Sam gave the sleeping form on the couch a worried look as she and Jack sat down to breakfast. Ian was still asleep – which wasn't all that big a surprise maybe, if he'd stayed up late. The thing that worried her was the fact that Jaffer was still cuddled up close to the cadet – even though the lab had woken an hour before.

Jaffer hadn't responded to Jack asking him if he wanted out, and he hadn't responded to breakfast. Both of which were usually high priority items with the lab as far as Sam knew. He simply had remained still, Ian's arms wrapped loosely around him in his sleep with the cadet's cheek resting against his own.

"What's wrong, Sam?" Jack asked softly, in deference to Ian still being asleep.

"Isn't it odd that Jaffer won't leave him?"

Jack shrugged.

"He's like that with you when you're asleep, too. Won't leave you until you wake up – probably because he doesn't want to disturb you. It's probably the same with Ian."

"Maybe he's hurt?"

"Jaffer?" Jack was fairly positive Jaffer was fine. He'd looked fine to Jack – his tail had wagged cheerfully enough in greeting when he'd woken up, and his eyes were bright and happy.

"Ian."

Jack shrugged, looking over at the couch – although he couldn't see either of them from this angle. The back of the couch was in the way.

"He looks okay... I didn't see any blood." He looked over at Sam. "You want me to wake him up?"

She hesitated, but shook her head.

"Nah. If he's tired, he needs to sleep."

Jack handed her a plate of eggs and toast – one of his few specialties.

"He'll probably get woken up when the others start arriving." There was no way Jaffer would hold still for too long once the house started filling up, and Jaffer moving would probably wake the boy up.

Sam nodded, and she finally sat down, resisting the urge to go over and check him for a fever or something. Jack was right; he was probably just tired. Who knew what time he'd stayed up until – probably watching TV.

OOOOOOOO

When the first light knock at the door came less than half an hour later, Jack was proven right – although Jaffer was a lot gentler about waking Ian up than he was when waking Jack. The lab whuffled the cadet's cheek, slobbering a bit, but mainly licking his face until Ian couldn't help but wake up or drown.

As Sam went to the door to answer it, she smiled when she saw Ian open his eyes while at the same time pulling his head back and pushing Jaffer's head back just enough that he couldn't get at him with that long tongue. The cadet looked around owlishly, and Jaffer took that as awake enough and hopped down off the couch, trotting over to the door with Sam to welcome their guests.

Who turned out to be Janet and Cassandra Fraiser.

"Hi again," Janet said, handing a bottle of wine to Sam as she came through the door. Cassandra smiled a greeting at Sam as well, walking through the door carrying a couple of bags of groceries.

"Hi, Sam." She greeted Sam, but her eyes instantly went to the couch where it was obvious Ian was just waking up. The cadet was stretching – and as far as Cassie could tell, he was mostly naked. At least he wasn't wearing a shirt, because his blanket had fallen around his waist when he'd sat up, revealing just as impressive a body as Cassie could have hoped for.

"Good morning, you two," Sam said, smiling.

"18 inches of snow last night," Janet said, shaking her head. "Can you believe that?"

"Of course I can," Sam said, shutting the door behind them after a quick look outside. Since Jaffer hadn't wanted out, neither she nor Jack had even bothered to go look, but it was deep, and looked beautiful.

"Good morning, Ian," Cassie said, coming to a stop by the couch and smiling, because he looked soooo hot half-asleep. Besides, she could take a minute and really enjoy Ian watching while he wasn't quite awake enough to realize what she was doing.

Ian looked up at her, and stifled a yawn as he nodded a greeting, then looked around. Jack was in the kitchen, Sam was coming over from the door, followed by Jaffer and following Janet Fraiser, who also smiled a greeting – although her look was far less possessive than Cassie's.

"Good morning, Ian," Janet told him. Wow. Janet was used to seeing mostly naked young men – and old men – and even she was forced to admit he was just as good looking half-naked as he was dressed. "Just woke up?"

He nodded, rubbing his face sleepily. He wasn't used to sleeping in, and definitely wasn't used to having a gaggle of females around him when he woke up – Shawn and River were the biggest audience he'd ever had.

"Better get dressed, Ian," Sam said – much to Cassie's disappointment. The Major came over and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder in what was a friendly touch – but was also her way of checking to see if he was overly warm – which might indicate a fever or some other reason that he'd slept so soundly. He felt okay – warm but not really hot – although his eyes were particularly bleak when he looked up at her.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Janet nudged Cassie, who scowled, but headed into the kitchen to greet Jack and hand over her bags of groceries to him, and the two women heard Jack giving her an enthusiastic good morning, and asking if she'd had breakfast.

"Are you all right, Ian?" Sam asked, frowning down at him slightly. Now that Cassie was gone, she was hoping that if he weren't feeling well, he'd be more willing to admit it.

Janet caught the concern in Sam's question, and she switched from friend visiting friends to doctor, looking down at Ian intently, her hand brushing his forehead without so much as a by your leave. He was warm, but not hot, and he wasn't flushed beyond what you'd expect from someone who'd just woken up.

He moved his head slightly – although Fraiser's cold hand actually felt kind of good against his face – and gave both of them a forced smile.

"Fine. Just tired."

"You can go back to bed..." Sam told him, pretty sure he wasn't telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Ian shook his head – like he wanted to go back to sleep?

"I'm up. I'll go get dressed."

He stood up and untangled himself from the blanket he was wrapped in, and Sam reached out and took it from him when he started trying to fold it.

"I'll take care of it," she told him, smiling. No man could fold a blanket or a towel, as far as Sam was concerned. And Heaven forbid they get near a fitted sheet!

"Thanks."

He turned and headed for the bathroom, and as soon as the door closed Janet looked at Sam.

"Is he sick?"

"I guess not... he was just sleeping so soundly... I guess it had me worried."

"He's probably catching up on all the sleep he's been missing from getting up so early at the academy," Janet said, smiling. "If I were him, I'd be sleeping all day."

The two of them headed for the kitchen.