Jack looked up when Shawn walked into the house alone. He had pulled Jaffer's brush out and was brushing the lab while the two of them sat in front of a fire that Shawn had started in the fireplace.

"You okay?"

Shawn nodded, and came over and knelt down beside Jaffer, who wagged a hello but refused to move from his spot, since that would have stopped his brushing – and Jaffer loved to be brushed. Almost as much as Jack loved doing it.

"I'm fine, Jack."

"And Ian?"

Shawn shrugged.

"I don't know."

"But you talked to him and did your best to get through to him…"

"Yeah."

"Then that's all you can do." Jack moved the brush from Jaffer's shoulder and started under the lab's head, brushing his neck and chest. "He's not stupid. He'll figure it out."

"I hope he does it before he freezes to death…"

Jack smiled.

"He'll come in when he gets cold."

Shawn shrugged, and stroked Jaffer's shoulder, which was shining with good health in the firelight.

"You need help?"

"Nah. You might go make sure Sam's okay, though. River's helping her make dinner."

Shawn nodded, and got to his feet, leaving Jack and Jaffer to their quiet time, and wandered towards the kitchen, where River had the fridge open and was rifling through it, while Sam watched.

"What's he doing?" Shawn asked, coming over to stand next to her and watch as well.

"I'm going to make dinner." River told him, although his voice was muffled by the fact that his head was literally in the fridge.

"The cereal is in the cupboard."

Sam grinned, and nudged Shawn with her elbow.

"He says he can make Chicken Chasseur."

"I can," River told her, straightening up with a handful of various foods in his hands. "But, we'll need more chicken."

"What's Chicken Chasseur?" Shawn asked.

"Hunter's chicken," River said. "It's a French dish. Really good."

"And you can make it?" Shawn couldn't help but look skeptical.

"I happen to be a great cook," River said. "Didn't I help in the kitchen on Thanksgiving?"

"You peeled potatoes…"

"But I could have done more if your grandmother would have allowed me to."

Sam smiled, and shrugged. The worst he could do was make a mess and burn down the house, after all.

"Well, why don't you take Shawn to the store and get whatever you might need?"

"Do you have white wine? Or Vermouth?"

"I think so."

"Good, because I'm not old enough to buy that." He smiled, and set everything back in the fridge, while Sam went into the living room to get her keys.

"What's up?" Jack asked, hearing the tinkling of the keys and looking up to see where she was going.

"River needs more chicken to make dinner, so I'm sending him and Shawn off to get what they need."

"River needs…?"

Sam smiled.

"He's cooking – and he says he can do it."

"I can," River told them, taking the car keys from Sam. "I have a million sisters, after all. Someone had to learn to cook – otherwise we'd have starved while they were out shopping."

Jack grinned.

"You need money?"

"Nope."

Shawn slid his shoes on and grabbed his jacket, while Sam walked to the window and looked out. Ian was still sitting on the porch.

"Send Ian inside when you leave, guys. I don't want him freezing."

"Yes, Ma'am."

That was as good a way to get him inside as any.

"And get extra chicken, River," Sam said. "Daniel and Sally might be by later."

"Daniel will for sure," Jack said.

"Yes, Ma'am."

They opened the door and looked at Jaffer, who was normally the first one to want to go anywhere. This time, however, the lab stayed right where he was. Being brushed was almost as good as being bathed, because it was just another way to get Jack to rub his hands all over him, and Jaffer thrived on Jack's touch and always had. The black lab had no intention of going anywhere until he was finished being brushed.

Recognizing this, the two cadets closed the door behind them and stepped around Ian, then stopped and looked down at him.

"Hey, we're going to the store. Want to come?"

Ian shook his head.

"I'd rather be eaten by killer bees."

"Dipshit, bees don't eat people."

"Then I guess I'm safe from both possibilities, aren't I?"

Shawn smiled.

"Sam wants you to go inside."

Ian nodded and stood up, slowly, because he was stiff and pretty chilled. It was way too cold out to be sitting on the porch, even for the short time he had been there.

"You want us to bring you anything?" River offered.

"A pomegranate," Ian said, reaching for the doorknob. "A couple of them."

"That's it?"

"Yup. Drive safe."

He thought about warning them about watching out for little kids that might be hanging out in the dairy aisle filled with advice, but decided that ole Corey probably was in bed by now – it was after dark, after all. Instead, he walked in the house, feeling a blast of warmth hit him after being outside for so long.

Sam had gone to the sofa and was sitting down on it when Ian came in, and she gave him a gentle smile, patting the spot next to her in an invitation for him to join her there. An invitation he wouldn't refuse. He walked over and sat down, close enough to be close, and yet still not in her personal space.

"How do you feel?" She asked him.

He shrugged, "I'm okay. How's the baby?"

Sam smiled, knowing he'd done that on purpose to get the conversation off him. And she let him.

"He's fine. I think he's sleeping right now."

"She." Jack corrected from the floor.

Ian smiled, then, and shook his head, but before he could say anything else, Jack stood up, setting the brush on the mantle and slapping Jaffer's shoulder.

"While the guys are gone, it's a good time for you and us to have a discussion."

Ian looked up at him as he walked over.

"About?"

He didn't feel like talking about how he felt just then, or how he was doing. And he was certain they didn't know what was in the suitcase in his room or Jack would probably have called him on it, already.

"Your future," Jack said. "At least… your future for the next several months…"