As it turned out, Teal'c didn't need any help with the boys. Carter had
told Jean and Sally that Daniel and Jack were off talking, and had told
them she was going to go make sure Murray didn't have any trouble with the
China boys since he was alone with them all. So she'd spent the evening in
their cabin, sitting cross-legged on Jack's bunk chatting with the boys
while Teal'c got them all ready for bed.
The boys didn't understand exactly why Sam was there and Daniel and Jack weren't, but they all liked Carter, so they didn't resent the intrusion. They did, however, shyly take their pajamas into the bathroom to change into them, which just made Sam smile. Shawn was glad Sam was there, too. The boy was quiet for the most part, and there was a slightly haunted look in his dark eyes that made Sam want to hold him and cuddle him and reassure him that the world wasn't going to end for him. She didn't, though, since the other boys would have wondered what was wrong. Shawn didn't want them to know, and Sam respected his wishes. She did, however, smile at him as encouragingly as she could muster, and when she went around and told the boys goodnight, she pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.
"It'll be okay," she whispered as she pulled the blankets up to his chin. He didn't reply, but Sam saw a lone tear trickle down his cheek. She wiped it away tenderly, and resisted the urge to pull him out of bed and hug him.
"He's not back, yet," Shawn whispered. "What if he left?"
"He didn't." She ran her fingers through his dark hair, trying to comfort him. "You'll see. Try to get some sleep, okay?"
He nodded, and Sam looked over at Teal'c, who wasn't ready for bed yet.
"Come sit outside with me, Murray?" She asked.
"Indeed."
They sat on the bench under the China porch light and waited to hear from Daniel. Neither of them spoke much, mainly because there wasn't anything to say, but also because they didn't want to keep the boys awake.
It was about an hour or so later that they saw a form moving in the light of the main building's porch lights. The form walked up the hill from the general area of the parking lot, and when it moved closer they saw it was, indeed, Daniel. He came up to them and sat heavily down on the bench next to Sam, who put her arm around his shoulder. He looked like he could use some support.
"Did you locate Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah."
"And?" This was from Sam, who wasn't feeling very hopeful. Daniel looked and sounded worn out.
"We talked. Well... a little. I think he'll be okay, though. He just got a nasty shock."
"Did he ever."
"I'm going to go to bed."
"As am I."
"Is he coming back?"
"Eventually. I think he wants a little more time to think."
"You mean brood."
"Yeah, probably. But this time, I think he needs it. Just don't send one of your girls down after him, okay? It's one thing if he's grumpy, but this isn't the same."
"I know, Daniel. I won't." Besides, they were all asleep.
Sam stood up, "Bed sounds like a good idea. I'll see you both in the morning."
"Good night, Sam."
"Good night, MajorCarter."
Daniel and Teal'c walked into China silently, but Shawn had been awake, and sat up in his bunk, his dark eyes shining in the glow of the porch light.
"Did you find him?" He whispered to Daniel as the archeologist passed his bed.
"Yeah."
"Is he mad?"
"No." Daniel walked over to Shawn's bed to keep from waking the other boys. He hadn't seen Shawn, but Sam had told him the boy was upset, and it was obvious that he was, if he was still awake and sitting in the dark.
"Where is he?"
"Down in the parking lot."
"He's leaving, isn't he?"
"No, why would you think that?" Daniel asked, truly confused by the question.
"He hates me. I'd want to leave, if I was him."
"He doesn't hate you."
"He yelled at me," Shawn told Daniel softly.
"He yells at me all the time."
"This is different."
"Shawn, go to sleep. When morning comes, you'll see that things aren't as bad as you think they are."
Things were as bad as he thought they were, and Shawn knew it. Otherwise Jack would be in the cabin. He probably didn't want to see Shawn ever again, and Sam and Daniel were just trying to make him feel better by saying Jack wasn't mad. Shawn laid his head back on the pillow, but he didn't go to sleep. Murray and Daniel eventually fell asleep, but Shawn lay wide awake, listening for Jack to return, hoping without any real hope that Jack was going to come and give him a chance to apologize.
The boys didn't understand exactly why Sam was there and Daniel and Jack weren't, but they all liked Carter, so they didn't resent the intrusion. They did, however, shyly take their pajamas into the bathroom to change into them, which just made Sam smile. Shawn was glad Sam was there, too. The boy was quiet for the most part, and there was a slightly haunted look in his dark eyes that made Sam want to hold him and cuddle him and reassure him that the world wasn't going to end for him. She didn't, though, since the other boys would have wondered what was wrong. Shawn didn't want them to know, and Sam respected his wishes. She did, however, smile at him as encouragingly as she could muster, and when she went around and told the boys goodnight, she pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.
"It'll be okay," she whispered as she pulled the blankets up to his chin. He didn't reply, but Sam saw a lone tear trickle down his cheek. She wiped it away tenderly, and resisted the urge to pull him out of bed and hug him.
"He's not back, yet," Shawn whispered. "What if he left?"
"He didn't." She ran her fingers through his dark hair, trying to comfort him. "You'll see. Try to get some sleep, okay?"
He nodded, and Sam looked over at Teal'c, who wasn't ready for bed yet.
"Come sit outside with me, Murray?" She asked.
"Indeed."
They sat on the bench under the China porch light and waited to hear from Daniel. Neither of them spoke much, mainly because there wasn't anything to say, but also because they didn't want to keep the boys awake.
It was about an hour or so later that they saw a form moving in the light of the main building's porch lights. The form walked up the hill from the general area of the parking lot, and when it moved closer they saw it was, indeed, Daniel. He came up to them and sat heavily down on the bench next to Sam, who put her arm around his shoulder. He looked like he could use some support.
"Did you locate Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah."
"And?" This was from Sam, who wasn't feeling very hopeful. Daniel looked and sounded worn out.
"We talked. Well... a little. I think he'll be okay, though. He just got a nasty shock."
"Did he ever."
"I'm going to go to bed."
"As am I."
"Is he coming back?"
"Eventually. I think he wants a little more time to think."
"You mean brood."
"Yeah, probably. But this time, I think he needs it. Just don't send one of your girls down after him, okay? It's one thing if he's grumpy, but this isn't the same."
"I know, Daniel. I won't." Besides, they were all asleep.
Sam stood up, "Bed sounds like a good idea. I'll see you both in the morning."
"Good night, Sam."
"Good night, MajorCarter."
Daniel and Teal'c walked into China silently, but Shawn had been awake, and sat up in his bunk, his dark eyes shining in the glow of the porch light.
"Did you find him?" He whispered to Daniel as the archeologist passed his bed.
"Yeah."
"Is he mad?"
"No." Daniel walked over to Shawn's bed to keep from waking the other boys. He hadn't seen Shawn, but Sam had told him the boy was upset, and it was obvious that he was, if he was still awake and sitting in the dark.
"Where is he?"
"Down in the parking lot."
"He's leaving, isn't he?"
"No, why would you think that?" Daniel asked, truly confused by the question.
"He hates me. I'd want to leave, if I was him."
"He doesn't hate you."
"He yelled at me," Shawn told Daniel softly.
"He yells at me all the time."
"This is different."
"Shawn, go to sleep. When morning comes, you'll see that things aren't as bad as you think they are."
Things were as bad as he thought they were, and Shawn knew it. Otherwise Jack would be in the cabin. He probably didn't want to see Shawn ever again, and Sam and Daniel were just trying to make him feel better by saying Jack wasn't mad. Shawn laid his head back on the pillow, but he didn't go to sleep. Murray and Daniel eventually fell asleep, but Shawn lay wide awake, listening for Jack to return, hoping without any real hope that Jack was going to come and give him a chance to apologize.