I don't own CSI.

I loved writing "Jackson" and it's sequel, and I'm so thrilled everyone loves it so much. I thought, since I referenced Jackson and Greg spending their first Christmas together in the first story, it would be pretty cool to write a story about their first holiday. Hope you enjoy it!

Greg Sanders had never been so excited for Christmas to arrive, because this was the first one he'd spend with his son, Jackson. Since his beautiful son came to live with him, he'd grown so much, and they absolutely loved each other. For every sleepless night-or day, in Greg's case-there were tons more smiles and laughs. And since Jackson was now three years old, this was his first Christmas where he really had an idea of celebrating the holiday.

On a trip to the mall, Jackson spotted Santa Claus and couldn't pull Greg over to him fast enough. "Daddy, dere Santa!" Jackson practically shouted. Greg smiled and laughed at the toddler pulling him to the mall Santa. Jackson reached the line. The little boy waited while two children in front of him gave Santa their lists and had their pictures taken.

Greg knelt in front of his impatient son. "You gotta wait, Jacks. These kids want to see Santa, too."

Jackson jumped up and down, so excited over seeing Santa. When it finally came his turn, the little boy ran and hugged Santa. The mall Santa laughed and smiled at the excited boy. "Hello, there!" he said.

Scrambling up on Santa's lap, Jackson smiled up at Santa Claus. "Happy Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Merry Christmas to you too," the Santa said with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Jackson!" Pointing to Greg waving at him, Jackson said, "Dat my daddy!"

"And what do you want for Christmas, Jackson?"

Jackson smiled at his father and back up at Santa. "My daddy says I his best gift eber!"

Greg smiled at his son. "You're right, Jacks."

The mall Santa smiled. "You love each other very much, that's wonderful. Now, what would you like Santa to bring you?"

"A baseball! An' maybe...um...more crayons."

"He loves to draw," Greg said to the mall Santa.

"Well, we'll see about getting you some then." Santa smiled at the little boy.

Jackson thought for a moment. "Santa, are you gunna get my daddy sumfin, 'cause I his best present."

Greg smiled at his son, and the mall Santa smiled at the thoughtful little boy. "Well, he loves you very much, and you love him, right?"

"Yeah!"

"So what do you think we should get for him?"

Jackson tapped his finger to his chin the same way that Greg did when he was making the little boy a sandwich after first meeting him. After a couple of seconds, Jackson said, "Maybe he needs more crayons."

Both Greg and Santa laughed softly. "Then he can help you draw, right?" Santa asked. Jackson smiled and nodded. "Well, we'll see about that."

"An' Morgan is gunna help me look for him a present," Jackson told Santa.

"Daddy's girlfriend," Greg told him. Santa nodded.

"Yeah, we're a family!" Jackson proudly told Santa.

Santa laughed. "Well, that's wonderful. You're very lucky to have a family that loves you very much."

Jackson smiled. "Eben when they make me eat broccoli."

The photographer took the picture of the smiling Jackson and Santa. Greg couldn't keep the smile off his own face.

Santa took a small box of crayons and a small coloring book and gave it to the excited boy. "Cool! Thank you, Santa!" Jackson exclaimed.

Santa smiled. "You're a good boy, Jackson. Maybe that baseball will be under your tree Christmas morning."

"Crayons too?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, sir," Santa told the smiling boy. "And Merry Christmas!"

Jackson gave Santa a hug. "Merry Christmas, Santa!"

After climbing off Santa's lap, Jackson ran over to where Greg and one of the helpers were standing. "Daddy, I got crayons!"

"Yeah! I saw that." Greg paid for the photograph and looked at it with Jackson. "Look at this, Jacks."

"Cool!"

Greg laughed softly. "It is cool. You know what? This is a picture of the very first time you came to see Santa and it's the very first Christmas you and I are going to spend together." He hugged his son as they looked at the picture.

Jackson hugged his father. "An' I told Santa that maybe you need some crayons, too."

"Oh, thank you Jacks," Greg said with a laugh.

Greg and Jackson shopped for a while and had lunch at the mall. Greg couldn't stop smiling at his son as the little boy told him all about what he wanted for Christmas and all about how Santa would bring toys on Christmas Eve.

"Daddy, can we send Mommy a Christmas present?" Jackson asked as he and Greg were finishing their lunch.

Greg looked at his son. He knew Jackson still loved his mother. And even if Riley was no longer part of their lives, she was still Jackson's mother. Looking into his son's beautiful brown eyes, Greg asked, "Do you want to send her a present?"

Jackson shrugged. He didn't understand why his mother just left him and never saw him after that.

Looking at his thoughtful, beautiful son, Greg smiled. "Do you think she'd like a Christmas card, maybe you can draw something special for her?"

Jackson smiled and nodded. "Can we, daddy?"

"Of course we can," Greg said. He smiled as Jackson smiled up at him. "I think she'd like that very much, Jacks."

Jackson smiled, but then frowned. "You won't be mad, daddy?"

Greg pulled his son into a hug. "Absolutely not, Jacks." Greg smiled as he felt Jackson's arms tighten around him. "I love you, Jacks."

"I love you, Daddy." Jackson pulled away and smiled at his father.

"You know what, Jacks?" Jackson shook his head. "You are the coolest, best gift I ever got."

Jackson smiled at his father. "Cooler than a car?"

Greg laughed softly. "Way cooler!" Jackson and Greg laughed and hugged.

TBC...