Author's Note: Yes, Shawn knows Jack is his real father. Jaffer's true nature isn't something I'm ready to reveal just yet. No crying at work! Or at least hide it so no one knows you're crying, or they'll all be worried about you (it's probably just as bad as uncontrolled laughter for no apparent reason) I think that covers all the questions! (Parents should be screening my stories for young children – especially since they're labeled PG-13 – to make sure they're suitable for them to read)

OOOOOOOO

None of them knew how long they were like that. They continued holding Shawn while he cried himself out, and only released their tight grip on him when he started to pull away. With his eyes red and puffy, and his face flushed and soaked with tears, he looked far more like the little boy he used to be than the young man he had begun to grow into. Especially with the lost look in his eyes when he looked at Jack.

"What do I do, now, Jack?" He whispered, brokenly. "I don't know what to-"

Jack didn't have a tissue to give him, so he wiped the boy's cheeks with his thumbs as he took his face in his palms once more.

"You don't do anything, Shawn," he murmured, his brown eyes forcing Shawn to look at him. Jack's eyes were just as red, even though his tears had stopped sooner. "There are some decisions you'll need to make, but none you need to make now. For now, we're going to take you home with us, and be with you…" he trailed off, his hands still holding Shawn tight enough that the cadet was forced to maintain eye contact. "You're not going to have to deal with this alone. I promise you."

Shawn nodded, and fresh tears trickled down his cheeks, soaking Jack's hands. Sam reached out and ran her fingers lightly through his hair – another gesture that was left over from when he was a much younger boy.

"I'll go let the others know what happened, and get some clothes for you."

He nodded again, and Jack pulled him back into his arms, holding him tight and making no indication that he was ever going to let him go. And Shawn went willingly, leaning against Jack and taking the comfort offered in those strong arms that held him so tenderly.

Sam looked over at Jaffer, and frowned, noticing that he was drooping – almost as if he understood what was happening. Of course, nothing would surprise her as far as the black lab was concerned, so maybe he did. Or maybe he was picking up on the mood in the room. She went over and knelt in front of the dog – kneeling wasn't nearly as easy now as it had been before she'd become pregnant – and took his head in her hands, caressing the velvety ears.

"It'll be okay, Little Man," she whispered to him, resting her damp cheek against his jowls.

Jaffer whined softly, and moved just enough to lick her face. Not the exuberant licking of a mischievous dog, but a more sedate touch – almost a caress. She rubbed his ears once more, pressed a kiss against the top of his head, and stood up – using him to brace herself just a little. When she headed for the door, it was hardly a surprise that he followed her.

The Commandant was waiting for her in the reception area of the main office. Concern and sympathy were dominant in his expression and Sam knew that was because the man actually cared about the students he was in charge of. He knew all of them by name – even though he never called them by anything but their surnames – and knew most of their stories as well as he knew his own.

"How's he doing, Major?"

She shrugged.

"He's pretty broken up, Sir. We're going to take him home with us."

Since that was pretty much what he'd expected was going to happen, the Commandant nodded.

"I'll put him on a temporary leave."

"Thank you, Sir. I was wondering if you could have his roommates summoned here? Or better yet, to their room? I need to let them know what's happened, and I need to pack some things for Shawn."

"I'll do it immediately," he said, waving over the secretary and asking her to take care of it. Then he turned back to Sam. "Make sure you let him know that if there's anything any of us can do…"

She nodded, and gave him a weak smile.

"I will, Sir."

She left the office, then, and headed for Shawn's room, with Jaffer walking beside her.

OOOOOOOOO

"Cadets Brooks and Hayden…"

Ian and River both looked up from the test they were taking. Actually, Ian had finished the test and was doodling on a piece of scratch paper, while River was just about finished with his own.

"Yes, Sir?"

The instructor – a Lieutenant – gestured for them to come to his desk, and Ian scowled, wondering if he'd been busted again. Of course, that wouldn't have been any reason to call Hayden, too.

Both Cadets stood up, and walked over to the desk, and the Lieutenant eyed them, wondering what they'd done wrong.

"The Commandant has requested you both go to your room."

"Sir?"

"I don't know why, Hayden," the Lieutenant said, frowning as he realized River was asking him why. "In the Military we obey the orders we're given, not question them. You'd do well to learn that."

"Fu-"

"Come on, Ian."

River grabbed his roommate by the arm before he could get himself in trouble coming to his defense, and Ian allowed himself to be steered out of the room. Once the door was closed behind them Ian tossed a contemptuous look back at the classroom.

"Pompous bastard. 'In the military, we obey the orders we're given, not question them…' He can kiss my ass."

Hayden grinned, amused at the uncanny accuracy in Ian's mimicry of the Lieutenant.

"Wonder what the Commandant wants us in our room for…"

Ian shrugged.

"Probably some kind of inspection or something, who knows?"

When they reached their room, though, it wasn't the Commandant that was waiting for them, it was Sam. With Jaffer. She was going through their closet, while the black lab had jumped up onto Shawn's bed and was watching her somberly.

"Major O'Neill…" River said, curious what was going on, but never able to miss a chance to make a crack about something like this. "If you want to borrow some underwear you might want to ask first – so I can get you the clean ones…"

Ian chuckled, but when Sam turned to them they both stopped smiling. She looked like she'd been crying.

"Sam? What's wrong?"

"It's Shawn's folks," Sam said. She gestured for them to sit down, and explained to them what had happened.