Title Inspiration: My Boy by Elvie Shane
I promised you guys wouldn't have to wait long! We are back with our favorite boys, alongside their crazy found family.
This time around, I am counting this as a crossover as we will have some characters from Private Practice. Mainly, Addison and Sheldon will be permanent fixtures but we'll also see other members of Oceanside Wellness here and there. It might take us a bit to get to the Addison/Mark part. It's a true slowburn. But I promise: the main focus is always Mark and Jackson.
Timeline, what timeline? We are flying by the seat of our pants here. I'll be borrowing plot points from past and future in here, all for the sake of having fun with these knuckle heads.
The sequel work more like my other fics, with one shots floating all over the place. As I said, the main focus is Mark and Jackson but we'll of course have the whole family here. This first chapter is pretty heavy on the Dad Squad + Meredith & The Terrible Trio. The latter of which is the nickname my friend, CianMarsToo, concocted for Jackson, April & Alex (which, if you're not reading his fic...what are you doing? Go check out "Not too much"!), so that's just what they are to me now.
One other note, I've been a daycare teacher for 4 years now, working in childcare for far longer. So, this one day doesn't represent my feelings on childcare as a whole. This is actually partially inspired over something I've seen in my own career (though not to such an extreme). Overall, the daycare is amazing and the kids love it! But sometimes...things happen.
Thank you all once again for your support and love. I am so grateful and appreciative. Love you all. 3
On that note, let's get started! Let me know what you think! As always, feel free to leave prompts or ask me questions! I am on Tumblr and love communicating on there, as well as in the comments.
He ain't got my smile, that don't bother me a bit
He's got somebody else's eyes I'm seein' myself in
I'm holdin' onto every moment, God knows I've missed a few
The day we met, I knew I had some catchin' up to do
He ain't my blood, ain't got my name
But if he did, I'd feel the same
I wasn't there for his first steps
But I ain't missed a ball game yet
And that ain't ever gonna change
I could never walk away
Yeah, he's my son and that's my choice
He ain't my blood, but he's my, he's my boy-My Boy by Elvie Shane
"Daddy, come onnnn," Jackson drags out the word as he tugs on his father's hand. "Wanna go now!"
Mark chuckles as he locks up the car. "Hold your horses, Jack Attack."
"I don't have horsies to hold!"
"It's an…you know what, never mind."
He hoists his messenger bag over his shoulder. Jackson's got his duck backpack on his own. The younger man is jumping up and down, continuing to tug on Mark's hand. There's a huge smile on his face as his eyes anxiously flicker from the Jaguar to the hospital.
"You know," Mark says as they begin walking, swinging their hands as he does so. "I remember a time when you said you'd never, ever go to daycare."
"It's fun," Jackson says. "Get to do coloring and painting! Plus trucks!"
"You have trucks at home."
Jackson makes a face. "Daycare trucks."
"Ah, yes, yes."
"April and Alex gonna be there?"
"Their daddies texted me saying they are."
That only increases Jackson's excitement. His hand slips from his dad's and he races towards the large building. It doesn't take long for his boots to skid against the ice. Mark quickly grabs the hood of his fuzzy plaid jacket and yanks him back. Jackson looks up at him with a pout. Mark gives him a gentle but firm gaze.
"Jackson Avery Sloan, we do not run off in the parking lot," he tells him. Jackson's cheeks and nose are already turning pink from the cold, even with his heavy coat, scarf and beanie that looks remarkably like Hank. Still, Mark remains in spot. "We hold hands with Daddy or whatever adult we are with. Especially when there's ice. You could get a boo boo or hit by a car."
"Wanna go inside," Jackson whines.
"And we'll get there. But you know how we won't? If you don't hold Daddy's hand and follow the rules."
Jackson nods, chewing on his lip. "Sorry, Daddy."
Mark lets out a tiny sigh, forming a little cloud in front of him. "Forgiven. Just hold my hand, alright? We don't need any lost daddies, right?"
Jackson giggles. "I keep Daddy safe!"
"There's my good protector."
The mood lifts once again when Jackson begins singing the raindrop song from Barney. He opens his mouth when it comes to "catching" the various candy, but luckily no snow or rain falls from the sky. Unlike schools and other jobs that may get snow days, they're expected to come in any type of weather. The past week has been a hell of a commute. Given the accidents that come with people not knowing how to drive in extreme weather (despite living in a population with such conditions), the ER has been backed up. Both have worked insane overtime. It makes sense that on his day off, Jackson woke up small. Mark has a feeling he'll stay this way for a few days. At the very least, he's finally off tomorrow and Monday. They can spend some quality time snuggling.
For the day, Jackson will attend daycare. Something that was once a chore is now potentially one of the little one's favorite places to go. He no longer cries at drop-off. In fact, most times he's pushing Mark out the door. Especially when April and Alex are in attendance.
There's a bit of a backup in the daycare's lobby. Jackson frowns.
"Lotsa people, Dada," he mumbles, leaning into Mark's side.
"I know, Ducky, I know. But it'll be our turn soon."
Mark tries to hide a frown on his own face. Usually, things aren't this hectic. Especially not at 7 in the morning. It takes a good 5 minutes for them to reach the front desk. Erica has a large iced coffee, nearly drained, beside her. The usually sunny receptionist's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes.
"Ah, the Plastics Posse," she says, trying to keep up her cheery voice. "Good morning."
Jackson waves, suddenly happy to see one of his favorite people. "Hiya, Ms. Erica!"
"Is everything okay?" Mark asks as he goes through the process of signing in.
"I'm afraid the flu that most of the kids had last week has now hit the teachers," Erica explains. Mark frowns. One of the benefits of Jackson not dropping was he didn't have to be around the yucky germs of that breakout. "Not to worry, all are home resting. However, it's meant a lot of shuffling for the rooms we can't find subs for."
Mark tries to keep from going papa bear. "Are bigger kids going to be put in Jackson's room?"
"No, no. We would never do that. His room isn't getting any new kids. Though, there's going to be some subs covering the room."
Mark almost wants to turn around and leave. He scans his mind for who would be available to babysit. Pretty much all of their friends are working today. The only one off is Callie, but Mark remembers she's having lunch with Mrs. O'Malley. He really has no choice but to leave Jackson at this place on a day when it's not at its best.
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Derek and Meredith heading into the room with Alex. If they trust it, maybe he's just being too protective.
"They know to call me if anything, right?" Mark asks.
"Of course, Dr. Sloan," Erica assures him. "Jackson is in good hands."
Jackson tugs on his hand. "Wanna play, Daddy."
"Alright, Ducky. Let's go then." He gives a small nod to Erica in thanks while his little boy waves.
The room is no more hectic than usual when Mark enters. There aren't too many kids there yet at least. Owen, Meredith and Derek are the only adults by the cubbies, helping their kids take off their stuff. Mark leads Jackson over. Instantly, he throws his arms around April and Alex who hug him back tightly. Mark can't help but smile at that. When the three pull apart, they begin talking at once, almost incoherently. Yet, they seem to understand one another fine.
Mark looks up at the adults. They simply shrug. Meredith hangs up Alex's backpack. Mark just barely manages to wrangle Jackson's off him alongside his jacket, scarf and hat. Owen has a harder time with his daughter.
"April," he says. The little chatterbox ignores him. "Pumpkin." April continues talking to Alex, making him giggle. "April Hunt!"
She looks up at him with her wide blue-green eyes, brows crinkled. "Yeah?"
Mark holds back a laugh off Owen's barely patient smile. "I need your backpack."
"Oh! Silly, Daddy. Use words." She slides off her pink and white polka dot Precious Moments backpack.
"Yeah, Daddy," Derek snorts. "Use your words."
Owen shoots him a glare as he accepts the bag and hangs it up on the hook beside Jackson's. "On that note, I have to go to work." He plants a big kiss to April's forehead. "Love you, sweetheart."
"Love you, Daddy! Bye!" She waves him off before turning to her friends.
Owen throws his arms in the air. "I can't compete, I guess."
"Don't be offended," Mark says, patting him on the shoulder. "None of us can."
Meredith nods in agreement. "Once the Terrible Trio are together, the rest of the world disappears."
Derek makes a face at the name. "I hate that you call them that."
"At least she didn't come up with another "Mc" nickname," Mark points out.
Derek concedes with a nod. Owen doesn't leave right away. He's looking around the room. The other 2 Littles that are there are preoccupied with a dollhouse. By now, usually either Ms. Courtney or Ms. Lulu walk over to greet the families. Yet here they stand, alone.
"I hear Courtney and Lulu have it," Meredith whispers, low enough for the Littles not to hear.
Mark tenses up. "Both? Really?"
"Yeah."
"So…who's taking over?"
The dads exchange an anxious look. A frazzled voice takes over.
"Hi!"
A shorter woman that Mark has never seen before busies over. Her blonde hair is thrown back in a messy bun. Unlike the full-time staff, she's got one of those sticker name tags.
"I'm Juniper," she says, putting on a bright smile.
Derek's arms are already folded across his chest. Meredith nudges him but Mark can't see why. Juniper seems friendly but there's a new vibe taking over the room.
"Hello," Owen says. "I'm Dr. Hunt. This is Dr. Grey, Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Sloan." He points to each of them in turn. Then, gestures to the Terrible Trio, who have since tapered out their talking to take in this stranger. "These are our kids, Alex Grey-Shepherd…" He looks her up and down with a small scowl. "Jackson Sloan…" The plastics surgeon leans against his daddy. "And my daughter, April Hunt."
"Never seen you before," April says, making a face. "Want Ms. Courtney."
"April," Owen only half-heartedly chastises.
Juniper's smile grows a little tight. "Ms. Courtney and Ms. Lulu do not feel well. So, myself and Ms. Polly are going to take care of you today! I promise, we're going to have a lot of fun."
The trio exchange a weary look before glancing up at their parents. Mark can't blame them. It's almost like the first day all over again.
But this is Seattle Grace. They thoroughly vet every employee, from the chief right down to the janitor. It should be no different for the daycare.
"It'll be alright, guys," Mark promises, squeezing Jackson's shoulder. "You're going to have so much fun today."
It takes a moment for the other adults to hum in agreement. They go about hugging their children once again. Mark squeezes Jackson tightly.
"You'll play with April and Alex, alright?" Mark kisses his head. "Plus I'm sure your other friends will be here soon!"
Jackson nods into his shoulder. "'Kay. Come back soon?"
"I'll be back before dinner. We're having spaghetti tonight."
That's enough to get Jackson excited. Alex takes a bit longer to let go but once he sees April and Jackson are willing to follow this new teacher, he reluctantly gives Derek one last hug and lets go. The three of them follow Juniper off to the block area.
The parents exit the daycare, each going against Derek's original advice of never looking back. Yet, they say nothing until they're in the hallway outside.
"We should probably have a nurse or someone check up on them during the day," Mark says.
Derek nods. "Already on it."
"Maybe we're being too protective," Meredith says, not that any of them buy her optimism. "I mean, it's clearly a crazy time."
"I have a gut feeling." Mark shakes his head. "The only reason I'm keeping Jackson there is I know the hospital would never hire anyone negligent."
"I think the problem is we all got comfortable," Owen adds. "I mean, truth is, Lulu and Courtney may not work here forever. The kids are going to get new teachers at some point."
"True."
Derek frowns. "Meredith's probably right. We're just being overprotective."
"You?" Mark raises an eyebrow. "Admitting you're overprotective?"
His best friend rolls his eyes. "Look who's talking?"
Meredith shakes her head. "The two of you are worse than the kids."
Owen is the first to lead them away, Meredith not far behind. Derek and Mark walk side by side. Both dads take one last glance before they cross the bridge to get to the main part of the hospital.
Jackson sighs as they're forced to give some other kids a turn on the indoor slide. So, maybe he, April and Alex have been using it for a long time. They were there first! It's one of the only fun things to do when they're at the inside playground. He misses when they could go outside. But the stupid snow and ice made it all yucky, so they have to wait for it to melt. If only snowdrops were really made of candy bars and milkshakes. Yummier and less dangerous.
"Hide-and-seek?" April suggests.
Alex shakes his head. "No fun places," he huffs, folding his arms over his chest.
Jackson starts to suggest something when Ms. Polly walks over. "You three need to play," she says, her voice stern. "You're blocking everyone's way."
April's lip quivers. Alex notices and glares at their substitute teacher.
"Meanie! Don't make her cry!"
"Not crying," April sniffles, looking at the ground as a few tears fall down her cheeks. Jackson rubs her back, just as his daddy does when he's sad.
"S'okay, April," he whispers.
Ms. Polly sighs, shaking her head. "You're a big girl, Anna. There is no need to cry like this."
"Her name's April!" Alex argues. "S'okay to cry! You're mean!"
Ms. Polly narrows her eyes. "You're Alexander, correct? I think you need a bit of time away."
She takes his hand and leads the now screaming boy out of sight. Jackson frowns. Ms. Courtney and Ms. Lulu sometimes have to put Alex in timeout but never for sticking up for April. Well, except for the time he threw a truck at Danny for calling her stupid. Ms. Courtney and Ms. Lulu also never get mad when April cries either.
Now, April is crying more. Jackson gives her a big hug until she finally calms down a little.
"Hide-and-seek?" Jackson suggests. "In the foam pit!"
He tries to keep a smile, even though he's not happy. Right now, he wants his daddy. Ms. Polly and Ms. Juniper aren't nice like his other teachers. They're not playing with anyone and instead stand in the corner, unless they want to come scold one of the kids. They've made April cry two whole times now. Jackson doesn't like it here anymore. Daycare isn't fun. Daddy always said it'd be fun.
But he also knows his daddy and uncle Derek have a very important surgery. They're working together on it because the man is very hurt. He's going to be just fine, though, because he has two of the best doctors-in Jackson's opinion anyway-working on him. Mark and Derek have talked about it for a really long time. Jackson doesn't want to bother them.
April wipes at her eyes and nods. Jackson leads her over to the foam pit.
"You hide first," April directs, sounding bossy even with her sniffles. She turns and closes her eyes to wait.
Jackson nods and dives beneath the yellow and gray blocks. He swims around a bit until he finds the best spot ever. Eventually, he hears April's voice.
"Coming!"
The two of them take turns hiding in the large pit. Little by little, their sadness fades away. Jackson keeps looking for Alex. He's forced to sit on the bench far longer than Ms. Courtney would make him. Jackson wants to say something but Ms. Polly doesn't look very happy. He can't find Ms. Juniper. She was on her phone not long ago and now she's missing again.
"Find me!" April demands from her spot beneath the blocks.
So, Jackson goes back to playing.
The next time it's his turn, Jackson decides to surprise April. He'll hide behind the pit. It'll be so silly! She won't see it coming.
Jackson climbs behind the pit while she has her back turned. He shuts his eyes and curls into himself so he can be smaller. The room grows quieter, but Jackson remains in his space.
"Find me!" Jackson calls out.
No response.
He opens his eyes and sits up.
Everyone's gone.
Jackson jumps up and dashes around the room. He checks the playground. No one. They're not even hiding in the ball closet.
His breathing picks up and the tears gather in his eyes. Why would they leave him? Is April mad because he hid somewhere else? Maybe she cried. That would make Alex upset, which means he's mad at him. They don't want to be his friend anymore. Now, he's in super timeout.
A grown-up is supposed to stay with a kid during timeout. They can't be alone. His daddy says he's too little.
Jackson doesn't want to be alone.
He wanders to the door that separates the indoor playground from the hospital. Whenever they walk here from the daycare, they have to hold on tight to the rainbow rings connected by some ribbon. It's just as important as holding Daddy's hand in the parking lot. Since there's only 2 teachers and so many little kids, Ms. Lulu once told him that it's how they keep everyone together.
Except, there's no teachers. No other kids. No rainbow rings!
If Jackson isn't supposed to be alone but he also can't walk anywhere without holding hands or the rings, he isn't sure what to do. One of the rules has to be broken. Which is going to get him in the least amount of trouble?
Jackson grabs the pacifier attached to his shirt and sticks it in his mouth. He sucks on it, trying to find comfort. Still, he wants Ranger and Hank. He wants his daddy.
Eventually, he dashes back to the foam pit and dives back in. The tears fall down his face as he cuddles some of the blocks to him. They're not his stuffies or the man he loves more than anything, but they'll have to do.
Jackson wants to be a brave big boy but right now, he's scared. Usually, he can find an adult when that happens. How can he do that when he's all alone?
It's like it was before his daddy. All the times he huddled up in his room alone. At least he had Hank then. Jackson would suck his thumb, watch cartoons and cuddle his stuffie until he felt big again. He was never safe. Not until his daddy brought him home.
Once again, he doesn't feel safe.
"Veg sticks!" April exclaims excitedly as a handful is sprinkled on the napkin in front of her.
Alex makes a face. His daddy's tried to tell him time and time again that these are like chips but he's not stupid. Veggie is right in the name! But if April and Jackson can eat them, so can he. Plus, Ms. Lulu isn't here to sneak him goldfish like she usually does. Reluctantly, Alex picks up the yellow one, it's the closest to a pringle.
As he munches on it, he glances around the table. "Where JackJack?"
April takes a long sip of her sippy cup and shrugs. "Dunno."
Alex glances around. He doesn't want to talk to mean Ms. Polly. She shoved him on the timeout bench then told him to shut up when he said he wanted his mommy. Instead, he spots Ms. Juniper. She's kind of nice. Won't play with them, but at least she doesn't yell.
"Ms. Jun'per?" She walks over to him and tilts her head. "Where Jack?"
"Oh, he went home," Juniper says. "His mommy finished up early."
"Daddy?" Alex asks.
"Um, might've been."
Her pocket beeps and she pulls out her phone, disappearing again. Alex looks down at the colorful veggie sticks in front of him. Jackson doesn't have a mommy, just a daddy. Maybe Auntie Callie picked him up? Sometimes people think she's Jackson's mommy when she hangs out with him and Uncle Mark.
Alex nods. That must be it. He picks up another yellow veggie stick and munches on it. These teachers are silly. He wants Ms. Courtney and Ms. Lulu back.
Derek chuckles and claps Mark on the back as they enter the daycare lobby. Erica happily checks their IDs. Even though both are prominent figures in the hospital, they are still required to show proof. It gives Mark a sense of security when it comes to his little boy.
"Long days?" She asks as she compares Derek's to the information on the screen.
"Very," Derek reports. "We had a combined surgery that lasted 8 hours."
"Oh, you both must be exhausted," Erica says as she passes back Derek's ID and then turns to the chief of plastics.
Mark nods and hands over his license. "I can't wait to get home and just cuddle with my Jack Attack."
Derek nods in agreement. Once Erica has confirmed Mark is really Mark, the two doctors head back to the room. There aren't as many Littles now, given it's nearly 6. Most are picked up by the non-doctor caregiver. But in Mark's case, he's a single parent. And Meredith's still on the clock until 10. Daycare's only open until 8.
It doesn't take long for Alex to drop his toy truck and bolt for his dad. He nearly knocks him over in a hug. Derek is quick to adjust himself and cuddle him close.
"Whoa there, Tiger."
"Missed you!"
"I missed you too."
As Derek kisses all over his face, Mark looks around. There's no sign of Jackson. He peeks his head into the nursery window. Empty.
His heartbeat picks up as his eyes dart around the room. It takes him way too long to find a teacher. It's not Ms. Juniper as expected, but instead a woman Mark has never seen before with a name badge that reads "Ms. Polly". Mark races over to her.
"Where's Jackson?"
Polly tilts her head. "Who?"
Mark grits his teeth. "Dr. Jackson Sloan. My son. Where the hell is he?!"
Polly's green eyes grow wide. She begins sputtering. "I…I don't know."
Mark's entire world sinks in.
"We signed Jackson Sloan out," Juniper insists, pointing to her clipboard.
Erica furiously shakes her head. "No, that's impossible. There were only 3 children who went home in the past 2 hours." She shows her tablet.
Mark paces the director's office, each bit of this argument grating against his soul.
Juniper's voice drops. "Oh."
Mark's head snaps up. "Oh?"
"We…um…" Her cheeks flush. "Harrison is the one who left at 3:30."
"You…you didn't know where my son was for nearly 2 and half hours?!" Mark snaps, taking a step forward.
Juniper raises her hands. "Dr. Sloan…"
"He is six feet tall! How the hell do you just lose an entire person?! What were the two of you doing?!" He looks around the office. "Where the hell is Polly?!"
It's only then the director, Grace, speaks up. "She's being questioned by security."
Mark grips his curls. His heart pounds heavily in his chest.
"It's a simple question! I left my baby here hours ago! Where the hell is he?!"
Derek appears in the office. He puts a hand on his friend's back. Mark yanks away, shaking his head. Tears build up in his eyes.
"Where is my son, Derek? Why isn't he here now?"
"Mark…Mark!" Derek rests his hands on his shoulders. Mark lets out a shaky breath as he looks into his best friend's eyes. "I know, okay? I get it. But you are not going to find him any faster if you work yourself into an episode. So, I need you to keep breathing, okay?"
.
Mark reluctantly takes a few more breaths. Little by little, it regulates. It doesn't change that the tears are still falling. Derek continues to rub his shoulders.
"There we go," he whispers as though he's talking to Alex. "That's better. Now, I called security. They're searching for him right now."
"They haven't had eyes on him in nearly 2 and a half hours," Mark whispers. "What if wandered out of here? Or he got hit by a car?"
"We'd have found out by now, because they'd bring him here," Derek gently reminds him. "If they don't find him within the next half hour, I'll call a Code Purple, okay?"
Mark slowly nods. Derek turns to Grace and whispers something. With one hand still on his best friend, he leads him out of the office.
"All the rooms are on lockdown right now," Derek explains. "So, the kids are safe. Meredith and Owen are helping out the other sub they have."
One of the security officers enters the lobby. "I'm going to need a description of the missing child."
Mark's hand fumbles as he grabs his phone. Right on his lock screen is his picture of Jackson.
"His name…his name is Jackson Avery Sloan. He's 30 years old, but his…his Little space range is usually between 2-4 years old. Um…" Mark blinks several times, trying to regain his composure. "He's 6"1. Mixed. Dark, short curls. Bright green eyes. Light freckles on his cheeks and nose. He…he's wearing a Barney t-shirt and jeans. Oh!" Mark expels a deep breath. "He's got on light up boots, also Barney."
He remembers reading parents should always memorize what shoes their kids are wearing. Kidnappers can change clothes but they're less likely to mess with the shoes.
But who the hell is going to kidnap Jackson?
The security officer nods, jotting it all down. "Do you have a physical photo?" Mark just as easily pulls one out of his wallet and hands it over. "Thank you. We're on the lookout, alright? So far, no one's reported seeing anyone. But it'd also be very hard for him to leave this side of the hospital. We have proper security everywhere."
"Do you even know where to look?"
"We're currently interviewing Polly Mayer, then we'll move on to the other teacher. Hoping to get a timeframe."
The officer disappears when his walkie beeps. Mark sinks down into a chair, putting his head in his hands. Derek drops beside him and rubs a hand up and down his back.
"I shouldn't have left him," Mark whispers. "I knew it. I knew there was something wrong and I…"
"You did what we all did," Derek interrupts softly. "Trusted that they would be okay. We had no reason to think otherwise."
"It doesn't matter. He's my son. I…I should've known! I should've gone home. Or found another sitter. Done something!"
"This isn't your fault," Derek's voice grows a little firmer. "You trusted the daycare that you have a million times before. One who vets their teachers seriously. Sometimes these things just happen."
"Why to my son?"
"That I can't tell you. What I can is that we're going to find him and he'll be just fine. Polly and Juniper won't ever step back foot in here. Not if I have a thing to say about it."
Mark scoffs. "They won't work with children ever again when I'm done with them." He glances at Derek. "April and Alex…are they okay?"
Derek checks his phone. "They've got them distracted, which is good. The thing is, none of the kids can say when they saw Jackson last."
"Time works differently for them when they're like this. That makes sense. It's the adults who should know."
Mark sits there for another 20 minutes. He wants to be out there looking but Derek forces him to sit and says to let the officers do their job. Mark wants to scream he's a hypocrite. If this were Alex, he'd tear apart the damn hospital board by board. Yet, Derek keeps rubbing his back and speaking softly. Somehow, that grounds him to the chair.
Is this how he somehow managed to transform Alex?
The officer from before enters. "Dr. Sloan?"
Mark looks up, his heart in his stomach. "Y…yes?"
"Come with me."
"Is he okay?"
"Just come with me."
Mark isn't sure how he makes it from the chair to down the hall. Derek is close behind him. They round two corners before they reach a room marked "Indoor Playground". Inside, is another security officer who is trying to talk to someone in the foam pit.
"Come on, buddy," he coaxes. "I told you, I'm a good guy. I want to help you."
A familiar, stubborn yet sad voice comes out. "No!"
Mark zips across the room. He nearly knocks the officer out of the way and reaches down through the foam blocks. A moment later, his son is in his arms. Jackson throws his arms around his neck and squeezes tight. Mark clings to him for dear life, inhaling his sweet shampoo.
"Dada!" Jackson wails into his neck.
Tears stream down Mark's face. "Ducky," he breathes. "Dada's here. I'm here. Oh my God, you're okay. You're okay!" He kisses the side of his head. "You are never leaving my sight again."
Mark's neck is quickly soaked with tears, but he pays the favor when it comes to the top of Jackson's hair. The two stay that way for a good few minutes. When Mark stands up, his son is still clutched in his embrace.
By the time they get back to the daycare, both Polly and Juniper are gone. The daycare is closing early for the day and will be shut down the following as they try to figure how to proceed until the main teachers have returned. Meredith and Owen have already shepherded their kids out as they were a mess on their own. Mark uses the empty room to change Jackson's soaking wet diaper along with the clothes it leaked onto. He winces as he sees the rash forming. Jackson is whining, even with a pacifier in his mouth and Hank and Ranger in his arms. Mark can't blame him. Even changing him into fresh clothes is torture if it means he can't hold him.
He brings Jackson up to his office once Derek has a chance to give his nephew a kiss and tell him how much he loves him. Once the older plastic surgeon assures him he'll be alright, he heads off to join his wife and child.
Mark sits in his overstuffed leather spinning chair with Jackson cuddled up in his arms.
"Sca'y," Jackson whimpers beneath his pacifier.
"I'm sure," Mark whispers, gently bouncing him. "What happened, Ducky?"
"Playin' hi'-seek wit' Ap'l." Mark removes the pacifier so he can hear him better. Jackson whimpers but keeps talking. "Hid…people went bye bye."
"They left you alone?"
"Naughty."
"Yes, they were very, very naughty to leave you alone."
"No, JackJack naughty," Jackson argues meekly. "Hid real good."
Mark shakes his head, nuzzling his cheek against his son's. "You are a little boy. They shouldn't have left you alone."
Nearly 3 hours. His son was unaccounted for and alone for 3 whole hours. Sure, he was safe in the playground but anything could've happened. What if he hadn't curled up in the foam pit and eventually fallen asleep from crying so hard, as the security officer expected? What if he wandered out of there and gotten hurt? Or someone had taken him?"
"Everyone mad?" Jackson asks. His adorable green eyes are wide.
Mark shakes his head. "No, no. No one is mad at you, Ducky. This was not your fault. Not even a little bit."
"Make April cry? Make Alex mad?"
"Nope. You didn't do a thing, baby boy. They were worried but that's on the grown-ups not watching you better."
"Sorry, Daddy."
"Jackson, no," Mark turns his voice a little firm. "What happened today was not your fault. You are a little boy. Someone needs to be with you at all times. The grown-ups messed up today big time. They are the ones in big trouble. You are not." He presses a kiss to his nose.
"Want Ms. Courtney and Ms. Lulu," Jackson whines.
"They'll be back soon," Mark promises. "And as soon as they are, you'll go back to daycare."
Mark has no clue how long that'll take. The flu can take anywhere from a few days to a whole week to heal. At the very least, he has the next couple of days off so that's safe. From there, he'll either have to hope Jackson doesn't drop or someone else can babysit. Not that he's sure he'll ever put him down again.
"Missed Dada," Jackson whispers.
"I missed you," Mark coos, bouncing him a bit. "My sweet little ducky. I think Hank and Ranger missed you too. They were very lonely in your backpack." Jackson gives each of his stuffies a kiss. Mark manages a smile. "My very sweet baby."
"Ms. Polly yelled at Alex," Jackson reports. "Made April cry."
Mark tilts his head. "Did she now?"
"Told April she a big girl, so no crying."
"Well, let me tell you something I know Uncle Owen tells April, everyone cries. Every single person has cried at least once. Even grown-ups."
Jackson tilts his head. "Really?"
"Yup. I cry sometimes. I did today, because I missed you so much." Mark taps his nose. "And I'm a grown-up, right?"
"Super old," Jackson agrees innocently. "Dinosaur."
"Hey," Mark narrows his eyes playfully. "I'm not that old."
"Uh huh. Knew dinos and cave men."
Mark shakes his head. "Very fresh little boy." He tickles his tummy, if only to hear his favorite giggle.
"Hungry, Daddy," Jackson's voice dips back into a whine.
"Let's get you home," Mark says. "I think we'll order our spaghetti, though. It's getting late and Daddy is too tired to cook. We'll pick it up on the way home."
"Barney?"
Mark nods as he stands up, hoisting Jackson onto his hip. "Barney while we eat."
"Cookies?"
"You're getting whatever you want tonight, Ducky," Mark promises, rubbing his back. "And probably for the next couple days too."
Jackson buries his head in his neck. Mark keeps a tight hold as they walk out of the office together.