River had to leave around mid afternoon. His pass was only good until evening, and although the Commandant would have certainly allowed him an extension on it, he was anxious to get back and make sure Ian had returned from his own leave.

He hugged Gina warmly, then hugged Sam and shook hands with the guys – although he lingered over Shawn's, his blue eyes still showing his concern over his roommate's mental state.

"If you need anything…" he shrugged. "Call me."

Shawn gave him a smile; warmed to his very soul by the care River had shown him that day. He'd forgone his usual joking and laid-back self in order to put Shawn first, and hadn't even flirted with Sam or Gina – which was a miracle itself. He'd been attentive and for the first time since Shawn had known him, had actually shown the mature side of his nature. It was the side Ian had been waiting to see, Shawn knew, and he'd missed it with his absence.

"I will, River," he promised. "Thanks."

The cadet had told the same cab to come get him at 4 PM, so he didn't need to call for one, and as it pulled up and honked, Jack pulled him to the side, his brown eyes concerned as they had been all day.

"If Ian doesn't show up on time, give me a call, okay?"

"I'm sure he will, Colonel. He probably just needed a little time to himself, to realize he's being stupid."

Jack didn't look convinced, and River didn't feel convinced, but they both pretended they were, and River left the house feeling a little gloomy, but not because of Shawn's loss, but because he was just certain Ian wasn't going to show up on time, and he was going to end up calling O'Neill soon.

OOOOOOOOO

Almost as soon as River had left, Andrew's mother came to pick up her son and Gina. She greeted Shawn warmly, giving the young man a long hug, which Shawn returned easily – he'd known Miyra Stephens a long time, and while she wasn't exactly like a mother to him, she was like an aunt, and he was truly fond of her.

She told him that if he needed anything, he should call her immediately, and not to worry about what time it was or what it was he needed. The offer almost made Shawn cry again. He hugged Gina, and Andrew, and then stood next to Jack and Sam and Jaffer as he watched them drive off.

"I have a lot of good friends…" he said to no one in particular.

He felt Sam's arms come around him from behind and she hugged him back against her.

"They love you, and they want you to know it."

He nodded, swallowing against a lump in his throat. Especially when Jack rested his hand on his head, and agreed with her.

"We love you, too," he said, seriously. "Don't ever forget that."

"I won't, Jack…"

He turned and wrapped his arms around Sam, resting his head on her shoulder, and feeling the swelling of the baby between them. A gentle motion against him made him look down in shock and then up at her.

"Did you feel that?"

She smiled, and nodded. His eyes looked exactly like Jack's had when he'd first felt their baby moving under his hand.

"He doesn't like to be crowded like that," she told him, taking his hand and resting it lightly against her stomach. "Wait, though, and you'll feel it again."

"She," Jack corrected, placing his hand flat beside Shawn's, and waiting for the movement all the same.

Sure enough, a moment later the baby shifted positions again, and all three of them felt it. They all grinned, and Shawn realized that this movement was his little brother – or sister…

"Wow…"

It was a lot cooler to know a pregnant person when the baby was moving around and you could feel stuff.

Sam smiled as she watched him, glad for any way to take his mind off other things. Besides, she loved the look of wonder in his eyes and the expression on his face.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, running his fingertips along a lump that moved in response. Who knew what part of the baby it was, but it was cool!

She shook her head.

"The only time it bothers me at all is when he hits me in the bladder… then it's a race for the bathroom."

Shawn smiled, and pulled his hand away reluctantly. Stepmother or not, Sam wasn't an amusement park attraction and he didn't want to make her feel like one. He started to say something, when there was another knock on the door, and again they were close enough to it that Jack simply reached over and opened it while Sam reminded Jaffer he was a perfect gentleman and wasn't to rush up and slobber all over whoever it was.

He snorted, as if to say he wasn't at all interested in doing anything of the sort, but when the door opened to reveal an elderly couple, he couldn't help but sneak past Jack to stand between them and Sam protectively. At least until he had a chance to decide if they were okay or not.

"Grandma… grandpa…"

James' parents had arrived.

OOOOOOOOOO

By the time Ian's pass expired, he'd left Colorado and was well into Utah. He ran into some heavy snow, but it didn't slow him down – although it did make him glad he'd decided to take the SUV instead of the sports car. He stopped at a Walmart as he left Interstate 70 to head south on 15, and picked up a couple of changes of clothes – he hadn't known he was going to be taking a long trip, after all – and then stopped at a truck stop long enough to use their shower facilities and grab a bite to eat. Aside from being tired, he felt a little better once he'd changed and managed to clean up, but he still had a long way to go, so he didn't stop and get himself a hotel room. Instead, he kept driving, drinking Mountain Dew and eating energy bars to keep himself alert. He wanted to be in Arizona before he took a chance to rest.