in his car seat as he sang to himself, "It my friend Ben's birfday, an' I gunna play wif him!"
Ben and his parents invited Jackson and everyone from his preschool to a local skating rink. Jackson had never skated before, but was excited to play with his friends. Greg told Jackson they were going to a skating rink, and Jackson was curious to try it.
As soon as Greg and Jackson walked into the rink, Ben rushed up to greet them. "Jackson!"
"Hi, Ben!" Jackson said as he hugged his friend.
"Hi, Jackson's daddy," Ben said to Greg.
"Hi, Ben," Greg said with a soft laugh. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." Looking at Jackson, Ben asked, "You gunna skate wif me?"
Jackson looked at his friends and other people skating on the rink. "We gunna do dat?!"
"It okay," Ben assured him. "My mommy's a good skater. She can help you if you want her too."
Jackson thought for a moment and looked up at Greg. "Daddy, are you gunna help me skate?"
Greg smiled as he got a pair of skates for Jackson. "I haven't skated since I was a little bigger than you, Jacks."
"Please, daddy?" Jackson wanted to skate and be with his friends, but he wanted his daddy to help him too.
Greg sighed. "Okay." Jackson smiled as Greg got a pair of roller skates for himself. He hadn't been roller skating for several years, but wanted to be there for his son.
Jackson smiled and he and Greg sat down to put their skates. "Dese are heavy, daddy," Jackson said as Greg helped him lace up his skates.
"Yeah." When both his and Jackson's skates were laced up, Greg asked, "You ready?'
Jackson nodded. When he stood up, he was a bit wobbly on the skates. "Whoa!"
Greg held Jackson's hand. "Just walk a bit."
Jackson followed Greg onto the rink, still a bit wobbly on skates. "Daddy, I gunna fall!"
"You'll be fine," Greg assured him. "I'm right here.
Ben's mother Jessica skated up to them. "Hi, guys. How you doing, Jackson?"
"Whoa," Jackson said as he moved his legs, trying to stand up. "I all wobbly!"
Greg smiled at his son. "You're doing fine. Don't look down, just keep going."
Jackson let go of Greg's hand and toppled backwards. "Whoa!" He frowned and rubbed his leg. "Daddy, dat hurt!"
"I know, but you're okay. Think you can stand up?"
Skeptically looking at his father, Jackson took his hand. "Don't let go, daddy!"
"I won't," Greg reassured his worried son. He smiled as Jackson got on his feet and skated a few inches.
"There you go!" Jessica said with a warm smile.
Jackson's legs moved back and forth as he tried to get steady. "I wobbly!"
"Mr. Sanders, can I try something?" Jessica asked. Greg nodded, and Jessica asked Jackson, "Would you like to skate with me?"
Jackson looked at his friend's mom. "You help me?"
"Sure, if your daddy says it's okay."
Greg smiled at his worried son. "It's okay, Jacks. She can help you stay up."
Taking a big breath, Jackson said, "Okay...but don't let go!"
Jessica laughed softly. "I won't. You ready?"
Jackson nodded and took Jessica's hand and they skated onto the rink. Greg watched as his son moved and tried to stay up on skates.
"Whoa!" Jackson said as he started to fall.
Jessica held him up. "I've got you. Don't look down."
"But I gunna fall!"
"I've got you. Just move your legs back and forth, and don't rush."
Jackson did as Jessica said, and smiled as he kept his balance. "I skating?"
Greg smiled as he took video of Jackson skating for the first time. "Look at you, Jacks." He smiled as he watched his son learning to skate.
Jackson held onto Jessica's hand as they skated with everyone. "You're doing good," Jessica told him.
Jackson skated a bit and, without realizing it, let go of Jessica's hand. He skated a few inches and smiled. "I skating!" He started to fall, and Jessica came up behind him. "You not gunna let me fall?" Jackson asked as he looked up at Jessica.
"I'm not going to let you fall. But if you do, you can get right back up."
Jackson watched as some of the children fell and got back up. "Dey fall down, but dey get up."
"Yeah," Jessica said with a warm smile. "And you got back up and tried skating again."
"Yeah," Jackson said as a smile etched onto his face. He skated a little more.
Greg smiled as he watched his son skating. He loved how Jackson kept trying and didn't give up.
Jackson skated a little more. He looked over and smiled at Greg. "Daddy, I skating!"
"You sure are, Jacks!" Greg smiled. He started to skate out to Jackson and Jessica when he lost his balance and fell on his rear end.
"Uh-oh!" Jackson shouted. He and Jessica skated over to Greg.
"Ow," Greg groaned in pain as he started to stand up.
"Daddy, you okay?" Jackson asked as he plopped beside Greg.
Greg scrunched up his face in pain. "Ow." He smiled softly when he saw how Jackson was concerned. "I'm okay...just fell down."
"Daddy, you gotta get back up. Den you can skate wif me!"
Greg had to smile at his happy son. "I'll be okay. Do you want to rest a little bit?"
"Yeah, it's almost time for cake," Jessica said.
Ben skated over to them. "Mommy, is Jackson's daddy okay?"
"Yeah, my daddy okay," Jackson said. "He fall down, but he get back up."
Greg smiled. "Yeah, I'll get back up." With Jessica's help, Greg got back up and skated a bit with Jackson.
"Daddy, when you fall, you gotta get back up an' try again," Jackson explained to Greg.
Seeing his son so happy and hearing him give a pep talk made Greg smile. "Yeah, you do. You're skating pretty good."
"Yeah. Ben's mommy show me how to skate." Jackson looked up at Greg. "Daddy, do you know how to skate like Ben's mommy?"
"Not anymore," Greg said with a soft laugh. "I used to roller skate when I was a little bigger than you, but that was a long time ago."
Jackson giggled. "You gunna be okay. Ben's mommy help me, an' I can help...whoa!" He fell down. "I still wobbly," Jackson said as he looked up at his father.
Greg couldn't help but smile. "You're doing fine. Everybody falls when they first learn to skate. And you just started."
"Yeah," Jackson said quietly as Greg helped him back up. "But you say dat it okay to try sumfin new."
"Right," Greg said with a smile. He and Jackson skated a little more before it was time for Ben's party.
Jessica welcomed everyone to the party room at the skating rink and smiled when she saw Ben and Jackson chatting. "You boys were doing so well out there."
"Yeah," Ben said. "Jackson's doing a good job!"
"I am?" Jackson said.
Greg smiled as he came up behind the boys. "Yeah, Jacks. You got right back up and didn't quit. I'm proud of you."
Jackson smiled. "Thank you, daddy. An' I proud of you, cause you got back up after you fall down."
"Yeah, I did," Greg said with a laugh. He smiled as Jessica welcomed him and the children.
"You okay?" Jessica asked Greg.
"Yeah. I'll be sore for a while, but I'm okay."
Everyone smiled as they sang "Happy Birthday" to Ben. Jackson sat next to his friend and smiled when Jessica handed him his piece of birthday cake. "Thank you!"
Jackson loved being with his friends at the party, and was thrilled Ben liked his present. "I know you like to race cars," Jackson explained to Ben. "So my daddy help me pick out some cars for you."
"I love dis!" Ben said as he looked at the toy cars. "You remembered my favorite ones!"
"Yeah, an' you can race dem at your house!"
Ben hugged Jackson. "Thank you. An' thank you, Jackson's daddy."
Greg and Jessica laughed softly. "Ben, his name is Mr. Sanders," Jessica told her son.
"It's okay," Greg told her. "I love being Jackson's daddy."
Greg loved watching Jackson play with his friends. Nothing made Greg happier than being with his son.
Jackson loved playing with his friends at the party, and got a little more sturdy on his skates. He fell a couple more times, but got back up and tried again. Greg just loved watching his son happily playing - even if he still felt sore after his earlier fall.
Greg sat with some of the other parents watching the kids play. He loved seeing Jackson so happy.
When the time came for everyone to go home, Jackson pouted as Greg took his skates off. "Daddy, can we come skate again later?"
"Maybe in a few weeks. You really had a good time, huh?"
"Yeah! I fall down, but I got back up. An' I like to play wif my friends!"
"I can tell. And I'm glad you had fun." Greg winced as he stood up.
"Daddy, does your owie hurt?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah, but I'll be okay. I'm just glad you had a good time."
Jackson smiled. "I glad too, an' I glad you got back up after you fall down."
Greg laughed softly. "I'm glad you got back up, too." He was sore from his fall, but loved seeing his son so happy.
Ben came over and gave Jackson a small gift bag. "Here, Jackson. It some toys for you, an' thank you for coming to my party."
"Thank you!" Jackson hugged his friend. "An' thank you an' your mommy for helping me skate."
"You're welcome," Ben and Jessica said.
Jackson hugged his father. "An' thank you for skating wif me, even if you got a owie."
Greg's soreness disappeared as he hugged his son. "You're welcome, Jacks."
The End.