The Buick was in the driveway, but the Jeep was gone. Which was slightly confusing, since Jack knew that the Adams had taken their Buick. Frowning, he wondered if he'd been mistaken. Maybe they had changed their minds and taken the Jeep? Or maybe they were back and the Jeep was just gone. Mentally shrugging, Jack pulled into the driveway, figuring there was no point in driving out here and not at least knocking on the door.

He and Jaffer walked to the front door, and rang the doorbell, even though the house looked empty to him, which made him think that maybe they'd taken the Jeep, after all, even though the Buick was far more comfortable when traveling. He looked down at Jaffer, who was looking around, sniffing the bushes next to the front porch.

"Maybe we're too early..."

The door opened just then, pulling Jack's attention back to the front, and drawing Jaffer's attention as well. Dotty Adams was standing there, smiling when she realized who was at the door.

"Jack!"

He smiled, uncomfortably.

"Hi, Dotty. How was the trip?"

"It was fine, thanks. Come in, why don't you?" She opened the door so he and Jaffer could walk past. Jack walked in, followed closely by Jaffer, and the two stopped just beyond the foyer. Dotty shut the door, still smiling.

"James and Shawn went to get some dinner, but they shouldn't be gone long." She told him, taking his arm comfortably and walking him into the living room when she noticed he didn't seem to be planning on going in without an invitation. "Would you like something to drink while you wait for Shawn?"

"Actually..." Jack scowled, trying to remember how he'd planned on starting this conversation, but unable to remember.

"What is it, Jack?" Dotty asked. She didn't read him anywhere near as well as Sam could, but Dotty knew Jack far better than anyone knew. Including him. She'd had access to his memories from the Ancient's device, after all, and although she'd only viewed them once, Dotty Adams had a very good memory.

"I actually came to talk to you, Dotty. Not Shawn."

"Oh?"

Jack nodded.

"About Shawn?"

Jack shook his head, and Dotty wondered why he looked so uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"Um..." He looked around, everywhere but at her. "Can we... sit down?"

Yeah. That'd buy him about 20 seconds. He sighed to himself and sat down on the couch while Dotty took a seat across from him.

"Jack?"

"Yeah..." He frowned. "Hey, um, Dotty...? What do you know about... um..." He scratched his ear. "Having babies?"

She smiled despite his obvious discomfort. She had no idea what it was that was bothering him, or what he wanted to know, but since she'd actually had a baby, she could answer that question, at least.

"I had Shawn."

"Um... yeah. But what about Sam?"

"Nope, I didn't have her."

He smiled, despite the seriousness of his visit, as Dotty had hoped he would. It broke his nervous tension and he relaxed marginally.

"Seriously, Jack. What's going on?"

"I... think Sam's having trouble conceiving, Dotty," he said. "And I was wondering if you..." he shrugged. "Maybe there's a reason?"

He felt like a moron. There was absolutely no way Dotty was ever going to be able to take him seriously again. What the hell had he been thinking, coming here with such a personal problem, when he was only going on the guess of a woman who probably wasn't even a psychic? She was going to laugh him out of her house any moment, now, Jack just knew it.

Dotty didn't laugh, though. She threw Jack a very serious look, and reached her hand out to stroke Jaffer's ears when the black lab walked over.

"Are you and Sam trying to have children, Jack?"

He shrugged, thinking this was a familiar conversation.

"Well... we wouldn't say no if one came along... but none are coming."

She nodded.

"Are you certain the problem lies with Sam?"

Jack frowned. "What do you mean? Could it be me?"

Dotty shrugged, understanding at least why Jack had been so uncomfortable and had so much trouble bringing the conversation up.

"Does Sam know you're here, Jack?"

He shook his head.

"How do I know if it's me, Dotty?" He hadn't even considered that. Of course, he had fathered Charlie, and had fathered the baby he and Sam had lost, so he knew he wasn't firing blanks, so to speak. At least he hadn't been three years ago. Shawn didn't count, since Jack hadn't touched Dotty. The Ancients had taken matters into their own hands on that one.

She looked at her hands, frowning slightly.

"I could check for you."

His eyebrows rose slightly at that statement.

"'Check'?" How was she planning on checking something like that?

Dotty smiled, "I might not have put that exactly the best way. Sorry."

He didn't look all that convinced, though, and she laughed, unable to hide her amusement at his reaction.

"It's nothing invasive, Jack," she assured him. "Although it is a little... intimate."

"We're not going to... um... do anything, though... right?"

She shook her head. "No. It's a simple touch. Nothing more. I can heal you humans easily enough with a touch anywhere, but something like this would require a more direct... um... feel."

Jack shrugged, uncomfortable, but only because he was nervous. What if it was his fault? According to Madam Xara, Sam had been beating herself up about this, but what if it was Jack, and not Sam?

"Whatever you need to do, Dotty. Please." He held up his hands, helplessly. "I... well, if it's me, we need to know." He didn't know what they'd do about it, but he had to know.

Without another word, Dotty reached out and gently rested her hand on him. Intimate was definitely the word for the touch, Jack thought wryly as her hand cupped him.

"Should I turn my head and cough?"

"Hush... I'm trying to concentrate."

He did as he was told, and watched her face for any sign that she was finding something wrong – mainly because he didn't want to look any lower – but her eyes were closed, and her face expressionless. A moment later, though, her eyes opened once more, and she removed her hand.

"You're fine, Jack."

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "Everything's doing what it's supposed to be doing."

He smiled despite himself, relieved, and escaping into humor like he normally did in a situation like that.

"Well, you know... I try to keep active..."

She laughed.

"That's far more information that I needed to know, Jack. Even with that touch."

Jack's smile broadened, but only for a moment.

"So if it's not me, then it's Sam?"

She shrugged. "Probably."

There was a sound of a car door slamming outside, and then another. Shawn and James had returned with dinner. Jaffer headed for the door, knowing someone was going to come through, and wanting to see who it was coming into his house – which was his because he was there.

"Let me think about it for a while, Jack. It might not be as bad as it seems."

"You'll let me know?"

"Of course."

He looked slightly uncomfortable, again. "Will you keep this between you and me, Dotty? For now, anyways? I don't know how Sam would react if she knew I was..."

"If she knew you were so concerned about her that you are wiling to come over and talk about something that is obviously not a comfortable subject for you?"

"I was thinking more along the line of going behind-"

He was interrupted by the door slamming open and Shawn rushing in, excited by the sight of Jack's truck in the driveway.

"Jack!"

Shawn hurtled himself into Jack's arms as Jack stood up.

"Hey, buddy."

"What are you doing here? Did you come for dinner?"

Jack looked over Shawn at Dotty, and she nodded, telling him with that gesture that she'd keep his secret, and that he was invited for dinner if he was interested.

"I don't know about dinner, kiddo." Jack said, letting him go. "I doubt you picked up enough food for Jaffer's crazy appetite."

"We have plenty, Jack," James told him, coming into the room and setting bags of food on the coffee table before kneeling down and rubbing Jaffer's ears in greeting as the black lab came over to see what smelled so good.

"Well, then, we accept."